Esther Geraldine "Gerri" (Sandefer) Berger

Esther Geraldine “Gerri” (Sandefer) Berger, 95, of Paris Tennessee, formerly of Olney, Illinois, passed peacefully to her Heavenly Home on Friday, June 14, 2024 at Calloway County Hospital in Murray, Kentucky.

Gerri was born on February 24, 1929 in Lawrence County, Illinois to Silver Johnson “SJ” and Mary Magdalene (Blocker) Harshman. She married Clayburn Weldon Sandefer of Birds, Illinois on April 23, 1949. Clayburn died on December 16, 1991. Gerri then married Glenn Edward Berger of Olney on October 26, 2002. Glenn passed on May 28, 2018.

Gerri worked 19 years in Olney at the First National Bank, retiring in March 1993; then worked for Willard Anderson. She was an active member of the Nazarene Church of Olney, until her health began to decline. Her love of travel took her on several bus tours with husband Glenn, as well as many trips with 3 of her lady friends.

In September of 2019, she moved with her daughter and son-in-law to Paris, Tennessee. She was a resident of Rosestone Retirement Center, where she enjoyed all the activities offered and made some wonderful friends while there.

Gerri is survived by her daughter Cheryl Denoyer and Son-in-law Jim Denoyer, of Paris, TN: granddaughters Cynthia Cleveland of Kankakee, IL and Sara Steen of Rome, GA. She has Five Great-Grandchildren: Sara Cleveland, Chandler Cleveland, Noah Cleveland, Dominic Steen and Madison Steen.

She was preceded in death by her mother Maggie Blocker, her father SJ Harshman and her step-mother, Cora Agnes Hair; her first husband Clayburn Sandefer, her second husband Glenn Berger, 3 brothers: Donald, Verlin and Paul Harshman, Grandson Alan K. Lee, Jr., sister Velda Eubank, Step-son Jerry Sandefer and step daughter Vicki Grey.

Gerri’s funeral service will be held at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at Kistler-Patterson Funeral Home in Olney. Visitation will be one hour before service time at the funeral home.

Interment will follow at Haven Hill Memorial Gardens in Olney.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.