John Gerald Giese

John Gerald Giese was born July 18, 1962, in Appleton, MN, the son of Gerald and Junyce (Carstens) Giese. John was baptized on April 18, 1971 at First Baptist Church in Appleton, MN, and was confirmed into the Christian faith on April 11, 1976, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Shible Township of Appleton, MN. He grew up in the Appleton area and graduated from Appleton High School in 1980. He then attended Willmar AVTI and graduated in 1982 with a degree in auto mechanics. He worked at Gordy’s and Ed’s Service Center as a mechanic in Willmar, MN.

On May 4, 1985, John was united in marriage to Jacalyn Sadergaski by Rev. Donald Johnson at Trinity Lutheran Church in Benson, MN. The union was blessed with three children: Kayla, Tyler, and Nikki. Together, John and Jackie were able to share nearly 31 years of marriage.

John and Jackie began their life together in Clara City, MN, on a farm where he worked for Tom Palke as a farm-hand for five years. He then began to farm on his own with both crops and livestock. In the fall of 1991, John purchased a farm site south of Benson, MN, in Cashel Township where he continued to pursue farming and raising his young family.  John always had a passion for raising livestock and could be seen at the local salebarn frequently where he worked for a period of time. In 2008, he began a dairy calf operation that kept him very busy. Recently he was still active everyday with the calf chores and was always up and ready to go at five o’clock in the morning.

John absolutely loved hunting whether it was duck, pheasant, deer, or goose. He especially enjoyed hunting with his canine companion Skipper, his chocolate lab that was by his side for twelve years. John enjoyed teaching his kids how to hunt and fish and took them on many outings. There are several fond memories and stories from those trips. He was also active with his kids in 4-H where he served as a livestock board member and spent numerous hours helping and watching his kids show livestock at the county and state fairs. John loved spoiling his three granddaughters whenever given the chance – whether it was a can of pop, a dollar bill, or a couple ponies to ride. Recently, he enjoyed watching his granddaughters play in their first season of hockey.

John was known for his witty comebacks and one could hear his laughter on the other side of the house. He had many sayings, but one that stood out was, “Never burn a bridge because one day you may need to cross it.” He always saw the potential in people and would never think twice about offering a helping hand to make us reach that potential.

John, a beloved husband, dad, and grandpa passed away on April 3, 2016.  He attained 53 years of age.  John is survived by his wife, Jackie of Benson; children: Kayla (Jason) Kramer of Vesta, Tyler Giese of Benson, Nikki Giese (fiancé, Kevin Knobloch) of Morris; three grandchildren: Kelsey, Shelby, and Melany Kramer; sister, Julie (Kevin) Jergenson of Benson; brother, Jason (Heather) Giese of Appleton; sister-in-law, Jill Grussing of Benson; brothers-in-law, Mike (Laurie) Munsterman of Appleton and John (Bonnie) Sadergaski of Lakeville; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Gerald and Junyce Giese; sister, Jodi Munsterman in 1994; parents-in-law, Tom and Denise Sadergaski; brother-in-law, Donald Grussing; and his trusted hunting companion of 12 years, “Skipper.”

Blessed be the memory of John Gerald Giese.