Gerald Peter Tjernagel

Gerald Peter Tjernagel, age 77, of North Mankato, died surrounded by his family on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.

Funeral service will be held at 2pm, Saturday, November 23, 2019 at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Mankato with visitation starting at 12pm. Burial will follow at Woodland Hills Memorial Park in Mankato. Please share a memory of Gerald with his family at www.mankatomortuary.com.

The family prefers memorials be directed to St. Mark Lutheran Church tuition assistance, Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School Foundation, or the WELS Mission Endowment Fund.

Gerald was born October 20, 1942 in Norseland Township to Sigurd and Gertrude (Anderson) Tjernagel. He was united in marriage to Gwen Muenkel on September 14, 1963 in Zumbrota.

He was humble, he was kind, he was generous, he was caring, and he had his priorities set correctly. He was extremely intelligent, wise, centered and grounded. He sought guidance and advice from others when he did not know something. Gerald was always ready with a joke, a story, sarcastic remark, or just a simple cheesy grin or goofy facial expression. He wasn’t tall, strapping or dashingly handsome, but he had the biggest heart.

As a grandfather, his lap was always available to support and entertain one of the babies, with a silly face and whimsical smile. 

He wasn’t the smoothest talker, nor an eloquent speaker, but he did not shy away from speaking up when something needed to be said, an important topic needed debate and perspective, or if a situation simply required an injection of levity to lighten the mood. He was a man of few words. This was very apparent by how he described his old wireless flip phone: “hello/goodbye phone”.

He himself was not an athlete, but was always there to support and encourage his kids and grandkids in every and all activities they participated in. 

He was a fine example when it came to proper, Biblical stewardship of our time and talents. He was often the first to volunteer for whatever was required, often putting himself into a situation that was uncomfortable or he may not be totally prepared to handle. He tithed, gave generously, and challenged God in the area of finance and was blessed as a result, allowing him to support things near and dear to his heart. One of the biggest was Christian education. If he had one mission, or one Crusade in his life, it was to convey and support his strong belief in the importance of Christian education and his need to help ensure that was available for those around him.

If you looked for any selfish traits in him, you would not find any. He did however love to hunt and fish, and would have spent more time pursuing these passions. As it was, he introduced multiple generations to the joys of spending time outdoors and enjoying the excitement of a hunt and the camaraderie that naturally develops. He spent countless hours walking many freezing cold fields and woodland groves in pursuit of one furry creature after another. He taught others to slow down, look around, listen, pause, and reflect. It was his way of teaching not just effective hunting technique, but how to live life. 

He was the best example of using the gifts God gave you, balancing working hard and playing harder, keeping focus on your family and ultimate priority always given to God. 

Gerald is survived by his wife of 56 years, Gwen Tjernagel of North Mankato; daughter, Beth (Josh) Costell and her children, Connor, Madison, and Paige Schaewe and their father, Mike Schaewe; daughter, Becky (Todd) Turner and their son, Blake Turner; son, Andrew (Jennifer) Tjernagel of Waconia and their children, Garrett and Olivia Tjernagel; brother, John (Judy) Tjernagel; sister-in-law, Joan Tjernagel; nieces and nephews, Dan Tjernagel, Phil (predeceased) Tjernagel, Christine Tjernagel, Jeff Tjernagel, Jody Bitter, Jonathan Tjernagel, Julie Tjernagel, Joelle Price, Sheila Burfield, Matt Berg, and Marty Berg.

Gerald is preceded in death by his parents; and brother, James Tjernagel.