Jerome Stephen Kehret, 71
Published 8:14 am Thursday, August 1, 2019
Jerome Stephen Kehret, 71, passed away on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, at home in Norwalk, Iowa.
Jerry was born Nov. 12, 1947, in Austin, Minnesota, the son of Carl Edward Kehret and Mathilda Moltz. He married Carolyn Ann Gust on Oct. 30, 1976, in Charles City, Iowa, and he celebrated the birth of his daughter, Suzy, in 1985. He was a high school and post-high school teacher of electricity, electronics, mechanics, and small engines. Jerry graduated from Austin High School in 1965, Austin State Junior College in 1968, received a private pilot’s license in 1969, Bachelor of Science degree from Mankato State College in 1970, and Masters Degree in industrial education in 1976 from Iowa State University with a State of Iowa Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate in 1978. He acquired an Extra Class Amateur Radio Ham license in 1980 and a First Class FCC Radiotelephone Operator license with Radar Endorsement in 1985. Jerry was a passionate, brilliant, inventive, hard-driving and physically strong man with strong convictions and boundless energy. His love of learning is reflected in his many degrees and certificates, but most of what he learned was self-taught. With his almost photographic memory, he was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge on an endless variety of subjects from farming to woodworking to muscle cars to antique radios to American history of the 1920s to 1960s. Although he moved to Iowa in 1974, his strong belief in family kept his heart in Austin. He was proud to be the son of Carl Kehret, owner of Streverling Dairy and prize winning Guernsey dairy cattle. No job was too challenging for him to tackle. An avid reader, Jerry was able to grasp technical manuals and repair anything. He was a mechanic, carpenter, electrician, plumber, woodworker, snowplow driver, farmer, gardener, chef, beekeeper and tree farm manager. He eagerly used his time and talent to help repair and troubleshoot neighbor’s vehicles and appliances. Jerry planted 20,000 trees by hand and was the owner of a Certified Tree Farm, complete with an antique sawmill that he used to make flooring from an elm tree on his property. He created a wide variety of unique items, including toys for his daughter, music boxes, clocks, hand-crafted writing pens, a folding step stool/chair, kitchen cabinets, canisters, spoons, bookcases and picture frames.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Kehret, Norwalk; daughter, Suzanne M. Kehret, Abilene, Texas; brothers, LaVerne Kehret (Virginia), Austin, and Bruce Kehret (Susan), Moses Lake, Washington; and sister-in-law, Peg Kehret, Wilkeson, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Carl Kehret, Jr. and Roger Kehret.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019, at The Carl E. Kehret Little Wayside Chapel on the Mower County Fairgrounds. A private interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Mower County Historical Society to support Wayside Chapel, which remained dear to Jerry’s heart. Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.