Jerome Albert Kreutzer

Leoti, Kansas Jerome ("Jerry") Albert Kreutzer passed away peacefully from natural causes on Feb. 06, 2015, at the age of 95. He was born in Liebenthal, Kansas, April 05, 1919, the 11th of 12 children. He attended elementary school in Kansas and graduated from St. Fidelis Catholic High School & Seminary in Butler, Pennsylvania. After returning to Kansas he met and married Vera Knobbe on Sep. 22, 1941. They had one child, daughter Leta Annette. In 1942 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was assigned to an Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division in the Aleutian Islands and India & Burma during World War II. In 1946 he joined his wife and daughter in Kansas where he managed a hardware store. In 1949 the family moved to Arizona where Jerry attended Arizona State University. In 1951 he accepted a position in EI Centro, CA, as an insurance adjuster for GMAC serving both Imperial and Yuma Counties. He thought life couldn't get much better: he was offered a salary of $350 per month, a company car, expense account, paid vacations and medical benefits! Gradually he came to love Yuma and moved the family there in 1953 where he worked as a car salesman first for the Chevrolet dealership and then the Cadillac Oldsmobile dealership. After awhile he returned to his previous career as an Insurance Adjuster and in 1965 opened his own business as an independent sales agent for Farmer's Insurance. In 1982 Jerry retired to pursue his passion for woodworking, and loved creating beautiful pieces from exotic hardwoods. His specialty was making clocks and many of his friends and relatives were gifted with custom-made mantel clocks for weddings and birthdays. He also loved music and was the church organist for Immaculate Conception Catholic Church for many years. Jerry and Vera loved to travel and the highlight of their travel experiences was a trip to Rome, Italy where his great nephew took them on a personal tour of the Vatican including an audience with the Pope. He was always an enthusiastic ambassador and unofficial tour guide for the City of Yuma, and never tired of showing family and friends around his beloved city. Jerry was loved by everyone he ever met - he was a terrific storyteller, a great role model, and a wonderful father. In 1999 Jerry's wife of 57 years, Vera, passed away from complications with Alzheimer's Disease. As a result of having to learn to cook during Vera's long illness, he developed a passion for cooking and enjoyed trying new recipes and cooking with his daughter. He renewed an acquaintanceship with his former neighbor and friend, Laura Cooke, and they spent the past 15 years traveling together, watching baseball games, playing cards, and enjoying their senior years at Desert Rose Retirement Home. Jerome was preceded in death by his parents, John and Amelia (Herman) Kreutzer; his wife, Vera (Knobbe) Kreutzer and his dear companion, Laura Cooke, as well as his sisters Anna Herrman, Bertha Werth, Celestina Klaus, Loretta Gerstberger - Kessler, Ida Biel, Wilhelmina (Anne) Kreutzer, and Mary Bauck, and brothers William, Alfons, and Bernard Kreutzer. He is survived by his sister Lydia Schoenberger of WaKeeney, KS; his daughter and son-in-law, Leta and George Wolfe of Yuma, AZ; his grandson, Kevin Minke of Ewa Beach, HI; his great-grandson, Justin Minke of Mililani, HI, and numerous nieces and nephews. A Funeral Mass was held on Feb. 11, 2015 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, officiated by Monsignor Richard O'Keefe and Deacons David Sampson and Oscar Chavez. Pallbearers were, John Wolfe, Kevin Minke, Dr. Edward Knobbe, David Breeding, David Ricci and Stanley Scherer. Honorary Pallbearers were J.D. Schoenberger, George Wolfe Jr., and Kenneth Turner. Entombment followed at Desert Lawn Memorial Park where Jerome was interred next to his wife Vera. A memorial service is being planned for a future date in Leoti, Kansas. Donations can be made to Hospice of Yuma, 1824 S. 8th Avenue, Yuma, AZ. 85364 or in care of Price & Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.