Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 17, 2024 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in St. Cloud for Geraldine “Gerry” Benson-Zimmer, age 96, of St. Cloud. Gerry passed away May 11, 2024 at the Country Manor in Sartell. Burial of her cremated remains will take place in the Calvary Cemetery in St. Cloud. Gerry was born March 9, 1928 in St. Cloud to Michael and Christine (Palmersheim) Schmit. She grew up and attended St. Boniface Catholic School in Cold Spring. She married John Benson on June 26, 1948 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Cold Spring. After his passing in 1990, she married Werner Zimmer on November 7, 1997 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in St. Cloud. In addition to being a loving daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt and “extra”, Gerry was an expert seamstress, a gourmet cook, and a Professional Interior Decorator (Sears Co.). She loved to sing (was the Lead in the St. Boniface High School, Cold Spring Operetta!) She sang in her parish Church, was a Lector and extraordinary Eucharistic Minister and an officer of the Legion of Mary Diocesan Curia. She loved to play cards (was a member of the Relatives Skate Club for years). Reading, traveling, fishing, dancing and gardening (veggies/flowers, indoors and out), her love of all shades of orange was evident in her home, clothing and houseplants and her “classy’ persona! Her passion these last years was PRAYING, the rosary, the Mass, Liturgy, psalms, etc. and she always prayed for others, family members by name (she wore out a couple family tree booklets through her constant checking off their names.) Friends, old and new, young and old, dead and alive, if she ever knew you. She prayed for you often! She put her heart and soul into her strong faith in the Catholic Church; loving Jesus in the Eucharist and her neighbor as herself! Gerry is survived by her daughter-in-law Lynn (Chris) Picquet, siblings Joseph (Marilyn) Schmit, Francis (Mary) Schmit, Mary Ann Hermanutz, Charles (Betty) Schmit, Helen (Woody) Cusack, and Vicki (Chas) Meyer, step-children Sharon (Dave) Classen, Marcia (Joe) Gans, Bob (Marie) Zimmer, Susan (Sam) Barrett and Mary Beth (Lance) Lucius as well as many extended relatives and friends. Preceded Gerry in death were her parents, husband John (1990), Werner (2012), son John Charles (1990), brothers Roger and Adrian and brother-in-law Notch Hermanutz. Gerry’s family would like to thank the staff at Country Manor Campus for the care she received. Memorials are preferred in lieu of flowers.
