Gerald Petry

Gerald Lee “Jerry” Petry, 73, passed away at the Brendan House in Kalispell on Dec. 12, 2014, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Gerald was born May 26, 1941, in Ferdinand, Ind., to Alvin and Ardella Petry, the eldest of 11 children.

At the age of 17, Jerry and his brothers moved to Glendive. He graduated from Dawson County High School in Glendive. Not long after graduating, Jerry and his family moved to Kalispell. He worked at the C & C Plywood Company and went on to become an electrician.

Jerry met Jennifer Karstetter in 1965, at the Park Inn, in Kalispell. At the time, Jennifer was working at the telephone company and Jerry was in the Army National Guard. They were married on Aug. 7, 1965, at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Whitefish.

Jerry served four years active duty in the Army and was a member of the Army National Guard. He saw duty locally during the Evergreen flood of 1964 and helped fight the Glacier National Park forest fire in 1968. He worked as an electrician at Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. plant for more than 20 years.

He was preceded in death by an infant sister, Patricia Petry; brothers Eugene Petry and Alvin Petry Jr.; and his parents, Ardella and Alvin Petry.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Jennifer Petry, of Idaho Falls, Idaho; daughter Ann Muth and husband Bob, of Whitefish, and grandchildren Ocala, Deagan, Dillon and Dawson; daughter Paula Kindel and husband Kenny, of Eureka, and grandchildren McKenna, Jakeb and Joey; daughter Mary Brown and husband Abram, of Idaho Falls, and grandchildren Claira and Adalyn; four sisters and three brothers, Mary Hegel, of Kalispell, Ken Petry, of Columbia Falls, David Petry, of Kalispell, Lucy Sterling, of Columbia Falls, Alan Petry, of Columbia Falls, Deb Cislo, of Kalispell, and Darlene Vincent, of Oregon; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration remembering Jerry’s life will take place at the Canvas Church in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, at 4 p.m.

The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Brendan House or to the Parkinsons Foundation.