Obituaries

On Monday, August 19, 2019, at age 59, Jill Ann (Kasbaum) Gerth was called home to heaven. Jill passed away peacefully after a very short, but hard-fought battle with cancer. She spent the day surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Madison in 1960 to Felix and Jacqueline (Hume) Kasbaum, Jill was the fourth of five children. She graduated from East High School in 1978 and attended UW-Madison for two and a half years. She married Scott Gerth in 1987 and was a devoted, loving mother to their two children, raising them alone after Scott died in 2004. Ryan and Ashley were the center of Jill’s life, although they think her fur babies, were a close second.

Jill was employed by Madison Metropolitan School District for 29 years, the last 18 years at Hamilton Middle School where she had many friends. She will be sorely missed by staff and students.

Jill was full of life. She had a big heart and her presence lighted the room with her smile and sense of humor that touched everyone. Jill enjoyed spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling to warm climates during the cold Wisconsin winters. She was a sports enthusiast and an over the top Green Bay Packer fan. To honor Jill, family and friends are welcome to wear their green and gold to the visitation, and especially any Brett Favre Packer jerseys.

Jill is survived by her children, Ryan and Ashley, siblings Gary (Diana) Kasbaum, Kay (Tom) McCarthy, Kim (Jerry) Shinstine, Mary (Joel) Favre, father-in-law, Henry Gerth, sister-in-law, Dawn (Paul) Psilos, brother-in-law, Mark (Pam) Gerth, lifelong friend Karen Wheeler, fur babies Tundra and Lombardi, and many nieces and nephews. Jill was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and mother-in-law, Janie Gerth, brother-in-law, Don Peterson, and niece, Mary Ehrlinger.

A Christian funeral will be held at Eastside Lutheran Church, 2310 Independence Lane, Madison, at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 29, 2019. A luncheon will follow immediately after the service. Visitation will be held at Ryan Funeral Home 2418 N. Sherman Ave. Madison, on Wednesday, August 28, 4:00-7:00 p.m. and at Eastside at 10:30 a.m. prior to the service on Thursday. A private family burial will follow. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to her children to honor their mother.

The family would like to thank the many friends and family who reached out during the last two and a half months. The calls, texts, cards and prayers meant everything to Jill and her children.

While we are deeply saddened that Jill is no longer with us here on earth, we are happy that she is free from pain and suffering. We rejoice that Jill is with her Savior and reunited with loved ones in heaven. We also rejoice that we don’t have to say goodbye, instead we get to say we’ll see you again. We love you, Mom.