Jerry C. Oele

With his kind heart and familiar smile, Jerry Oele was the sort of person whose company always brightened a room. Jerry was a veteran of World War II and a loyal employee of American Seating for forty years. He loved to spend time with his family, and in their warm company he was always the happiest.

In the year 1926 America was in the middle of one of its most prosperous decades, the Roaring Twenties. Like other major cities in the Midwest, Grand Rapids thrived amid this era's booming post-war economy. Both its industry and its population continued to bloom. But Edward Oele and his wife Dena (VanSluyters) had a different reason to celebrate. On March 2, 1926 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their son Gerald Carl Oele.

Jerry, as he was called by friends and family alike, grew up in Grand Rapids with the company of his brother Lawrence and his sisters Shirley and Ruth. As a youngster, he discovered his lifelong love for the outdoors.

Jerry attended Comstock Park High School; after his graduation in 1944, he was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve in World War II. He was sent to Europe, where he served with the 9th Infantry Division in a variety of locales, including Germany, France, and Switzerland.

Upon returning home from the war, Jerry married a young woman named Martha, or "Rosemary", as he liked to call her, on November 15, 1946. He and Rosemary settled down in Grand Rapids, where Jerry soon began his forty year career with American Seating.

Jerry and Rosemary were blessed with three beautiful children, Carol, Mark, and Terri. Although Jerry was a hard worker, he was also very family-oriented and loved to spend time with his wife and children. He especially enjoyed family vacations. Over the years, Jerry guided his family on many car trips to places like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Disneyland, to name just a few. Jerry also shared his appreciation for the outdoors with his family. The Oeles went on many camping trips, and they also enjoyed the occasional boating excursion, especially at Hardy Dam.

Jerry truly had a carpenter's hand, and over the years he built three houses for his family. Once a house was finished, Jerry would keep himself busy by tinkering with the smaller details. For many years he worked on terracing the yard of the Rockford house on Rogue River. In general, he liked to work in the yard and garden. This sort of work was always more of a hobby to Jerry than a chore.

Jerry also used his detailed knowledge of the house-building process to benefit his community by serving on the Algoma Township Planning Committee for over twenty-five years.

On January 1, 1974 Jerry's life changed suddenly with the passing of his wife Rosemary. He was a church-going man, and he relied on his faith, as well as his own strength of character, to help him through his grief.

In his later life, Jerry was blessed to find love once again. On August 9, 1978 he and Barb Holman began seeing each other, marking the beginning of a longtime companionship. Together they did a lot of traveling, visiting Florida annually for the last eleven years and also seeing many other places, such as Boston, Washington, D.C., Vancouver, and many places out West.

In his free time Jerry enjoyed collecting coins and learning about American history. He was a patriot through and through, and focused most of his reading on the Second World War. Jerry also belonged to the Creston VFW Post. On Tuesday mornings he met with fellow retirees from American Seating.

Jerry was the proud grandfather of seven grandkids, the first of whom will be married later this year. Jerry always kept his family at the center of his heart. He was a loving husband, companion, father, and grandpa, who will be frequently remembered by the many people whose lives he touched.

Jerry died on August 26, 2005. He is survived by his longtime companion Barbara Holman; children Carol (Tom) Andrus, Mark (Michelle) Oele, Terri Bender; grandchildren Jeff, Julie Andrus; Marcy Oele (fiancé Jeremy Bogerd), Trevor Oele; Amy, Brian, Ashley Bender; brother Lawrence (Bernie) Oele; sisters Shirley (Mike) Flikkema, Ruth (Jim) McKellar; several nieces and nephews. The service to celebrate the life of Jerry will be held on Tuesday, August 30, at 11 AM at North Park Presbyterian Church. Friends are invited to meet with Jerry's family on Sunday from 6-8 PM and Monday from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Van't Hof Chapel, 851 Leonard NW. Interment in Rosedale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Jerry may be made to Mel Trotter Ministries or North Park Presbyterian Church. Please visit Jerry's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can share a favorite memory or sign the guestbook.