Jerry Dean Onnen

Jerry D. Onnen – age 81, of Rolfe, Iowa passed away on Monday, December 16, 2019, in Marshalltown, Iowa.

Jerry Dean Onnen was born on April 12, 1938 in Fonda, Iowa. He was the son of Mel and Laura (Geisinger) Onnen. Following his education, Jerry served in the U.S. Navy from December 1954 to February 1958 where he served on the USS Richard B Anderson DD 786. On May 13, 1967, Jerry was united in marriage to Shirley Schmelzer. Jerry was big into a lot of things and had a horse and cattle ranch in Grandview, Texas and a fertilizer plant in Grandview, Texas. Jerry and Shirley then moved to Belle Plaine, Minnesota where they opened up a truckstop and named it Trailboss. Jerry and Shirley started raising Sorrel Percheron draft horses and went in parades, weddings, and his favorite one was the Milwaukee Circus parade, where he would haul Ernest Borgnine and his wife Tova. Jerry and Shirley then moved to Itasca, Texas where they started helping out the community and then in 2014, Jerry decided he wanted to move to Rolfe, Iowa to call home.

Jerry was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. He enjoyed collecting eagles, trucks and tractors and he especially enjoyed raising horses.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife, Shirley of Rolfe; daughter, Nancy (Jeff) Kramer of Ashland, MO; sons, Todd (Janelle) Onnen of Grundy Center, Rod Onnen of Grundy Center, Robbie (Jill) Onnen of Grundy Center and Randy (Holly) Onnen of Ponchatoula, LA; four granddaughters; three grandsons; four great granddaughters; one great grandson; brothers, Keith (Dee) Onnen of Perry and Scott Onnen of Arizona and a sister, Robin (Howard) Thielen of Granger.