Jeri Zwack

Jeri (Geraldine) Zwack
Age 61 of Corcoran, MN passed away after a courageous and dignified battle with T-PLL, a rare form of leukemia on August 10, 2017.
Jeri was preceded in death by her mother Judy Solberg, father-in-law Richard Zwack and special cousin Linda Malin. She is survived by her husband, Keith; son, Phil Mackey (Johnna); father, Wayne Solberg (Beverly); siblings, Stuart Solberg (Nancy), Peter Solberg (Kathy), Edward Solberg (Laurie), Laurie Krueger (Gus) and JoLynn Oliver (Todd); aunt, Carol Mitby (Paul); cousins, Mike Mitby and Kathy Kirking (Kevin); mother-in-law, Marilyn Zwack (Billig); brothers and sisters-in-law, Gary Zwack (Pat), Dave Zwack (Mary Pat), Jim Zwack (Patty), Paul Zwack (Carol), Kathy Vella (John), Colleen Zwack and Alan Zwack; many special nieces and nephews.
Jeri possessed beauty in her words and her actions, her spirit and her strength, her bravery and her heart. Beauty lived in everything she was and everything she did. And she did quite a lot!
Born on April 9, 1956 in La Crosse, WI, Jeri spent her youth days barrel racing with beloved horse Dutchess, participating in drama club and the pom pom squad at Bangor High School (class of '74), and cultivating a love of music, starting with four trips to "State" for solo and ensemble performances.
Jeri carried her incredible love of music into adulthood, playing in various groups including: the Wayne Solberg Band, Minneapolis Police Band and co-founded Beasley's Big Band, where she was known for her setup prowess, #222 duet and "Crazy" vocals. Jeri was an accomplished pianist, energetic saxophone player and talented singer whose voice made things better wherever she went.
Jeri was a self-taught technologist who worked as a Network Administrator at Henson and Efron Law Firm for almost 40 years. Whether it was troubleshooting computers or implementing new software, there was no task too tall for Jeri. No one worried about asking a silly question if Jeri was the one answering as she trained people on everything from security to Facebook messenger.
She loved hosting gatherings at Da Farm and especially looked forward to sharing her Christmas scrabble mix and banana bread, as well as an annual Fourth of July gathering with family and friends. The farm -- purchased in 1994 in Corcoran -- was Jeri's happy place where she put countless hours of blood, sweat and love. When you came to the farm, there's a good chance you were leaving with a belly full of roasted turkey and a huge smile on your face.
Jeri was an animal lover, activist and rescuer. She was a proud mama of horses: Elda, Tear Drop, Merry Boy, Buck, Harry and Si; miniature horses: J.C Bug and Bailey; dogs: Samba, Katie, Nettie (Foxy), Roscoe and Bode; house cats: Mickey, Frankie, Spook, Brutus, Annie, Rossi and Ella; barn cats: Bernie, Maddie, George, Nermal, Basie, Woody and dozens of others. She appreciated the therapeutic value of animals and spent many nights in her barn bonding with her furry critters.
She had an incredible way of motivating people - be it in sports, life or relationships. Jeri coached her son's baseball teams from 1st thru 5th grade and experienced the most joy when others had success at the plate. She always answered her phone when anyone needed an ear and would sweetly ask, "Do you want my advice or would you just like me to listen?" For as independent as she was, Jeri was just as much of a people person who was happiest when she was helping others. You could often find her giving time, wisdom and resources to those in music and horse riding.
Jeri was an incredible sister, daughter and aunt. She always offered a calming yet honest presence and demeanor. Her older brothers were thankful she came along because it meant they finally had a fourth for playing football. Jeri's "seesters" cherished every moment with her and spent countless hours playing gigs, singing old time country and best of all - sharing moments together with their children. Jeri also treated nieces, nephews and cousins as if they were daughters, sons and siblings.
After a romantic and musical courtship, she married the love of her life, Keith, on April 8, 1994. Jeri was an incredible wife who loved sharing the beauty and softness of nature with her husband. She cherished their time together playing Mexican Train Dominos, drinking sweet wine and eating rhubarb strawberry custard pie. When they weren't doing chores, riding horses, landscaping, gardening and taking on various projects around Da Farm, you could find them playing or attending shows that ranged in variety to match Jeri's musical taste. Strong, thoughtful, positive, generous, understanding, honest, funny, reliable - there was no better partner in life than Jeri.
She did many things and loved many people, but there was nothing Jeri loved more than being a Mom. Jeri led by example and taught her son, Phil (born on May 20, 1985 to Jeri and father/husband Don Mackey) how to respond to adversity and treat people with compassion and empathy. Jeri beamed with pride as she watched him grow his broadcast career at 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, recording every single radio show going back 10+ years. She also beamed with pride helping Phil paint, decorate and design the interior of his many apartments and homes over the years - all hidden talents Jeri honed at the farm. She treated everyone in her son's life as if they were her own, taking close friends on countless vacations and cooking up tater tot hotdish and chicken pot pies during sleepovers. In her final days, she told her son how she'd want people to carry on without her: "You can't make kindness. Kindness comes from within a person. Be sure to give back. Be there for people. Be a good person. Volunteer. Sometimes it's inconvenient, but you just do it. And it makes you feel good too. Make sure to enjoy life. Take a step back and always have perspective."
A Celebration of Jeri's Life will be held on Sunday, August 20th from 11AM - 3PM at Bradshaw, 3131 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Minnesota and Ryon's Rescue Pen.