Jerauld J. Roesch

Jerry passed peacefully into the arms of our Lord in his sleep on February 12, 2019 in Ft. Collins, Colorado. He was born on July 29, 1928 to John and Lena Roesch in Tolstoy, SD where he lived as a young boy with two siblings, Twilamae and Dwight. Later his family moved to Watertown, SD where he attended high school and met Lois Lindgren. Before graduating, Jerry left school to join the war effort and become a Marine.

After the war, Jerry returned home to Watertown and he married Lois on February 12, 1948. He then earned his GED and graduated from Northern State Teacher's College with a degree in education. Jerry and Lois moved to Superior, WI where they raised their six children. They were dedicated parents providing their children with loving, secure, happy, and memorable childhoods.

He was a very industrious man and supported his family by working as a math teacher, football coach, dairy truck driver, and a member of the Air National Guard. After nineteen years, there were moves to Eau Claire and Hudson, WI. With Jerry's strong Christian faith, he helped start the Eau Claire chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in 1971 and was a part of the FCA bible study for many years. In his retirement years he also spent time handing out books about heaven and encouraging people, many times complete strangers, to get to know Jesus Christ. He constantly prayed for all of his family - he was a great prayer warrior.

After retirement, Jerry and Lois moved to Mesa, Arizona and finally settled in Ft. Collins, CO. They enjoyed long road trips in various RV's, visiting many parts of the country; and spending time with children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, and their many friends. A memorable highlight for Jerry, in Ft. Collins, was being able to take part in the Northern Colorado Honor Flight for Veterans to Washington, D.C. on 9/11/11. He was very touched by the sendoff to the airport, the tour of the WWII Memorial, the camaraderie with fellow veterans and the welcome home. A special thank you to the guardians who took great care of all the veterans during their trip.

His devotion to Lois, as she became disabled with Alzheimer's and eventually passed away, was a lesson in love to all of us. In his later years, he spent time crafting with wood, visiting the gym, traveling to visit his children, and watching his favorite sports teams. He was an avid fan of Colorado teams (Packers exception noted).

Jerry found love again with Elaine Brunkhardt. They were married on June 22, 2013. Dad and Elaine enjoyed traveling to many parts of the country, visiting family and friends, and making new friends along the way. They both loved Colorado sports teams, celebrating victories, and bemoaning defeats. She and Jerry were deeply devoted to each other.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Elaine, and six children: Judy (Robert), Susan (Hans), Joel (Mary), Rick (Rhonda), Pam (Ralph), and Sally (Sean), and twelve grandchildren: Heather (George), Ben (Liz), Michael (Lisa), Kristin (Andrew), Kayla (Peter), Samantha, Daniel (Jen), Johanna, Hans (Christine), Rachel (Alex), Christopher, Alex, and three step grand children: Jodi, Jami (Tonn), and Darin (Brooke), and nineteen great- grandchildren. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Lois, and his siblings.

A celebration of his life with military honors will be held at Faith Church, 3920 S. Shields Street, on Friday, March 8th at 11am in Ft. Collins, CO. Cremation arranged by Bohlender Funeral Chapel. Memorial contributions are suggested for the Alzheimer Association and Faith Church.

The family expresses sincere gratitude to Elaine for bringing so much happiness, love and care to Dad's life, and being an important part of all of our lives. He will always be lovingly remembered by his family as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, a proud WWII veteran, and a dedicated coach and teacher. Dad lived life well to the end.

The Roesch Family would like to thank the people at Bohlender Funeral Chapel for their compassionate and caring ways in guiding us through this difficult time.