Gere Keith Huebner passed away peacefully on April 8, 2026, with his loved ones by his side, following a courageous battle with lymphoma. Gere was born October 18, 1943, in Sumner, Iowa, to Margaret & Milton “Gus” Huebner. Gere was extremely proud of his father, who served in WWII as a fighter pilot of a P-51 Mustang in the 8th Air Force. His father, Gus, was shot down and killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge on December 25, 1944, over Cologne, Germany. Gere’s mother raised him in Sumner, Iowa, with the help of his grandmother, Norma Tremaine, and his grandparents, Arthur & Freda Huebner. He enjoyed helping his Pa Huebner in his tire shop and spending summers with his Pa & Grandma Huebner on Leech Lake, MN. When Gere was 7 years old, his mother met and married Don Henderson, and the family moved to Toledo, Iowa, where Don & Margaret ran the family’s hotel business and Henderson Funeral Home.
Gere graduated from Toledo High School in 1961, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Upper Iowa University & teaching certificate in 1967 and a Master’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University in 1975. Gere spent his entire professional career in Education. He was a high school history teacher and coach in Atlantic, Iowa. After earning his Administration certificate, he served as the High School Principal in Griswold, Iowa, and then the Middle School Principal in Atlantic, Iowa. He was loved dearly by his students, athletes, fellow teachers, and administrators. He had a talent for making learning fun with stories and WWII costumes.
Gere married Virginia “Ginny” Balfour in Toledo, Iowa, in 1965. Gere and Ginny welcomed 3 children – Tiffan, Jade and Doug. He never missed an opportunity to tell his kids that he loved them and was proud of them. He shared his passion for fishing in Northern Minnesota with his kids and treated them to many summer vacations at Leech Lake, MN. Gere loved baseball and was a lifelong Yankees fan. He passed his love for baseball on to his son, Doug, and loved nothing more than coaching Doug’s little league teams and watching Doug pitch through high school.
Gere was married to Karen Speer in 1987, and they enjoyed 18 years together, both retiring from their careers in education and moving to Park Rapids, MN in 1997. Gere and Karen shared a home on Eagle Lake and spent many hours fishing every inch of the lake. He started his day with his infamous morning call to the lake. Gere worked at Headwaters Golf Club for many years and proudly dubbed himself a “mowologist.” He loved the simple things in life and living “up north.”
Gere was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church. He was always reading a book and was an avid crossword puzzle wizard. You definitely wanted Gere on your Trivial Pursuit team! For many years, he enjoyed early morning coffee with his Headwaters crew in the shop at the golf course and his Wednesday lunches with his friends at The Royal in downtown Park Rapids. He will always be remembered by his unusual sense of humor, his “art” projects, and his notorious Christmas gifts to his kids and grandkids. He had nicknames for each of his kids – Tiffan was FB (firstborn), Jade was MC (middle child), and Doug was BG (big guy).
Gere is survived by his 3 kids, Tiffan Yamen (Joe) of Waukee, IA, Jade Van Ert of Holly Springs, NC and Doug Huebner (Kristi) of Phoenix, AZ; his stepchildren Kelly Brockish (Therron), Chad (Denise) Speer & Cindy Speer; his grandchildren Isabela & amp; Zoe Yamen, Elle & Sela Van Ert, Colin Wetjen, Barrett & Koy Huebner, Alex & Lauren Lownes, Jake & Baylie Speer, Derek Glen & Justin Henderson; his sisters Paula Rutherford (Brad), Norma Henderson (Mary), and Susan Niethammer (John); and his close friend Mara Lundgren.
Gere was preceded in death by his father, Milton Huebner, his mother Margaret Henderson, his stepfather, Don Henderson, his wife Karen Speer, stepson Todd Speer and granddaughter, Madeline Yamen.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Park Rapids. The service will be live-streamed from the Calvary website: https://calvaryparkrapids.com/
A celebration of life will be planned in Iowa at a future date.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in Gere’s honor to Healthy Birth Day (a 501c3) or Calvary Lutheran Church. Healthy Birth Day is the non profit organization that operates the Count The Kicks maternal health campaign that was started by Gere’s daughter Tiffan after the stillbirth of their daughter, Madeline.
Links:
Donate – Healthy Birth Day, Inc. https://healthybirthday.org/donate/
