Jerome WHALEN

WHALEN, LEHMAN, SUGASKI, STANLEY, BIETZ

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/6/2006 at 02:03:03

Jerome (Dan) Whalen 79, of Fort Dodge, died Wednesday, August 16, 2006 at Trinity Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be 10:00 A.M. Monday, August 21st at Corpus Christi Church with Rev. Tim Johnson officiating at the Mass of Christian Burial. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Grand Junction with military graveside rites by the VFW Post 2963. Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home is serving the family. Surviving are his children, J.D. Whalen of Salinas, CA, Mary Jean Lehman of Jefferson, Pat Whalen of Fort Dodge; 3 grandchildren; brother-in-law Lloyd J. Sugaski of Tiburon, CA; and numerous other nieces, nephews, and cousins. Jerome was preceded in death by his parents Jerome E. and Catherine (Nolan) Whalen, a son, Stan; and a sister, Susan Sugaski.

Jerome Daniel Whalen was born November 30, 1926 in Carroll, Iowa. As a child he moved with his family to Jefferson where he graduated from Jefferson High School. Following his education he served with the U.S. Navy during WWII in the Southwest Pacific and Pacific Theatre of War. Following his honorable discharge in 1946 he attended Loras College in Dubuque for one year. He then moved back to Jefferson and worked on a farm and drove a truck for several years. In 1949 he became employed for the Milwaukee Railroad in Perry until 1959, he also worked for the Perry Police Department from 1954 to 1963. In 1963 he began working for the Iowa Department of Transportation in Jefferson retiring due to ill health in 1976. He later worked for the Eagle Grove Police Department for several years and in 1980 he worked as an administrator at the Webster County Juvenile Detention Hall until 1984. He was united in marriage to Norma Jean Stanley in 1952 and they had four children, divorcing in 1971. In 1980 he married Ruth Bietz and they divorced in 1987. Jerome was a member of Corpus Christi Church, was a volunteer Fireman for 30 years, was Past Post Commander of the VFW Post 1856, and served on the firing squad. Memorials may be left to the VFW Scholarship Fund.
Fort Dodge Messenger