Gerald “Jerry” John Bohr
Gerald “Jerry” John Bohr
Marion
Gerald “Jerry” John Bohr, 89 of Marion, died Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, at Bickford of Marion. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 19, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church by the Rev. Douglas Loecke. Burial: Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family on Thursday at the church after 9 a.m. Teahen Funeral Home is serving the family.
Jerry is survived by his two children, Mary T. Bohr and Tony Bohr; his three sisters, Viola Bohr, Arlene Bohr and Jeanne (Bohr) Lechtenberg; his brother, Duane (Connie) Bohr; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Wilfred Bohr and Linus Bohr; sisters-in-law, Arlene and Evelyn; brother-in-law, Duane Lechtenberg; nephew, Kevin Bohr; and niece, Amy McClure.
Jerry was born on Dec. 28, 1933, the son of Anton and Mathilda (Hageman) Bohr, near Ossian, Iowa. He was the 4th of 7 children. When Jerry was 9, his father passed away just as the nation was coming out of the Great Depression and still in the midst of World War II. At a very young age, Jerry knew the value of faith and hard work during hard times, traits he learned from his beloved mother and siblings as they continued to work the family farm. Always an attentive brother, Jerry took time to play card and board games with his sisters. They continued their love of playing cards, especially 500 as adults and had many laughs during these special times together. After his graduation from DeSales High School in 1951, Jerry enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Korea and Japan. Following his service to our country, he attended DeVry University to become an electrician. Jerry worked at Cargill for 32 years retiring in 1996.
Growing up on a farm gave Jerry a love for the outdoors. As a young man, he enjoyed downhill skiing, water skiing, boating, fishing and snowmobiling. As he neared retirement, he continued to appreciate the outdoors and his deep roots in farming returned as he grew an amazing garden. He canned strawberry jam and many of his nieces and nephews have “Uncle Jerry’s Rhubarb Dessert” in their recipe boxes. Jerry made many trips to visit his siblings which frequently included a trip to “The Boat” for a little fun gambling. Jerry was a loyal Chicago Cubs fan and winning the 2016 World Series brought him great joy.
Jerry was a kind and gentle soul who you couldn’t help not being drawn to. He was loved by many and this was never more apparent than the impact he made on the staff during his 31 days at Bickford of Marion Assisted Living. Jerry knew his life journey was coming to an end but his lifelong deep faith gave him strength to approach death with grace and acceptance. He was able to share this with his special nephew and caregiver, David, as they walked the path together till the very end.
A quote to summarize Jerry is one from St. Francis De Sales “Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.”
Instead of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Bickford of Marion 1100 Linden Dr. Marion, IA 52302; or St. Matthew Catholic Church 2310 First Ave. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.