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Valerie Jayne Gerdes Lemme
1956 - 2025
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- Valerie Jayne Gerdes Lemme
November 30, 1956 - November 20, 2025
Valerie Jayne Gerdes Lemme, of Highland Park, Illinois, passed away
November 20th, 2025. Beloved wife to Michael William Lemme for 37 years,
they were married April 23rd, 1988. She is survived by her husband,
children Christopher, Matthew, and Annemarie, her mother Rosie Marie
Gerdes (nee Lauden), her sisters Karen and Sandra Gerdes, and
siblings-in-law Peter and Jane Lemme. She was preceded in death by her
father George Gerdes, parents-in-law Harry and Mary Anne Lemme (nee Natta),
brother-in-law Neil Lemme, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Born November 30th, 1956 in Mason City, Iowa, to George and Rosie, she
attended high-school in Klemme, Iowa, graduating in 1975 and then earned
her bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University
in 1979.
Valerie held jobs in agriculture related fields in Fort Dodge, Eldora, and
Thompson, Iowa. She then attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison
where she earned her Masters of Landscape Architecture.
She became a professional Landscape Architect in the State of Illinois,
where she worked for the cities of Highland Park, Glenview, and Elk Grove.
She also had her own landscape design business and taught classes at the
Chicago Botanical Gardens. She joined her husband in retirement in 2022.
Valerie was a passionate gardener, reader, traveler, and cook. She loved
designing parks for children to play in and was always trying to make the
world a brighter, happier place. She took immaculate care of her garden
and was always happy to talk to neighbors about it. She loved spending
time back in Iowa on the family farm, visiting with friends and family. In
retirement, she and Mike would spend time traveling the country, visiting
friends, seeing landmarks, and making memories together. When she was at
home, she loved to cook and bake, and to rest by the fireplace with a cup
of tea, her dog, and a good book.
In Spring of 2026, Celebration of Life services will be held at Kelley and
Spalding Funeral Home in Deerfield, Illinois and her hometown of Klemme,
Iowa, with more details to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be
made in her name to Orphans of the Storm Animal Shelter in Deerfield,
Illinois or to the Food Bank of Iowa.
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source: © Kelley & Spalding Funeral Home and Crematory, 1787
Deerfield Road, Highland Park, IL 60035; phone 847-831-4260 [kelleyandspalding@gmail.com]
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