Jerry Terfehr

Jerome “Jerry” F. Terfehr, age 57, of Urbank, died unexpectedly of a cardiac arrest, Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at his home.

Mass of Christian Burial is 11 a.m., Friday, January 12, 2018, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Urbank with Fr. Peter VanderWeyst, Fr. LeRoy Scheierl and Fr. Herb Gappa concelebrating. Music is provided by organist, Cassandra Kowalski, Urbank church choir and Millerville Voices of Joy. Burial is at the church cemetery.

Visitation is 4-8 p.m., Thursday with a 7 p.m., prayer service followed by a Christian Mothers Rosary at the church. The visitation will continue one hour prior to the service.

Jerome Francis Terfehr was born on May 26, 1960, to William “Bill” and Elaine (Sullivan) Terfehr at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in Alexandria. He was baptized, confirmed and was a lifetime member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Urbank. Jerry attended Parochial School in Urbank through the third grade and graduated from Parkers Prairie High School in 1978.  During his senior year of high school, he worked for Bill Stone on his farm.  Following his education, Jerry worked at Morton Buildings until a serious fall ended his career in 1979.  He went back to school at Alexandria Technical College and then returned to what he loved most, farming.  He farmed the Terfehr Century Family Farm and worked at Urbank Bait and Fur.  Jerry was united in marriage to Teresa Stroh on September 26, 1981, at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Church in Millerville. He continued farming and in 1989, started full time at 3M as a machinist. Jerry was always a selfless, hard-working man, with a heart of gold. He would do anything for anyone out of the goodness of his heart just to help someone else in need, not expecting anything in return. His family meant the world to him, he was a good husband to Teresa and the best dad to Dawn. He enjoyed his daily rides with his faithful companion, Charlie, and Oakley, too, when he visited. Jerry enjoyed fishing, hunting, drives on gravel roads to check his crops, and casino trips between planting and harvesting. Jerry took great pride in all the things he had accomplished. He checked the markets daily, if not three times a day, and loved reading his farm magazines and quotes of the day.  One of his famous quotes was “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” and lived by the motto, “If you’re going to do something, do it right.”

He was preceded in death by his father, Bill Terfehr; sister, Bernadine (Raymond) Schmidt; father-in-law, Martin Stroh; brother-in-law, Donald Stroh; and nephew, Peter Nunes.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Teresa of 36 years; daughter, Dawn (Jason Theisen) Terfehr of Albany; mother, Elaine Terfehr of Urbank; brother, Thomas (Lisa) Terfehr of  Oro Valley, Arizona; five sisters, MaryAnn (Paul Mielke) Nunes of Sartell, Lorraine Hausmann of Madison, Tennessee, LaVonne (Charles) Braunschweig of Park Rapids, and Rosalie (Mark) Houim of Alexandria; special nephew, Robert “Bobby” (Danielle Rueter) Schmidt of Delta Junction, Alaska; mother-in-law, Betty (Neil) Stroh Ostlund; four sisters-in-law, Margaret (Jerry) Hebert, Julie (DJ) Lundrigan, Nancy (Vernon) Hollar and Tammey Stroh; two brothers-in-law, Willie Stroh and Patrick (Michelle) Stroh; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Pallbearers are his nephews, Michael Wellnitz, Jacob Terfehr and Bobby Schmidt, Godchild, Adam Thoennes and friends, Arnold Thoennes, Victor Benzinger, and Joey Klimek. Honorary pallbearers are the Millerville Fire Department and First Responders.

Memorials preferred to Parkers Prairie Dollars for Scholars/P547 Foundation, for a scholarship in Jerry's memory.