St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Somonauk was the location of his wedding to Harriet Todd, which took place on January 5, 1957. During his 65 years of service with locals 81 and then 597, Jerry worked as a plumber and pipefitter before retiring. In addition, he had spent his entire life at the farm, where he tended to his crops and raised cattle.
When he was not working, he enjoyed activities such as fishing, hunting, and working with wood. He became acquainted with Mary Ann Gunther, the younger sister of a close friend, when he was attending college. Following the completion of their undergraduate education, Jerry and Mary Ann tied the knot on February 19, 1955. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Schwabisch Hall in Germany, where Jerry was stationed as an officer in the United States Army for a period of two years. Following their return to the United States, Jerry and Mary Ann finally made Elm Grove, Wisconsin their permanent home in order to raise a family there.
Jerry and Mary Ann were blessed with four children: Lauri (John) Cardoza, Jerry (Donna), Greg (Beth), and Julie (Brian) Nelson. Additionally, there were thirteen grandchildren who knew him as Pop Pop. These grandchildren included Alison (Scott) Fornander, John (Kayla) Cardoza, Casie (Derek) Yentz, Teddy (Zach) Abraham, Zach Walsh, Kathryn Walsh, Margaret Walsh, Miles (Desiree) Nelson, Quentin (Jesi) Nelson, Keegan Nelson, Sydney Nelson, Hayden Nelson, Bella Nelson, and Bella Nelson.
He will also be remembered by his brother-in-law Joseph Gunther, sister-in-laws Shirley Gunther, Beverly Gunther, and Susan (Dale) Schneider, as well as a large number of other loving relatives and friends. His parents, Thomas and Ellen (Nee King) Walsh, as well as his four siblings, Jane, Thomas, Patricia, and Jackie, all passed away before him. In the beginning of his career, Jerry worked in medical sales and became acquainted with a significant number of the physicians he visited. When a close physician friend of his stepped into a medical business in the Milwaukee region, he asked the proprietor if he would be interested in selling the company. This occurred not long after the family relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, in order to start a new job.
It was agreed upon by the proprietor, and the physician called Jerry to inform him that they had discovered a reason to convince you and Mary Ann to return to Wisconsin. Following the acquisition of Medico Mart by Jerry and a number of other physicians, Jerry assumed the role of President of the firm and subsequently acquired out the other shareholders.
Jerry was a member of a number of industry boards and continued to serve as the chairman of the company until the time of his passing. James “Jerry” Walsh, Gerald Born on July 17, 1936 in the city of Ottawa, Illinois March 15, 2024, in the city of Serena, Illinois In the presence of his devoted family, Gerald “Jerry” Walsh, who resided in Serena and was 87 years old, passed away on Friday, March 15, 2024, at his residence.
The Ottawa Funeral Home will be open for visitation on Wednesday, March 20, beginning at 4:00 p.m. and continuing until 8:00 p.m. In addition, there will be a visiting at the funeral home on Thursday, March 21, beginning at nine o’clock and continuing until ten o’clock.
At 10:30 in the morning on Thursday, a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church, with Msgr. Mark Merdian serving as the official officiant. The St. Columba Cemetery will be the location of the private burial service. In Ottawa, Illinois, on July 17, 1936, Jerry Walsh was born to his parents, William and Florence (Keating) Walsh.
