Notes:
1940: Ashland, Ashland, Ohio
1204 South Center Street
House Number: 1204
Ashland County Children's Home
Residence in 1935: Polk, Ashland, Ohio
Gerald Gantz, 13, single
Gerald A. “Jerry” Gantz, 88, of Ryegate passed away peacefully Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, in St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings.
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He was born March 10, 1926, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Charles and Pansy (Messmore) Gantz and into a family of eight. He received his schooling in Ohio and then left home to work at the local rubber factory at the age of 14. In 1944, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and saw firsthand the horrors of war. After returning to the states, he traveled across the country and ultimately ended up at the N-Bar Ranch near Grass Range, MT. It was there that he met his wife Norma Trapp and they were married on June 6, 1953, in Lewistown. The family settled in Ryegate where Norma owned the Ryegate Café and Jerry worked for the school district for 27 years. In addition to working at the school Jerry also worked for various butchers in the area before starting his own wild game processing plant, Jerry’s Jerky. Hunters would travel across the country to have their game processed as only Jerry could. If you traveled Highway 12 between Ryegate and Harlowton you might have noticed Jerry and Earl Osse’s idea of fun, red, black and white woodpeckers hanging on trees and poles each mile.
As with many of the Greatest Generation, Jerry was always willing to give and did not ask for anything in return. Throughout his life, he and Norma always welcomed anyone into their home that needed a hot meal, a warm place to sleep or even kind words. Jerry always had a good story and a great sense of humor.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Lavina formerly Ryegate.
Jerry is survived by one son Roudy (Robin) and one daughter Eva (Ed) Heminger all of Ryegate, MT; one brother Bob in Ohio; two sisters Pat of Moscow, ID and Katherine in Ohio; 7 grandchildren Jennifer, Cody (Leeann), Bobby and Cooper Gantz, Ryan, Marti (Jeff) and Patrick (Katie) Heminger; six great grandchildren Cameron and Caden Schanz, Sammy Phelps, Silas Jones and Isaac and Madison Gantz and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial Graveside Services for Jerry Gantz will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, in the Ryegate Cemetery. The Perkins Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Friends are asked to make memorials to the Golden Valley County Ambulance or Fire Department and they may be left at the Perkins Funeral Home 211 Central Avenue (PO Box 313) Harlowton, MT 59036.
Condolences for the family may be posted on-line at www.perkinsfuneralandcremation.com.