Jerry Mescher, age 74, of Halbur, died Thursday, June 25, 2015 at his home surrounded by his family, after a brave battle with cancer.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 29, 2015, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Halbur. The Celebrant will be Fr. Lynn Bruch. Mass servers will be Jadie Mae Knobbe and Hannah Mescher. Music will be by Julie Sibbel and the St. Augustine Choir. Lectors will be Kelly Mescher, Nick Mescher, and Bernice Worrell. Gift Bearers will be Ruth Mescher and Linda Bruch. Eucharistic Ministers will be Pam Knobbe, Kelly Foley, and Cheri Theulen. Casket bearers will be Loren Bruch, Cory Bruch, Carter Bruch, David Mescher, Pat Mescher, and Nick Mescher. Burial will be in the parish cemetery with military honors conducted by the Arcadia American Legion.
Friends may call at the St. Augustine Catholic Church in Halbur after 5 p.m. on Sunday where there will be a Christian Wake Service at 7 p.m.
Visitation will resume at St. Augustine Church starting at 9:30 a.m. Monday morning, and continue until the time of the funeral mass.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll, and online condolences may be left for the family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Born on March 6, 1941, Jerry was the son of Albert and Ann (Schenkelberg) Mescher. Jerry spent his life on the family farm near Halbur. He attended St. Augustine Grade School and Kuemper Catholic High School. Jerry had aspirations to attend college for aeronautical engineering. He needed to be a part of an organization that recognized and supported college-bound students. That is why Halbur U was so important to him. However, he knew it was important to his family that he continue the family tradition of farming.
Jerry’s life centered on farming—he was a steward of the land. He also had many hobbies that included: restoring tractors, flying his 1947 Piper Super Cub, and building airplanes. One of his great passions was entertaining audiences with the musical bones. A highlight of his young adult life was performing with his dad on the Ted Mack Show in 1961. Fifty years later, his talent was honored and validated by Mel Mercier, a native of Ireland, whose doctoral thesis was about Jerry’s style of bones-playing.
In 1963, Jerry served in the National Guard at Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri. He was proud to have served in the military, and was a member of the Ehlers-Gerken American Legion in Arcadia. He looked forward to donning his legion suit and marching in the color guard.
On August 2, 1986, Jerry was united in marriage with Sharon Procter. The first years of marriage, he taught her all about farm life: working with the hogs, using a shovel, and driving the tractors. So, she learned to love farm life alongside Jerry.
Jerry is survived by his wife of 28 years, Sharon Mescher of Halbur; brother, Paul (Ruth) Mescher of Halbur; sister, Bernice (Tom) Worrell of Miami, Florida; nieces: Michelle, Lisa, Amy, Jody, Brenda, Kelly, and Pam; nephews: Fr. Lynn, Loren, David, Pat, and Nick; seven cousins; sisters-in-law, Mimi (Johnny) Shoaf, Stanna (Larry) Wellman, Janet (Robin) Hance, brother-in-law, Stanton Procter, and nephew Adrien Guenel; and many great-nieces and -nephews.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents: Albert and Ann Mescher; his sister and brother-in-law, Darlene and Paul Bruch; parents-in-law Stanton and Berta Procter; and sister-in-law Lela Nunley.
