Sheri Steinmetz

“Sheri”, Sheryl Lynn Steinmetz, age 59, of Delano Minnesota died on February 17, 2022 at Methodist Hospital due to short battle with Rhabdoid Renal Cell Carcinoma. A very rare and aggressive cancer.

Sheri was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Gary and June Gerber on May 21, 1962.

June died in a car accident in 1966 that both Sheri and Gary survived. Baby sister Lonnie, was six weeks old and at home w/ her paternal grandparents. Gary married Beverly Bentson in 1967 and had Sheri’s younger brother Geoff in 1968 and sister Julie in 1970.

Sheri grew up in Minnetonka Mills area of Minnetonka. During high school, she worked at the Dairy Queen (her younger siblings enjoyed when she brought home “mistakes”). She then worked at Baker’s Square.

Sheri graduated from Lindberg High School, in 1980. Went off to Bozeman, Montana partially due to her love for mountain skiing and attended Montana State University.

During the summer of 1981 she began dating Jon Steinmetz. She was quite smitten though returned to Montana that fall to resume school.

After briefly working with her father at Kraft Foods, she got a job with Japs-Olson Printing Company where she worked as a project manager for 39 years. Sheri was highly respected by her work peers. She loved that job.

Sheri married Jon on October 3, 1986 at St. Mary’s of the Lake in Plymouth, MN. They lived in Minnetonka where they had son Adam in 1991 and daughter Linnea in 1994. They moved to Delano in 1996 where they raised the kids and were both very active in the community.

Sheri’s faith was very important to her. Growing up she was raised on many variations of Christianity. Since Jon was raised Catholic, she converted to Catholicism that way the whole family could be unified at one church.

Sheri loved to sing (almost as much as she liked to talk). You could say music runs in the family as her father Gary had been part of music groups her whole life. She regularly sang with a local all female A Cappella group “Soul Sisters.” They sang as special guests at a variety of churches in the west Minneapolis metro through the years.

After the financial crash in 2008 Jon and Sheri opened Linnie’s Ice Cream shop in 2009 where they enjoyed serving many scoops to neighbors, friends and strangers. That little store held the family together through a very stressful time.

She and Jon hosted an annual 4th of July party for many years. Family and friends always looked forward to this.

She was immensely proud of her children and their spouses. Adam married Kyle Catlin in 2016. Adam and Kyle have been busy working for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

Linnea married Justin Fellersen in 2017. Justin has been working in IT and Sheri was so proud of them both. She adored her grandson, Landen. Justin and Linnea’s son.

Sheri and Jon loved to ski together and with their family. They surprised them one Christmas morning with bags packed, new skis, and they left for Montana that morning! She loved to ski in Montana and Wyoming, bike and take long walks with Jon.

She had the gift of gab. She couldn’t buy a pack of gum without getting to know the cashier. She was genuine and truly wanted to know everything about you when she met you.

She was at her best hosting friends and family at their home in Delano. She was truly in her element there.

Sheri is survived by loving and devoted husband of 35 years, Jon Adam Steinmetz, son Adam and his husband Kyle, daughter Linnea and her husband Justin, grandson Landen, sisters Lonnie Hillis (John), Julie Page, brother Geoff Gerber, mother Beverly Gerber, many nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, and many family and friends.

Sheri is preceded in death by her mother, June, father, Gary, nephews, Espen and Dane.

A visitation for Sheri will be held Tuesday, February 22, 2022 from 10am to 11am at Church of St. Maximilian Kolbe- St. Peter Campus, 217 2nd Street S, Delano, Minnesota 55328, followed by a memorial mass at 11am. Private family interment at Sunset Cemetery, Minneapolis.

Sheri will always be remembered for her infectious smile, spirit, devotion to God and family.