Gerald R. Edwards' Obituary
Gerald R. Edwards (Jerry) of Camanche passed away on Thursday, November 23, 2023 at his home, under hospice care.
Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00pm on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at the Camanche Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory. Services will be 11:00am, Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at St. John Lutheran Church in Clinton.
Jerry was born on May 10, 1938 and was baptized right away because they weren’t sure that he would live as he was tiny. He was the son of Clarence R. and Josephine H. (Rickels) Edwards. He was mostly raised by his mother’s sister and her husband: Norma and John Paulson of Onslow, Iowa. He loved the farm life and all the animals, his horse, Tony and his boxer, Rockey. He went to high school in Onslow and finished his senior year at Clinton High in 1957.
Jerry married Janice Jean Widel at the Lutheran church in Wyoming, Iowa on September 20, 1959. They brought a house in Clinton. He worked at DuPont until the big lay off in 1960, then Lord Baltimore, then as a guard while Hawkeye Chemical plant was being built, then at the facility until he was hired as a policeman for the city of Camanche. He worked his way up to serve as Chief of Police until he retired in 2000. He later worked as a security supervisor on the Mississippi Belle gambling boat and then at the court house as a security bailiff until he retired once again. He loved working in law enforcement and he loved the city of Camanche. He joined the Marines while in high school and served as a reservist for 6 years.
He was a past member of the Royal Arch Masons and Camanche Masonic Lodge #60, Clinton Scottish Rite Bodies and York Rite. He was a member of the American Legion. A past member of the Camanche Historical Society and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Camanche. He had taken several motorcycle trips starting with his son, Jeff, then with his good friend Bill Bradley. They were some of the highlights of his life. He and Janice loved to travel and loved their cabin in the woods of Hayward, Wisconsin.
Jerry is survived by his wife: Janice and his son: Jeffrey (Jeff) both of Camanche; his ex-daughter-in-law: Diana Edwards of Clinton; his step-grandchildren: Anthony Subcliff of Rock Island, Illinois, Clint Subcliff and his wife Jody of rural Clinton, Jeanine Chambers and her husband Jeff of Clinton, his step great-grandchildren: Jacob, Chloe, Lacey, Erica, Ellery, Dominick, Julean, Jazzelle, Camdyn, Kylee and Capri and special Carissa and one step-great great grandson: Hudson; several special cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents, his aunt and uncle who raised him and his only sister: Mary Jo Nelson; and his step-grandson: Eric Subcliff.
Jerry passed after several years of having Alzheimer’s and dementia which was so hard to live with. Also his skin cancer traveled around and went finally to his brain.
Memorials may be made to the St. John Lutheran Church or to the family.
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