Leonard "Lenny" Ray Gerber

If you called “Lenny” Gerber your friend, he was your friend 100%. He could be ornery, but he was always a straight-shooter, telling it like it is. At the age of 57, Leonard Ray Gerber passed away Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the University of Iowa Hospitals after an extended illness, with his loving family by his side.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held 1 – 4 pm Saturday, March 11, 2023 at Law Jones Funeral Home in Preston, with a time of sharing at 4 pm. All friends and family are invited.

Lenny was born March 1, 1966 in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Roger and Judy (Pettit) Gerber. He is a 1984 graduate of Northeast Community High School. In younger years he worked farming, along with learning as much as he could about cars and trucks. He would tackle just about any project with a drag racer mud bogger or truck puller. Lenny worked as a welder for several years for Keeney Welding. He also was a truck driver, first over-the-road, then for Preston Ready-Mix.

On September 28, 2013, Lenny married Angela Bullock at the Bellevue State Park. They brought together a blended family of six children. Family gatherings were important, especially when grandchildren were born.

Lenny was a life-long lover of fishing on the Mississippi and could always count on his favorite spots. All of his friends knew about his talent for smoked BBQ. When he wasn’t busy trying a new BBQ recipe, or tackling a project in the garage, Lenny loved driving the country roads with his dog and faithful companion, Diesel. Their final destination was always the farm, where they would hang out with friends and always have fun.

Lenny will be dearly missed by his wife, Angela of Preston; and six children, Justin (Kelly) Gerber of Clinton, Max Gerber of Davenport, Ashleigh Gerber of Davenport, Riley Gerber of Clinton, Zoey Jenkins (fiancé Noah Baker) of Des Moines and Victoria Meadows of Davenport; four grandchildren, Ivey, Ian, Izabella and Brynlee; his mother, Judy (Mike) Hopping of Clinton; and two sisters, Michelle (Chuck) Empen of Preston and Juanita (Mike) McAtee of Walcott; and the mother of his children, Theresa Wilhelm. Lenny is preceded in death by his father, Roger Gerber and his grandparents.