Jerry Ross

Gerald "Jerry" Eugene Ross was born June 26, 1932, in Haig, NE, to William and Hazel Ross. He was the 2nd son in a family of 5, with one older brother and one younger brother, and two younger sisters. Jerry grew up on a farm and attended grade school near Scottsbluff, NE, and graduated from Gering High School. After graduating high school, Jerry spent a brief time as a cowboy in Colorado, Wyoming, and Arizona.

When the Korean War broke out, Jerry's older brother, Jim, told him to enlist in the Navy instead of being drafted into the Army, and he listened to his big brother and enlisted in 1952. Jerry's four years in the Navy from 1952-1956 as a Teletype operator on a Navy destroyer took him to the South Pacific.

He met his sweetheart, Katherine "Kathy" Rose Hourt, while on leave from the Navy, and after a brief courtship the two were married August 22, 1955, in the San Diego Cathedral, where he was stationed.

After being honorably discharged from the Navy, the newlyweds then moved back home to Nebraska, where Jerry worked at different jobs including driving trucks, working as a ranch foreman, and after moving to Montana, as a head packer with the National Park Service in Glacier National Park (his favorite job, even though he hated working for the government), where he was responsible for a string of 33 mules and 22 horses. He ended his career with the National Park Service to start a nationwide horse and livestock transport business, Double J Horse Transport Service, a job that suited his need to be a cowboy on the move.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Kathy was busy raising their four children and working full time as a nurse, and making a home in every location Jerry moved the family to, as his gypsy cowboy soul didn't want to stay in one place for too long.

After 16 years in the big sky country of Montana, Jerry and Kathy moved the transport business to Colorado in 1982 to be more centrally located, and to be closer to their first grandchild. They endured the Christmas Blizzard of 1982 in Franktown, CO, and made their last big move to the Wellington and Fort Collins area in 1985. There they found a home in St. Joseph Catholic Parish and Jerry became a devout member of the Knights of Columbus, and was a Knight of the 4th degree.

And through it all, his heart was always at the rodeo and he was a cowboy through and through.

His lifelong love for rodeo started at age 19, when he started riding bareback broncs, and continued until the mid 1980's. Jerry joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association when he was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1956. His first RCA rodeo was on his birthday, in Alliance, NE, where he placed in the bull riding and bareback events. As luck would have it, his eldest son, Jeff, was born that very day. In 1980 he became a member of the Old Timer's Rodeo Association, and rode saddle broncs and was a team roper. Even when he wasn't riding, he was always a supporter and a fan, and served as a coach for the Columbia Falls High School rodeo team, as a pickup man, and as a professional rodeo judge. He truly was a Cowboy's cowboy.

He attended his last rodeo in Sheridan, WY, the summer of 2017.

Jerry was a natural storyteller and musician, and he followed his passion of writing and playing music and cowboy poetry, and his artistic career culminated in the creation of several cd's, radio shows, and many live performances with the Four Star Band. Those who had the privilege of hearing him play—at family gatherings, or performances around town solo, or with the band—will not soon forget his passionate baritone and heartfelt songs.

Jerry lived life on his terms, unapologetically. No one was a stranger to Jerry, he made friends everywhere he went, and people that he met along the way were not likely to forget the old time cowboy. He preferred to travel by the scenic route as often as possible. He was a man who pursued his passions, which included riding his bike (especially when cinnamon rolls were involved!), canoeing, panning for gold, playing cribbage with his family, doting on his grandkids and great grandkids as often as possible, and drinking black coffee, preferably with a slice of pie alongside. He was a patriot, a jokester, and a true friend to many. Powder River, let 'er buck!

Jerry died August 2, 2017, at age 85, at Cheyenne VA Medical Center in Cheyenne, WY. Jerry is survived by four children, Jeff Ross (and Laura Cater-Woods) of Townsend, MT, Cindy (and Kevin) Callihan of Windsor, CO, Jody Ross (and Mary Husemann) of Bozeman, MT, and Lori (and Scott) Bettcher of Wellington, CO; two sisters, Sandy Culver and Edee Worth; six grandchildren, Amy (and Nate) Siebert, Cody (and Lori) Bettcher, Katie (and Jay) Holmes, Lisa (and Sean) Abbey, Christopher (and Becky) Ross, and Shawna (and Dave) Barker; eight great-grandchildren, Jackson, Finley, Hunter, Torin, Stetson, Jet, Sebastian and Lexi; and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Kathy, his parents, William and Hazel, and two siblings, Jim and Bob.

Jerry's family requests that any donations please be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church for the Knights of Columbus. Those donations may be made directly to the church or in care of Goes Funeral Care, 3665 Canal Dr., E, Ft. Collins, CO, 80524. Please visit www.goesfuneralcare.com to see Jerry's online obituary and share condolences with his family.