Verna Carrie Bertina Gomer

Verna Carrie Bertina Gomer
June 21, 1918 • November 20, 2017
Verna Carrie Bertina Gomer, 99, formerly of Benson, Minnesota, died Monday, November 20, 2017, at the Glenwood Retirement Village. 
Visitation is from 4-7 p.m., Friday, November 24, 2017, at Zniewski Funeral Home in Benson.  Visitation will continue from 12-1 p.m., followed by the funeral at 1 p.m., Saturday, November 25, 2017, at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Benson. Interment will be in Lake Hazel Cemetery, Benson Township, Swift County.
Verna Carrie Bertina (Johnson) Gomer was a lifelong resident of the Benson area. Born June 21, 1918 to Rudolph and Ida (Hanson) Johnson, she was the second child and eldest daughter of five children. She attended Benson High School and worked for Brown Tank Co. in Minneapolis during WW II. Upon returning to Benson, she married Edwin Gomer January 10, 1943 and moved to the family farm near Lake Hazel. It wasn’t easy being a “City Girl” surrounded by farmers, but she was able to be a “farmer’s wife” and also worked at her father’s hardware store in town.
Verna and Ed had three children: Donna Noyes of Starbuck, Richard (Kathy) Gomer of Maple Grove, and Ann (John) Childs of St Cloud.
After farming for 20 years, Ed and Verna opened a Sears Catalog Store in Benson in 1963 and moved to town. They sold their store and retired in 1982.
Verna had many talents. She was an accomplished pianist and organist. She played the organ and directed the choir at the Lake Hazel Lutheran Church from 1949 until the church closed in 1967. After retiring, she taught piano for 10 years, enriching the lives of her many students. At the age of 89, she became the pianist for the “Young At Heart’ singing group in Glenwood.
Verna was also an excellent cook. She was famous for her Norwegian delicacies such as rommegrot, lefse, klub, and kransekake (Norwegian Wedding Cake).
She was an excellent organizer and was active in church, both at Lake Hazel Lutheran Church and later at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church. She was also a member of the Sons of Norway.
She enjoyed playing Bridge, Boggle, Scrabble, and other games.  She cherished spending time with her family and spent many summer days at her family’s cottage on Lake Minnewaska.  After the tornado in 1964, she and Ed built their own cottage next to the family cottage.  During her long life, she became the matriarch to the large extended family at the “Johnson Compound” on the south side of the lake. Family was everything to Verna.  
Verna passed quietly into her next life, November 20, 2017.
In addition to her children, she is survived by six grandchildren: Mark (Amy) Childs, Jon (Mardi) Noyes, Mike (Laurie) Childs, Kris Childs (Shawn Sigler), Sara Gomer, and Andrew Gomer; seven great-grandchildren: Jordan Childs, Brittany Childs, James Skaj, Kailiee Sigler, Hanna Childs, Alexa Noyes, and Nate Childs; and three great-great-grandchildren.
Verna was preceded in death by her husband; parents; brothers: Raymond Johnson, Burdell Johnson, and Raynold Johnson; sister, Evelyn Hansen; son-in-law, Larry Noyes; infant grandson; and sisters and brothers-in-law: Jennie Johnson, Dick Hansen, Olive Gomer, Helen Larson, Albert Larson, Arnold Gomer, Esther Gomer, and Fred Gomer.
Arrangements are with Zniewski Funeral Home. Please sign the guest book at:  www.zniewskifuneralhome.com