Jerome Joseph "Jerry" GERARD
GERARD, CHMIELESKI, CLARK
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 10/20/2011 at 00:50:51
Obituary - Jerome Joseph "Jerry" Gerard
The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
January 13, 2010MASON CITY - Jerome Joseph "Jerry" GERARD, 96, of 2501 W. State St., died Tuesday (Jan. 12, 2010) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City.
A memorial mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 714 N. Adams Ave., with Monsignor Joseph J. SLEPICKA officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service Friday at the church. Inurnment will be held in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, Mason City.
Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa or the Humane Society of North Iowa.
Jerome Joseph GERARD was born March 6, 1913, in St. Cloud, Minn. He was the son of Louis and Catherine GERARD. He graduated from Tech High, St. Cloud, and attended St. Cloud State College. He started employment at J.J. Newberry's, St. Cloud, and was transferred to Huron, S.D., as assistant manager.
He married Lorraine CHMIELESKI on Sept. 23, 1935. After attending Caton Business College in Minneapolis, he came to Mason City in l937 and worked at Lehigh Cement Co. as shipping clerk and yardmaster.
He served in the U.S. Merchant Marines during WWII and was trained in New York.
His interest in photography grew as a member of Mason City Camera Club, of which he was past president. His daughter, Barbara, was born in 1937 and was the subject of many photos. He started photographing children in their homes in 1941 and opened Gerard Studio on Fourth Street where he specialized in all types of photography. His prize-winning photographs were published in some of the country's largest newspapers and were exhibited widely.
His journalism classes were put to good use as he wrote for Popular Photography magazine for 20 years.
He was an avid motorcyclist and started riding at the age of 14. In his 65 years of riding he toured most of the country and Canada. He served a term as president of the Central Minnesota Cycle Club.
He was a Faithful Navigator, 4th Degree Knight of Columbus and a past Lions Club member.
He retired in 1983 but continued to take pictures of scenic spots in North Iowa and Mason City, especially the bridges. He loved taking pictures of Kandi, his beloved white poodle, who was often in the newspaper.
His wife, Lorraine, died in 2003, and he moved to Homestead Assisted Living the same year. He was their official photographer for many years. He loved to dance and attended the Senior Dances frequently.
He is survived by his daughter, Barbara CLARK and son-in-law Richard; grandsons, Kevin and Craig; great-grandchildren, Connor and Julia; brothers Ed and Donald; and one sister, Louise; along with other relatives and friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife Lorraine; brother, Earl; and sister, Marie.
Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., Mason City, 641-423-2372. www.colonialchapels.com
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2011
Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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