JERRY RENNERFELDT

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Jerry W. Rennerfeldt, 86, of Oakland, died Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010, at Oakland Mercy Hospital after a brief illness.

He was born to Wallace and Ethel (Johnson) Rennerfeldt on Dec. 15, 1923, in rural Oakland. He grew up on farms near Oakland and later moved to town. He attended country school and graduated from Oakland High School in 1942. He attended Wayne State College. He married Margaret Hovendick on April 9, 1944, at the Hovendick family farm near Herman.

He spent the war years working at the Martin Bomber Plant in Bellevue. After the war, he moved to Oakland where he lived until his death. He was a longtime Oakland businessman, and member of the chamber of commerce. He spent his remaining working years as office manager at Paus Motor Sales in West Point, retiring at age 80. A member of First Methodist Church for most of his life, he served in the youth after-school program. He also served as host for the Swedish Heritage Center and until failing health, served on the library board.

Survivors include: his wife, Margaret; sons and daughters-in-law, Dale and Margie of Sioux Falls, S.D.; Evan and Kathy of Oakland; Noel and Margaret of Rockford, Ill.; brothers and sisters-in-law, Harland and Sally of West Point and Dallas and Marlene of Helena, Mont.; sister and brother-in-law, Maxine and Melvin Newill of Missoula, Mont.; sister-in-law, Peggy (Mrs. Jay) Rennerfeldt of Papillion; nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers.

A memorial service will be 10 a.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church in Oakland.

There will be no visitation. Burial will be in Pioneer Cemetery, rural Oakland.

Memorials have been established to Oakland Public Library and Oakland First United Methodist Church.