Gilbert "Gib" W. Elbers

GILBERT "GIB" WILLIAM ELBERS was born December 25, 1930 to William and Elizabeth (Timmer) Elbers in Lester, Iowa. In 1932 he moved with his parents to a farm north of Luverne under the Mounds. In 1942 they moved to a farm north of Steen, Minnesota. Gib attended District 61 Country School in Rural Steen. In March 1953 Gib entered the U.S. Army. He received his Basic Infantry Training in Fort Lewis, Washington and MP Training in Fort Baker, California. He attended cooking school in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and then went to Camp Gordon near Augusta, Georgia where he was a cook for 17 months. Gib married Henrietta VandenBerg on December 29, 1954. He was honorably discharged on March 15, 1955. Gib worked for Nick VanIperan as a farmhand for one year. For the next six years, he and Henrietta farmed near Luverne, Minnesota and George, Iowa. In 1965 the couple moved to Gib’s parents’ farm where they would reside for the next 28 years. During this time Gib worked various jobs at Bell Telephone, Filter Cleaning Company and then for the veterinary at the Sioux Falls Stockyards. He later worked for different commission companies within the Sioux Falls Stockyards. He also spent five years working as a Crossing Guard for the Luverne Public Schools. Gib acquired his GED in 1982. The couple retired in 1991 and the following January they moved into Luverne. Henrietta died in their home on February 1, 2020. On Thursday, August 13, 2020 while residing at the Minnesota Veterans, Gib died peacefully at the age of 89 years, seven months and 18 days.

Gib was a member of the Luverne Christian Reformed Church. He served as deacon and elder in the churches he attended. Gib was very proud of the accomplishments of all his children. He especially enjoyed going to farm and livestock auction sales and was his son, Keith’s best promoter and advertiser for his auction business.

Gib will lovingly be remembered by his four children, Kevin of Luverne, Sharla (Dean) Broersma of Sunnyside, Washington, Keith (Annette) Elbers of Hills, Minnesota, and Kurtis (Lanette) Elbers of Steen; nine grandchildren, Kaitlyn (Patrick) Visscher of LeMars, Iowa, Marisa (Ryan) McNamara of Chandler, Arizona, Brittany (James) Vander Schaaf of Escalon, California, Emily Broersma of Sunnyside, Tyler (Kala) Bush of Hills, Brock Elbers of Las Vegas, Nevada, Whitney, Sean, and Lanae Elbers of Steen; five great-grandchildren, Micah, Malachi and Maybrie Bush of Hills, Cade Visscher of LeMars, and Cillian McNamara of Chandler; two sisters, Cena Mae (Arvin) Tilstra of Steen, and JoAnn Moeller of Mitchell, South Dakota. He was preceded in death by his wife, Henrietta; father, William Elbers in 1990 and mother Elizabeth Elbers in 2008.

Memorials may be directed to Southwest Christian School.