Jerry, 59, died January 2, 1975 in Galveston, Texas. He was born October 13, 1915, in Miltown, South Dakota. He was a member of the Hutterian Brethren Church when he was drafted into Civilian Public Service in 1941. Jerry was working as a miner/timber man at that time.

Jerry was among the first CPS men to be trained as smokejumpers and was assigned to the McCall Base in its initial year of operation. He jumped the 1943 season. He was a merchant seaman.