Jerome "Jerry" Mark Smith Obituary (1947

Jerome Mark Pilgreen was born in Denver, CO January 4, 1947, to Katherine and Mark Pilgreen. They later moved to Monroe, LA, where Jerry started school. The very first day, at lunch, the teachers tried to make him drink milk, which he was allergic too. The milk and lunch were summarily dumped in the garbage, and when no one was watching, he left the school grounds and headed across the street into the woods. He found a horse to ride. For two weeks, he would ride the horse and play, then ride the bus home. Finally, when someone called from the school to see where they had moved to, the jig was up; they never tried to make him drink milk again. As happens to many couples, Katherine and Mark divorced, she and Jerry moved to Gooding ID, then to Boise and finally to Nampa. Katherine married Ralph Golden. And soon after that, she became pregnant with his sister Sondra. Seven months later Katherine passed away at the age of 32. Jerry was 12 years old then. And so, the family went to live with Katherine's parents, Ted and Bertha Smith. His grandparents adopted Jerry. He was known as Jerry Smith. Teddy Jane, his aunt, and Tommy, his uncle, then became his sister and brother. Jerry attended schools in Nampa but did not graduate. Instead, he went into the US Army and completed his basic training in Missouri and California. October 1, 1965, he came home from basic training. He went to see his friends Nancy and Marvin Williams, and that was where he met Linda Carte, who was engaged to another guy. As he told it, Linda was going to be his! And she was!! They were married six months later in Nampa. Throughout the next few years, Angie (Angela), Yo (Yolinda), and Buddy (Jacob) came along. Soon after Jacob was born, ground was bought, and thier log house was started. As a family, we have built the house into a home, and improvements continue. Jerry drove trucks for 45 years, owning eight different ones. Mostly he drove long haul all over the US, Canada, and Alaska. He and Jacob worked together in Salt Lake City, helping to rebuild Interstate 15 for the winter Olympics. Jerry and Jacob spent several winters driving from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, AK, on the famous ice road, in support of the oil fields. As a family, we lived in Alaska for about 2 years. We had a great time there! One time while living there, Jerry was moving some equipment to storage. He had parked the trailer where it needed to be and was lowering the landing gear. Suddenly a BIG BLACK nose was right below his elbow. Needless to say, he froze... thinking it was a bear. It turned out to be a very large German Shepard. Jerry loved riding motorcycles, shooting guns with his friend Ron Hurley, and riding around in his jet boat. As early as this last week, he was planning a trip to the river. The boat wasn't for fishing; he just wanted to go fast; so basically, we just tore around! After 47 years of marriage, he asked Linda to be sealed to him. So, on December 8, they, with half of the Nampa 5th Ward went to the Boise LDS Temple. Jerry was preceded in death by his mother Katherine; and grandparents/adopted parents Ted and Bertha Smith. He is survived by his wife Linda; children: Angela, Yolinda, and Jacob; son-in-law Gerry; grandchildren: Vanessa and her husband Doug, Brandon, Samantha, Cody, and Mathew: great-grandson Jaiden; one unborn great-granddaughter; sister Teddy and her husband Dave; brother Thomas and his wife Suzie; sister Sondra; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, September 29, at the Nampa 5th Ward Chapel located at 7809 Deer Flat Rd in Nampa with a viewing from 9 to 9:45 a.m. prior to the services. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Glenn Rest Cemetery, in Glenns Ferry, Idaho. Linda says "Jerry led me on a merry chase thru THIS life and I can't wait for the next chapter!"