Gerald 'Jerry' Love

Gerald “Jerry” Love, 87, passed away on Sunday, July 19, 2015, at home surrounded by his family in Merced, Calif. He was born on August 2, 1927, in Merced, Calif. to Alton and Lurina (Freeman) Love. Jerry grew up in Merced.

He graduated from Merced High School in 1945. After high school, he met and married the love of his life, Mary Warren, in 1947 and had three beautiful daughters: Sharon, Kathy and Becky.

His first job was working for Nordman’s Ranch, where he tended to many ranch jobs including the turkey farm until he leased it to start his own business as an independent turkey grower with Zacky Farms until he retired in 1995.

Jerry loved his family and cherished family gatherings and playing with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed traveling in his motor home with Mary to Wyoming where they had a second home.

He always looked forward to hunting with his daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They spent lots of time at their cabin enjoying the open land and lazy fall evenings. Wyoming was the place he loved to be.

Jerry was preceded in death by a brother, Jack; mother, Lurina; father, Alton; and a son-in-law, Bill Jones.

Jerry is survived by his loving wife, Mary; daughters Sharon Love of Thermopolis, Kathy (George) Shirah of LeGrand, Calif. and Becky (Dan) Herring of Thermopolis; sister, Nancy (Larry) Tapley of Carmichael, Calif.; nine grandchildren Jennifer (Joe) Luis of Merced, Chris Jones of Merced, Matt Jones of Ten Sleep, Wyo., Emily (Jerry) Palmer of Merced, Elizabeth (Pat) Dayton of Waterford, Calif., Gina (Joe) Rose and Anna (Marc) Freeman of Atwater, Joe (Heather) Herring and Justin (Michelle) Herring of Thermopolis; great-grandchildren Gage Brown and Mati Jones, Miranda, Matthew and Mallory Palmer, Mashall and Rachel Dayton, Elora Rose, Chase and JolieAnne Herring, Sasha and Tamara Bleak and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services were held July 27 at Stratford Evans. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of Jerry Love.