Jerry Richmond

Jerrold was born on April 26, 1936. While his siblings were born on the family farm, Jerrold (Jerry) was born at the home of a midwife in the nearby town of Lowell. He was raised on the farm at Vergennes where he was active in typical chores of the time, including milking cows by hand, shocking corn, putting up hay, and some small scale timber harvesting.

Jerry grew up in the original frame house built on the farm in the 1850s. In 1944 an errant spark from the chimney started a fire in the attic that burned the house to the ground. The family relocated to the small hamlet of Fallasburg for a year, after which they returned to a new home on the main farm. Jerry attended elementary school at various locations depending on grade. He went to, sequentially, Alton School (one-room), Fallasburg School (one-room) and St. Patrick Catholic Elementary in Parnell. He entered St. Patrick High School where he graduated in 1954 in a class of seven students. He and his two brothers were members of the football team.

Following his graduation from high school, Jerry kept working on the family farm. Tired of school, he had no inclination to go to college at the time. Jerry registered for the draft, but was not called. Harry, his father, had scaled back farming operations in the late 1930s, so it wasn’t large enough to require all of Jerry’s time. He took part time jobs in addition to farming. He first worked at Grand Rapids Metal Craft where he was a lugger of car parts, later he worked for Gibson Refrigerator Company in Belding for two winters. He fired the boilers for the plant by shoveling coal into the furnaces. He left Gibson in the spring of 1958.

Jerry gradually expanded the family farm operations that had been idled for many years until it eventually supported full time employment. About this time, he also decided to return to school, enrolling at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids in the fall of 1958. Commuting to Grand Rapids from Vergennes Township daily for classes, Jerry continued to operate the farm. He graduated in 1962 with a Bachelors Degree in History with minors in Philosophy and Political Science.

Upon completing his college education, Jerry fully dedicated himself to farm operations. In 1968, his efforts culminated in a complete modernization of the farm. A new free-stall cattle barn, milking parlor and silo system were built. Milking transitioned from a small stanchion system to a herringbone walk-through system. A host of new field implements were added as well.

Jerry met Diane Marie Uzarski in 1969, on a blind date setup by his sister-in-law Linda Richmond. Diane was the daughter of Zygfred and Virginia (Wysocki) Uzarksi of Grand Rapids. She was born in Grand Rapids on May 8, 1947. Diane graduated from West Catholic High School in 1965 and subsequently attended Grand Rapids College of Beauty trade school in Grand Rapids. She took a job with Panopoulos salons. Jerry and Diane were married on June 26, 1970 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Grand Rapids.

Following the wedding Jerry installed a house trailer across the road from the main farmsite. The couple started their family with the birth of their son, Benjamin Paul, born on May 1, 1971, son Mark Edward, born on March 9, 1973, and daughter, Alicia Marie, born on May 24, 1974, Andrea Beth, born on November 22, 1976, and Elena Marshelle, born on January 7, 1978.

Jerry and Diane began construction on a new home in 1986, and the family moved back to the main farmsite during January of 1987. Jerry continued to operate and improve the farm which celebrated 165 years of family ownership in 2009. Diane devoted herself to raising the children, working out of her home as a part-time hairdresser as well as at Heidi Christine’s Salon in Ada. Tragedy struck when Diane died on August 13, 1999 following an automobile accident. She was buried at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Parnell.

Jerry was diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma in March 2009 which had metastasised to his lungs and back, but after surgery he was able to walk his last daughter down the aisle on May 23, 2009. Retiring from farming, Jerry spent the rest of his days in his home under the loving care of his family.

Jerry’s work ethic was unmatched. A strong family man, he raised his children to appreciate the land and each other. His complete unselfishness and abounding generosity made him a favorite in his small farming community. He was a deeply devout Christian with an intensive faith in Jesus. He will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered as a noble and gracious man.

He bravely fought his battle with cancer until summer of 2010. Jerry Russell Richmond, of Lowell, peacefully passed away from complications from cancer early Thursday morning, August 12, 2010 surrounded by his children.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Diane (Uzarski) Richmond in 1999, and brother, David Richmond in 2002. Surviving are his children, Benjamin (Karen) Richmond, Mark (Cheryl) Richmond and Andrea (Dustin) Wirgau of Lowell, Alicia (Tim) Parker of Muskegon, and Elena (Brian) Scott of Greenville; brother Robert (Linda) Richmond of Grand Rapids, Sister-in-Law Mary Richmond of Lowell and sister Mary Goggins of Northglenn, CO; seventeen grandchildren, with one more due to arrive this December; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday at 10:30 am at St. Patrick Church, 4351 Parnell Avenue, Parnell, MI, with internment in St. Patrick Cemetery. Friends may meet the family at the Roth-Gerst Funeral Home 305 N. Hudson in Lowell on Saturday from 7 to 9pm and Sunday from 6 to 9pm, where a Vigil Service will be held. Visitation will also be held at the church on Monday starting at 9:30 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Patrick School Endowment Fund or Hospice of Michigan. To read more about Jerry’s life, to leave your own memory of him and to sign his guest book, visit his web page at www.lifestorynet.com.