Jerry Osterman

When reflecting on the life of Gerald Osterman, words such as jovial, honorable, and easygoing come to mind. He was never one to worry about building wealth or accumulating possessions, rather, he focused his time and attention on fully embracing each day while holding his loved ones near. Gerald was the perfect Santa every year and enjoyed things like music, mowing his lawn, and an evening out at the casino. With a life that spanned times of war and times of peace, times of plenty and times of want, Gerald created a vibrant mosaic of memories that will remain lasting treasures for those he loved to enjoy.

The decade that is often recalled as the Roaring Twenties was a vibrant time in America. The lights of Broadway never shined brighter, Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb drew fans to stadiums in record numbers, and new radio stations joined the airwaves nearly every day. It was during this exciting time that a young couple from Kalamazoo, Michigan, was delighted to learn that they were expecting a baby early who was due in the summer of 1928. Their wait was over on June 1st of that year when they welcomed a healthy baby boy into their hearts and home. Gerald L. was the third of seven children born to his parents, Andrew and Minnie (Carlson) Osterman, and he was raised in the family home alongside his three brothers, Sam, Clifford, and Manley, and his three sisters, Joyce, Norene, and Karen. His father worked at the local paper mill while his mother had more than enough to keep her busy at home. The Ostermans later moved from Kalamazoo to Texas Corners, and Gerald was a student at Mattawan schools.

The 1930s and early part of the 1940s were very much defined by the Great Depression. Unemployment soared to over 25 percent, which left families doing whatever they could to make ends meet. Jerry left school before completing his formal education, which was common for the youth of his generation, as he needed to earn an income. Although he later earned his GED, he was busy working for several local farmers and hauling grapes in Lawton and Paw Paw as a young man. Jerry was also a baker at Peter Pan Bakery.

With a desire to serve his country, Gerald enlisted in the Marines, serving for six years in Korea. He was an excellent baker while in the military, although he never did the dishes. In fact, Gerald enjoyed baking and cooking throughout his life but never did come near the sink to do the dishes after he was done.

After being discharged as a master sergeant, Jerry returned to the Kalamazoo area where he took a job at the local paper mill for a short time. Since he had already spent so much time inside while working in kitchens he wasn’t thrilled about working inside at the paper mill so Jerry began working for the Kalamazoo Road Commission as a heavy equipment operator. This was where he remained for the rest of his working days. For the last 10 years of his 30 year career Jerry worked there as a dispatcher.

Life was forever changed for Gerald when he met a young woman named Alice Johnson. They began dating and later found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to build a life together Jerry and Alice were married on September 1, 1961. They enjoyed spending time together and quite often hosted family reunions. Gerald was deeply saddened with her death on December 8, 2000. He later spent six months at Kline’s Resort located south of Vicksburg, where he fished just about every day.

Throughout his life Jerry kept busy with numerous things. He was a Boy Scout leader for several years and also camped fairly regularly. Jerry was a true patriot who loved his country and was an active lifetime member of the Decatur VFW Post 6248 where he served as the chaplain for quite some time. He worked with muzzle loading kits and had several buddies whom he liked to shoot with and go hunting with. Gerald liked cooking in addition to baking with stews, soups, and chili being among his specialties. He also made the best coffee and iced tea.

New and exciting changes were in store for Gerald when he met Mary Smith Termunde. After dating for a time they were married six years ago. Gerald never had any biological children, but he was thrilled to have “kids” once he and Mary became husband and wife. Together they took their travel trailer all over Michigan. As camping enthusiasts they were the current presidents of the Michigan Travel Trailer Club with whom they went to a different location every month. Gerald and Mary also left the cold Michigan winters behind to spend the season enjoying the warm weather of Mesa, Arizona, for several years. He liked going to the casino, and Deal Or No Deal was his favorite game. Music was something Gerald always enjoyed. Whether it was instrumental, contemporary, or what is thought of as elevator music, Jerry liked it all. He even liked listening to yodeling! To relax he enjoyed more typical activities like reading and doing crossword puzzles, but he also found mowing his lawn to be relaxing. Jerry did some woodworking in the basement and liked playing cards, especially when he was winning!

A funny, upbeat, and fun-loving man, Gerald Osterman was a blessing in the lives of those around him. He has been described as a good guy who always told the best stories with a laugh that was contagious to those around him. Jerry always seemed to be singing from the time he was a young boy, and although he could be particular he was always kind to those around him. He will be deeply missed and warmly remembered.

Gerald Osterman died May 14, 2013. Jerry’s family includes his wife, Mary Osterman; 3 sisters: Joyce (Bob) Tassell, Norene (Earl) Maxam and Karen (Bill) Steinberger; many nieces and nephews and by Mary’s children, grand and great-grandchildren. Jerry was preceded in death by his first wife, Alice Osterman, and by 3 brothers; Sam, Clifford and Manley. Services will be held today (Thursday), 5:00 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler – Kalamazoo; 6080 Stadium Drive, (269) 375-2900 with visitation starting at 4:00 p.m. A reception will follow the service in the Life Story Center. Burial will take place Friday 10:30 a.m. at Ft. Custer National Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at the Oshtemo Baptist Church. Please visit Jerry’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a memory or photo or sign his memory book before coming to the funeral home. Memorial donations may be directed to Decatur VFW Post 6248.