Jerry J. Oler

Jerry J. Oler, age 82, of Richmond, IN passed away on Monday, February 10, 2020 at Reid Hospital in Richmond, IN. He was born November 4, 1937 in Economy, IN to the late Virgil and Rhoda Oler.   The following was written by Jerry: Born and raised on a hog farm on Sugar Grove Road 1 ¼ mile south of Economy, Indiana.I played four years of baseball and basketball plus was a member of a square dance team that danced on local TV (Muncie & Cincinnati) a few times and performed on Grand Ole Opry once in the early 1950’s.            I joined the U.S. Navy about a month after high school graduation, went through boot camp at Bainbridge, MD, and Security Communications schools in California. Prior to being stationed in Bremerhaven, Germany, I married Annie Raye Tutterrow and she joined me in Bremerhaven a few months after I got there. Our first child, Jerry Lee, was born in 1957, married Kelley Webb and has two daughters, Raychelle and Renee. Raychelle is married to Christopher Bultman and Renee is married to Shawn Watt, they have one son, Daegan Ray Watt. Jerry is a Veterinarian, divorced Kelley, married Vicki Marjerrison and they have their own Pet Clinic in Cornville, AZ. Our second child, Cynthia Lynn, was born in 1958, just after we got out of the Navy, married Mike Blunk and had three daughters, Jere`, Amanda and Kara. Cindy Lynn has divorced Mike and married John Cate. She is now the main contact for Civic Hall activities Richmond, IN., Jere’ married Eric Soehnegen, they have two daughters: Zoie & Merideth, and two sons: Keefer & Miles. They live in Fishers, IN. Amanda joined the Army after high school, has a son Jaylen Sandoval, married Russ Hepner and now lives in Thornton, Colorado. Kara married Larry Day; they have two daughters: Mykayla and Aubrey and live on New Paris Pike, near Richmond.               I re-enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1961 (during the Berlin crisis) and was sent to Turkey for a couple of years. During this time, Annie Raye and I divorced, I met and married Betty Dunham from Richmond, adopted her three-year-old daughter, Cynthia Lou and they accompanied me to Northern Morocco for a couple more years. We had another daughter, Judith Ann, born in Morocco. Our last four years of military service was spent in the Washington, D.C. area. Cindy Lou married Louis Blair, had two daughters, Stacy and Emily. Stacy works at First Bank, married Greg Whipple and they had two sons, Michael and Nicholas. Stacy later divorced Greg, married Weston Hemmelgarn and divorced him. Emily worked at nursing the elderly and handicapped for a few years, married Craig Hart, the father of their son Steven and daughter Nora Sue and is now an assistant at Charles ElementarySchool. Both, Stacy & Emily, attended IUE college classes here in Richmond. Cindy and Louis divorced and she married Rick Day of Liberty. They have another daughter Lisa who graduated from Centerville H.S. and married Jeremy Crist, father of their son Jeremy Jr. and daughter Brinly. Lisa has since divorced Jeremy Sr. Cindy and Rick each have been working at Belden for over forty years now. Judi married Gary Maiden, had a daughter, Miranda who has three sons: Gage (father: Mike Logan), Zayn (father: Shawn Scalf) and Giovanni (father: Angelo Germano ). Judi & Gary also had a son, Jeremy, who married Krystal Jennings. They have a daughter named Delilah, a son named Koda and he works at Belden. Judi divorced Gary, married Ricardo Torres and they have two more sons Ricky and Dante`. Ricardo works at Primex Plastics here in town; while, Judi works in the office for a nursing home. Miranda works at the Olive Garden restaurant even though Judi & Miranda, both, have associate degrees as Medical Assistants.  I received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1969; I went to work at Belden as a computer programmer, helped implement Data Processing and started taking college classes. After about five years, I switched over to Packaging Specialist at Belden and after another five years (1978), I had my B.S. in Business and went to work at Ford Aerospace in Connersville as a Quality Assurance Supervisor. While at Belden, we had another son, Aron, who married Jamie Evans and they now have three sons (Micah, Maverick & Matthew). Aron earned a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology degree from Purdue and is currently working at Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) in Indianapolis. Jamie is a Supported Living Coordinator at McSheer Inc.      I was laid off from Ford in 1980 and managed to get hired into Civil Service work in Kettering, OH. Later, I transferred to Wright Patterson AFB and stayed there, working as a Manufacturing Manager in Weapon Systems Acquisition until I retired in January 1995 (26 years military & civil service combined).   After retirement, I needed something to do so I hired on at Cinram (used to be Philips Recording Company) to create and maintain a quality system in compliance with ISO 9000 requirements. After obtaining ISO9000:2000 certification, Cinram decided I could also handle Incoming Inspection. I did both jobs until July, 2008, when I was laid off due to Cinram’s downsizing toward eventual closure of their Richmond, IN facility in mid-2009.  Since departure from Cinram in July, 2008, I worked at TBK America for one month as a Quality Engineer before they found out they had Japanese person in transit to fill that vacancy. HR and I mutually agreed that they didn’t need me and I started searching for work elsewhere. About four years later I hired on at I.U. East as Assistant Supervisor over the Centerville/Abington Meals-on-Wheels Program. After six weeks of training, they hired a lady whom, I thought, needed the income more than I did so I gave her my job and remained on the employee listing as a Sub. This program is managed by Area 9 personnel that are sponsored by Indiana University East. When I was in Jr High school, I smoked a pipe, cigars and cigarettes. I later picked up drinking 3.2% beer. I have kept up the habit of drinking beer and I also like Old Grandad whisky. I also smoke non-filter cigarettes.    Family & Service Details: In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his brothers Roger Oler and Leeroy Oler; and sister Beulah Mae McMillan. He is survived by his wife Betty Oler; children: Jerry (Vicki) Oler, Cindy Lynn (John) Cate, Cindy Lou (Rick) Day, Judi Ann Torres and Aron Joe (Jamie) Oler; 15 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.  Visitation will be held on Friday, February 14, 2020 from 10:00 am until time of funeral service at 11:00 am at the Girton Schmidt & Boucher Gard Funeral Home, 226 W. Main Street, Eaton, OH with Pastor Dave McQueen officiating. Burial will follow at Mound Hill Cemetery in Eaton. Memorial contributions may be sent to Richmond Senior Center, Centerville Senior Center or charity of donor’s choice. Online condolences and other remembrances may be sent to the family by visiting www.gsbfuneralhome.com.