Henry, Gerald -- 1918 - 1999

SEXTON, HENRY, KEEFE, WARD, SLOWIACZEK, KALTEFLEITER, MOTH

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 7/5/2010 at 16:39:47

Decorah Journal, Thursday, March 4, 1999

Gerald "Jerry" Henry

Gerald "Jerry" Henry, 81, of Decorah, died Monday, March 1, 1999 at the Aase Haugen Home in Decorah after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 4, at 11 a.m. at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Bluffton, with the Rev. Mike Tauke officiating.

Alan Sensor was the organist and Don Kilaura was the cantor.

Casket bearers were Shawn Courtney, Brian Courtney, Jerry Kingsley, David Sexton, Dale Ringoen and Jerome Henry.

Honorary bearers were members of the Cresco American Legion and the Decorah V.F.W.

Burial was at St. Bridget's Cemetery, Bluffton. The French & Balik Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Gerald was born at the Cresco Hospital Feb. 24, 1918, the son of John and Katherine (Sexton) Henry. He attended Winneshiek County schools and graduated from Assumption High School in Cresco.

On Feb. 3, 1942, Gerald was inducted into the United States Army and received his basic training at Camp Callan, Calif. On May 9, he was sent to the Pacific Theatre where he remained as a member of the 296th AntiAircraft Artillery Battalion for four years.

While in the South Pacific, he became a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3830 at Hickam Field, Hawaii.

Upon returning home, he transferred to Helof-Holm V.F.W. Post No. 1977 in Decorah, where he remained a lifetime member. Gerald also was a member of the American Legion Post No. 0135 in Cresco.

Gerald was a member of St. Bridget's Catholic Church, where on April 6, 1948, he was married to Rose M. Keefe. They farmed in Bluffton Township, Winneshiek County, all of their married lives.

Survivors include his wife, Rose; two sons: Kevin (Joyette) Henry of Des Moines and Brian Henry of Elma; three daughters: Maureen (Mike) Ward of Dubuque, Shannon (John) Slowiaczek of Omaha, Neb., and Elaine (Roger) Kaltefleiter of Kansas City; 12 grandchildren; two brothers, Vincent Henry of Decorah and Dr. C. R. Henry of Ossian; one sister, Mary Moth of Laguna Hills, Calif.; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Gerald Henry was preceded in death by his infant son, Danny; brothers John, Orvine, Paul and Herbert; an infant sister, Katherine; and his parents.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.