Verda Erb, age 92 of Detroit Lakes, MN passed into the arms of Jesus on November 4, 2021 at Ecumen – Emmanuel Nursing Home in Detroit Lakes.

Verda Erb was born in Thurman, Colorado to Joseph and Velma (Kunz) Hoffman on September 14h, 1929. At the young age of 18 she left her parents’ home and moved to MN to help her sister Lois with her new baby. It was there that she met her future husband Jim Erb at a youth function in the Mennonite Church. Verda eventually returned home to Kinross IA. It was there that she was engaged to Jim and they were married on April 21,1949 in a private ceremony at her parents’ home.

Mom grew up in a sod house during the Dust Bowl days of the 1930’s. This was a period of severe dust storms that caused major damage to the land and crops. She remembers splashing water on their sod house to keep the rooms from being dry and hot. They would also spread newspaper on the furniture and beds to keep the dust off. It was during these years that she picked up her love for sewing and embroidering from her Mother. Many kids and grandkids were gifted with embroidered pillowcases, doilies and baby quilts made by Mom’s loving hands. 

Mom loved school and was recognized as the Valedictorian of her 8th grade graduating class. In her late teens she worked for a couple of bakeries and kept that skill alive throughout most of her life. Bread and pies were her most favorite to make and thoroughly enjoyed by our family. In her later years Mom made two very popular dishes for her kids and grandkids. Chocolate Delight and Monkey Bread. They were always asked for at family get togethers or visits with grandkids. Chocolate Delight is still at our family gatherings – even today. 

Mom was also well known for her love of flowers and always grew the most beautiful gardens!  Her greatest contribution to life though, was being “A Pastor’s Wife”. She faithfully and devotedly followed Dad into ministry and supported his calling to be a Pastor. She sacrificed a lot of her personal wishes to support him in his work. You would always see them together at every Christian Fellowship Church event. She also wanted to make sure that every new person she met knew the Lord. Her common greeting after an introduction was, “Do you love Jesus?”

Mom’s recent life at the Nursing Home was challenging for her without Dad visiting any longer. Now we can rejoice with her that they are once again together in Glory Land. 

She is survived by her 6 children who cherish her memory: Ronald of Detroit Lakes, MN; LaVon (Bob) Dennistoun of Bemidji, MN; Nancy of Detroit Lakes, MN; Tim (Vonda) of Detroit Lakes, MN; Philip (Tracy) of Frazee, MN; and Ricky (Angela) of Detroit Lakes, MN and many grandchildren; great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, sisters-in-law Jeannie Erb of Rogers, AR and Grace Erb of Park Rapids, MN.

Preceding her in death, husband Jim, her sister Lois Oswald and her parents.

Funeral Services will be held at the Christian Fellowship Church in Detroit Lakes, MN on Thursday November 11, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

Visitation will be on Wednesday from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the West-Kjos Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes. Interment will be in the Mennonite Church Cemetery – Hwy 34E.

The family would like to thank the staff at Ecumen – Emmanuel Nursing Home and Hospice of the Red River Valley for the care they provided to Verda and the family.