Gerald Dahlkoetter

Funeral services for Gerald Dahlkoetter, age 84, of Norfolk, Nebraska will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Home for Funerals Chapel, 708 Georgia Avenue in Norfolk. Reverend Jim Fleming will officiate, with burial in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Norfolk.

Military honors will be provided by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1644, American Legion Post 16, and United States Marine Corp Honor Guard.

The service will be livestreamed on the funeral home website.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the chapel.

Home for Funerals in Norfolk is in charge of arrangements.

Gerald passed away peacefully on October 1, 2025, at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, surrounded by his loving family.

Gerald Walter Dahlkoetter was born on March 19, 1941, in Norfolk, Nebraska, to Walter and Ethel (Shoemaker) Dahlkoetter. He grew up in Stanton, where he learned the values of hard work, service, and family that would guide him throughout his life.

A graduate of Pilger High School, Gerald went on to serve his country with honor in the United States Marine Corps from 1963 to 1967, including a tour in the Vietnam War, before returning home in 1966.

Following his service, Gerald built a long and steady career, retiring from Vulcraft after multiple decades of dedication. He also worked at Coors and spent many years helping his friends on the Meinke farm in Pierce, a place that brought him joy and allowed him to share his lifelong love of farming.

Gerald married the love of his life, Linda Diane (Jones) Dahlkoetter, on November 29, 1964, and together they shared 61 years of marriage. They raised their daughter, Roxann Fox, and stood by one another through every season of life. Gerald was more than a grandfather—he was a father and steady presence in the lives of his grandchildren. He lovingly raised Jarad and Britney and helped raise Jeremiah and Lyndsay, surrounding all his grandchildren with stability, humor, and unconditional love. He was a proud great-grandfather to Tallulah and Ariel, who brought him great joy in his later years.

Gerald passed away just six weeks after his beloved wife of 61 years, Linda, a beautiful reflection of their lifelong love and devotion to one another.

Gerald was known for his gentle spirit, lighthearted humor, and tireless work ethic. Quiet and calm by nature, he had a joyful presence and an unmistakable twinkle in his eye. A gifted jokester, he loved pulling creative and elaborate pranks on family, often planned with the same care and precision he brought to his projects. His humor, patience, and kindness made him a steady source of laughter and comfort to those around him.

A true creative genius, Gerald could fix or build just about anything. He found happiness working outdoors, using his hands, and dreaming up ways to make things easier or better. He collected tools the way some people collect memories—each one part of a lifetime of tinkering, inventing, and improving the world around him. Some of his proudest accomplishments included building his family’s home on Valley Hi Road with his own hands, caring for his parents and in-laws in their later years, and helping raise his grandchildren with love and devotion.

Gerald’s life was grounded in faith from beginning to end. Though quiet about his beliefs, he carried a steadfast trust in God and Christ that shaped how he lived every day—with humility, integrity, and compassion. He never sought recognition, preferring instead to serve others quietly and wholeheartedly. Hard work, loyalty, honesty, and creativity defined his character, and he faced life’s challenges with humor, perseverance, and kindness. He was a man who led by example, finding joy in doing good simply because it was right.

Gerald was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altona, Nebraska, on April 14, 1957, and maintained a lifelong faith that guided his actions and character.

Gerald is survived by his daughter, Roxann (George) Fox; grandchildren, Britney Dahlkoetter, Jarad Dahlkoetter, Jeremiah Fox (Ciara Wright), and Lyndsay Fox; great-granddaughters, Tallulah and Ariel; siblings, Steve (Phyllis) Dahlkoetter, Jacque Trefry, Sandy (Jim) Parks, and Phyllis Dahlkoetter; along with many beloved nieces, nephews, and dear family friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Ethel (Shoemaker) Dahlkoetter; his wife, Linda Diane Dahlkoetter; three sisters, Kathy Dahlkoetter, Marilyn Schutt, and Barbara Sabo; one brother, Billy Dahlkoetter; and brothers-in-law Richard Trefry, Joe Sabo, and Wayne Schutt; along with several extended family members who greeted him in eternal rest.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made by check or cash to the Norfolk Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Gerald’s honor.

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