Jeri was born in Lafayette Indiana. There she attended Christian school and after that she graduated from Lafayette high school in Lafayette Indiana. After school she worked as a dental assistant for a pediatric dentist and after a while she decided to move to South Bend Indiana where she worked for Thompson and McKinnon brokers she learned how to operate the ticker tape And it was there she joined a youth volleyball club organized by the YMCA and Guess what? I also attended and joined the club and that's how we met. It was there she asked her, at that time, boyfriend to take her to Hopman Jewelers in Elkhart Indiana where I worked so she could have her ears pierced by me at his store.

Soon after that I invited her for a date and asked her to come to a get-together at my home on the Elkhart river for a party. After dating for less than three months we knew we were meant for each other and I proposed and we got married January 3, 1970. We had a beautiful wedding. I continued to work for the same jeweler and soon after we were expecting with our first born Jeff. In the next 3 years Tracy and Jon were added to the family.

Jeri provided a great home for me and the boys. She was always taking them to scouts after school activities and of course picking up after them, after all they are boys. She was a den mother, scoutmaster and very much involved with scouts.

In 1984 we moved to Florida for warmer weather. After finding a home, bless her heart, she packed up the 3 Boys and towed a fishing boat behind her car and made the trip to Florida with one overnight stay in Tennessee Wow!!

After the kids where done with Grade School Jeri took on a job at Walt Disney World where she worked 10 years and was twice awarded with the "Partner of Excellence " award. The highest employee award at Disney awarded through votes from fellow employees and management.

After retiring from Disney and a bout with lung cancer which took away her right lung, we settled in Royal Harbor retirement community in Tavares, Florida and made lots of friends. In 2013 we moved to Hawthorne retirement community where we still reside.

During the past 11 years we have enjoyed living in both communities and have been traveling, and visiting all of the lower 48 states, and many, many National and State Parks.

This past October we were still making trips to northern Georgia as well as South and North Carolina. Our love for each other has only grown through the past 52 years raising our family, retirement, traveling together in a dinky class B motor home and I will sorely miss her each and every day. Church and God have always been a big part of our lives and will continue to be so.

We want to thank all our family and friends for all the prayers and thoughtfulness that have given me a lot of support and love.

My love forever

Jeri ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:38-39