Jerome “Jerry” A. Vorwald
Jerome “Jerry” Alois Vorwald, 92, died on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, at his home on the farm.
Visitation was Friday, Dec. 29, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Colesburg and before services at the church.
Funeral services were Saturday, Dec. 30, at the church, conducted by Rev. John Haugen.
Interment was at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery, rural Colesburg.
Jerome was born on Dec. 24, 1931, at home Southeast of Colesburg, son of Gregor and Theresa (Maiers) Vorwald. He was raised on the family farm and attended Colony #1 Country School through the eighth grade. He married Marilyn Zittergruen on Aug. 18, 1952, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Garber. Three children were born to this union. They celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in 2023.
Together they farmed north of Colesburg. He loved driving his Allis Chalmers D-17 tractor. Jerry was still driving the D-17 on the hay rake in September of this year.
Jerry was a bus driver for the Edgewood-Colesburg Community School District for 51 years. Over the years he told many, many stories of the adventures of driving the bus. He drove to many sporting and other school events. He particularly enjoyed the girls’ softball games and the speech contests. He didn’t just drive the bus; he would sit in on speeches of the Ed-Co students. Every year a new group of students arrived to listen to his old jokes. He thoroughly enjoyed those years visiting with the students, teachers, staff, and other drivers. He drove bus full time for 51 years. He then drove part-time for another three years. In 2018 Jerry received a Longevity Service Award from the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association “in recognition of extraordinary years of service and exemplary dedication to your community.” He was honored as the Ed-Co Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal in 2012.
His CB radio handle was Choredodger. Why? Because bus driving duties always occurred at chore time. The milking was left to Marilyn.
He also loved hunting squirrel, raccoon, and especially deer. His pride and joy was his 22-point buck he had mounted. He told countless stories of those hunts. Once he was trapped in a tree at 2 a.m. by a bull while hunting raccoon in the rain. The bull eventually got bored and went away. The hunters trudged home tired, wet, and without any raccoon.
He was a master morel mushroom hunter. He had pictures of bushel baskets of mushrooms to prove it. He learned to tap maple trees from his father-in-law and to make maple syrup. He passed this hobby to his children and grandchildren.
He loved to visit with people and would stop to chat. Many people stopped at the farm to visit. Many times, the kitchen was crowded with people and the driveway looked like a parking lot.
The hardest part for Jerry was the pandemic and being homebound building up his strength, especially during the winter. During the spring, summer, and fall he would be found outside riding the four-wheeler or doing whatever just so he was outside.
Jerry loved his wife and children and thoroughly enjoyed his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Marilyn, 3 children, Deb (Mark) Gremmels of Dubuque, Deanne (Steve) Arthur of Dubuque, and Darin Vorwald (Nikki Shannon) of Colesburg; seven grandchildren, Melissa (Dusty) Kalkomey of Needville, Texas, Matthew (Lacey) Gremmels of Dubuque, Megan (Jonathan) Goodfellow of Wake Forest, N.C., Tasha (Greg) Studelska of Cascade, Mackenzie (Leighton) Hackert of Dubuque, Emily Vorwald (Luke Kann) of Garber, and Daniel (Kristen Willenborg) Vorwald of Garber; 10 great-grandchildren; sister, Shirley Vorwald of Colesburg and several nieces and nephews; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Vorwald of Dyersville and Jean Zittergruen of Edgewood.
He was preceded in death by his parents Gregor (1896-1972) and Theresa (1897-1989), mother and father in-law William (1899-1989) and Evelyn (1903-1989) Zittergruen, brothers and sisters: Kay Mescher (1919-1988), Vincent (1920-1989), Mary Berg (1922-1985), Francis (1924-2010), Robert (1926-2014), infant brother (9-10 April 1928), Anna Mae (1929-1992), Ramona Engelken (1935-2017). Brothers-in law and sister-in laws: Richard Zittergruen, Louis Mescher, Ray Berg, David Engelken, Rosie Vorwald, and Germaine Vorwald, niece and nephews: Pam Berg, Bobby Vorwald, Greg Engelken, and Mike Vorwald.
During his last days he was under the care of St. Croix Hospice. A special thank you to the nurses and staff!
Online condolences may be sent to www.leonard-mullerfh.com.
