Jerry F. Truman, 77, of Annandale died Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, at his home on Clearwater Lake.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Annandale Evangelical Free Church with visitation one hour prior to the service. Pastor Denny Johnson will officiate at the memorial service. Burial will take place at Mt. Hope Cemetery in St. James. A gathering of family and friends will be held from 12 to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at the American Legion in St. James. A celebration of Jerry’s life will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Best Western Plus in Shoreview.
Memorials are preferred to Alzheimer’s Association.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Margie; children, Todd (Shelly) Truman of Lino Lakes, Scott Truman of Coon Rapids and Dawn (George) Iversen of Ham Lake; grandchildren, Tara, Stacey, Jerry, Travis and Corey; great-grandchildren, Everett, Kennedy and Cole; sister, Laura (Don) Manney of Missouri; brother, Raymond (Joy) Augst of St. James; and brother-in-law, Dan Hitchcock.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Augst; father, Francis Truman; stepfather, Earl Augst; sisters, Marilyn Ehret and Nancy Hitchcock; and brothers, Bob Truman and Rick Truman.
Jerry Francis Truman was born July 10, 1940, in St. James to Francis Truman and Helen (Johnson) Truman. He was raised in St. James by his mother and stepfather, Helen and Earl Augst. Jerry graduated from St. James High School with the Class of 1958 where he enjoyed performing with the men’s quartet. On Oct. 19, 1959, he was united in marriage to Margie Anne Scales at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in St. Paul. They made St. Paul their home and were blessed with three children. They later moved to Clearwater Lake near Annandale.
After high school, Jerry worked at the local furniture and carpet store in St. James; it gave him an introduction in the carpet business. In St. Paul, he managed Hayles Floor Covering. After a back surgery, he became a salesman for St. Paul Packaging Company and ended up managing their Wayzata store. In 1971, Jerry started his own business, Jerry’s Floor Store, in Spring Lake Park; the business grew to be the largest carpet retailer in the five-state area. In 1990, Jerry retired and his daughter, Dawn, took over operations of the company.
Jerry was active in many organizations and groups: he started an organization of carpet retailers in 1988, the Upper Midwest Floor Covering Association; was president of the Little League when his boys were active in baseball; president of Clearwater Lake Property Owners for many years; served as the head of the Clearwater Lake Milfoil Committee; held an annual picnic for the CLPO at his residence for 24 years; and was the head of Lowell Davis’ Farm Club, traveling the county with Davis to sell his figurines and paintings.
Jerry was generous with sharing not only his time, but his knowledge and wealth as well. He gave scholarships to his favorite schools over several years. He also contributed to many underprivileged families. Jerry enjoyed woodworking, building toys for tots and birdhouses, golfing, bowling, fishing and visiting with friends and neighbors.
Urn bearers: Jerry’s grandchildren, Tara Gonyer, Stacey Benjamin, Jerry Millan, Travis Truman and Corey Iversen.
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