Jerry was born in the town of Benson, Minnesota on May 26, 1928, the oldest of three children. He grew up hunting, fishing, playing sports, and having fun in the outdoors. He was a good student and big brother.
After graduating from high school, Jerry enlisted in the U.S. Army and was eventually stationed in Seoul, South Korea from 1947-48, rising to the rank of “Buck Sergeant” as an admin clerk. He played on the golf and basketball teams while in the Far East, and had his first hole in one in the Philippines. He would have another 10 before he finished.
When he returned to the states, he enrolled at St Johns University, Minnesota. While at St Johns, he restarted the school golf team that had been disbanded due to WWII. During his tenure at St Johns, he met Catherine (Cay) McCollar in Benson. Not wasting any time, they were married and welcomed the first of seven children on New Years eve, 1951. Jerry graduated in 1952 with a degree in Biology. Catherine graduated from a nearby college with a degree in nursing.
After several years teaching in North Dakota and Minnesota, and after getting his Masters degree, Jerry took his growing family to Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico in 1960. There he found his heaven on earth, teaching high school biology and raising a family (now 7 children) for the next 13 years.
When the base closed, Jerry and Cay moved to Germany with their three remaining children, where he taught Biology before becoming a high school guidance counselor. They lived happily in Germany for 17 years before retiring.
After retiring, Jerry and Cay settled in Hoffman, Minnesota, playing golf, fishing, enjoying family and old friends, and relaxing on one of the 10,000 lakes.
Not long after retiring, Jerry and Cay started wintering in Mesa, Arizona. Eventually, they moved permanently to Mesa and lived there happily until Cay passed in 2011. Jerry stayed in Mesa until 2022, when he moved to Sancerre at Palm Coast to be close to two of his sons, Joe and Larry.
Jerry was very happy at Sancerre. He loved the staff, and made many friends. His sense of humor and endless stories made him pretty popular.
He will be missed.