Josephine Gerend

Josephine R. Gerend, 76, of Sheboygan, passed away Friday February 17, 2017 at Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center. Jo was born in Sheboygan on September 21, 1940, the first daughter and second child of the late James and Josephine (Knauf) Roenitz. She graduated from St. Clement Grade School in 1954, Central High School in 1958, and St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in 1962. She married Jacob M. Gerend at St. Clement Catholic Church in Sheboygan on August 10, 1963. Jo and Jake met in High School and Jo said he was her "Best Choice in Life". For Jake, Jo was his first and only love, his strength and his best friend.
Jo and Jake and their growing family made many stops on their way back to their hometown (Sheboygan) including Omaha, NE, Minneapolis, MN, Westover AFB, MA, Madison, WI, and Fond du Lac, WI. Jo put family first at every stop but life-long friends were also made along the way. Church and community involvement were important to her as well. In fact, a major frustration of hers over the many years of dealing with Multiple Myeloma (a cancer of the bone marrow) was her relative inability to do everything she loved or wanted to do-but she did plenty.
Involvement for Jo included everything from serving on the Marian College Consortium Board in Fond du Lac to substitute teaching at what is now Seton Catholic School in Sheboygan. Jo was born to teach and was a true disciplinarian in the classroom, but she made learning fun. She certainly appreciated God's gifts including family, friends, and the great outdoors (including outdoor sports). Books and game playing were also special to her and travel was a treasure. In fact, Jo had a unique ability to connect with people no matter where she happened to be or what language was being spoken.
Jo is survived by her husband Jake. She is also survived by their five children and their families, Michael (Julie) Gerend of Mendota Heights, MN and their children; Jacob, Joseph, and Meghan, Ellen (Ted) Dryden of Edina, MN and their children; Hanna, Jessica and Eliza, Beth (Christopher) Gotwald of Sheboygan and their children; Tim, David and Luke, Sarah (Eric) Adler of Golden, CO and their son Benjamin, James (Sara) Gerend of Cedar Grove, WI and their children Lily and Sterling, her Godchildren Claudia Roenitz-Montgomery, John Roenitz and Jacob Massick, her siblings; Katherine (Robert) Chesebro of Sheboygan, Christine Roenitz and Ruth Roenitz of Sheboygan, Robert (Joni) Roenitz of Whitefish Bay, WI and her sister-in-law, Barbara (Roenitz) Barrows of Elkhart Lake, WI, her brothers-in-law John (Barbara) Gerend of Lake Villa, IL and Joe Gerend of Plymouth, WI and sister-in-law Mary (Larry) Boll of Howards Grove, WI. Also surviving Jo are many special nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, Jo was preceded in death by two brothers, James (Barbara) Roenitz, Thomas Roenitz, his wife Mary Ann Roenitz and one sister, Margaret M. Roenitz.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Jo on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Clement Catholic Church with Father Matthew J. Widder, pastor, as celebrant. Cremation will follow the Mass and interment will be in Calvary Cemetery. A time of visitation and support will be held at Ballhorn Chapels Funeral & Cremation Care Center on Monday February 20, 2017 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and at St. Clements on Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the Mass.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Seton Catholic School c/o Gina Brown, 814 Superior Avenue, Sheboygan, WI 53081 or Bookworm Gardens at www.bookwormgardens.org