Jerry Duane Wood

Jerry Duane Wood, 77, of Atalissa, passed quietly on July 2, 2020, at the Mechanicsville Specialty Care Center, while on Hospice from complications associated with Alzheimer’s. A private family viewing will be on Tuesday, July 7, 2020 from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm at Fry Funeral Home, with Cremation Rites to follow. On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in remembrance of Jerry, the public is invited to attend a Visitation from 10:00 am – 11:00 am and A Celebration of Life Service from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Both services will be held at Fry Funeral Home, Tipton. Attendees are encouraged to dress casually and bring the personal level of COVID-19 protection they feel comfortable wearing.  Social distancing between groups that arrive together will be expected. A private Graveside Service with Military Honors at Mt. Zion Cemetery, Tipton, will follow public services. In lieu of flowers, family has set up two memorial funds: Unity Point Hospice and Mechanicsville Specialty Care Center. Cards and memorials may be sent c/o Barb Wood, to 1985 Atalissa Road, Atalissa, Iowa 52720. Online condolences may be shared on www.fryfuneralhome.com. Jerry was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Thursday, January 14, 1943 to Lloyd and Marie (Rife) Wood of Tipton. He was raised on the family farm north of Rochester and attended Snaggy Ridge Country School until the 8th grade. He then continued his education at Tipton Community School and graduated with the Class of 1960. In August of 1960, Jerry went to Fort Leonard Wood Missouri for his basic training in the U.S. Army Reserves, then on to Fort Dix New Jersey. After completing his training he returned home and joined his dad, Lloyd, working in the welding shop, ‘Woods Repair’, in Rochester. This was the beginning of his whole life as a welder, self-taught just like his dad. In July of 1962, he started dating Barbara Isabel. They were married September 12, 1964 at the Rochester Methodist Church. Everybody said, “It won’t last!” – She was 18 and he was 21. Well guess what? 55 + years later and they were still side by side. Most of Jerry’s life he was self-employed as a welder and fabricator working out of the shop he and his dad built together. Over the years three more buildings were added and the name was changed twice: first to ‘Wood’s Welding and Repair’, then to ‘Wood’s Truck Equipment’ when Jerry went into partnership with his brother, Keith Wood. The shop closed in 1983 and he then was employed at Baron Corp Wilton until 1987. His next adventure took him to Wendling Quarries at Moscow until 1998. In 2000, he was employed by River Products in Coralville, again at a quarry. This lasted until 2004. Other jobs he worked at were: Rural Recycling in Stanwood and JR’s Truck Repair in West Liberty. He and Barb lived in Rochester for 34 years. They then purchased the Chapman farm on Atalissa Road and built a new house in 1998, where they still call home. Of course here he had a welding shop and stayed busy in that shop as well. One of his favorite hobbies was wood carving of water fowl. Again, he was self-taught on this talent as well.

Surviving Jerry is his wife Barbara; son, Doug Wood; daughter-in-law, Teresa (Jon) Biles; grandson, Jaydon Biles; brother, Keith (Carolyn) Wood; sisters-in-law, Betty (Gerald) Holt, Cathy (Isabel) Johnson, and Sandy Rummells; many nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

Jerry was preceded in death by son, Brett Wood (1994); parents, Lloyd and Marie; infant brother, Gary Wood; sisters, Beverly Yerington and Linda Boyer; also, father-in-law Ray Isabel, mother-in-law Wilma Isabel; brothers-in-law, Bill Isabel,  Bob Isabel, Harry Yerington, and Jerry Christensen; sister-in-law, Jan (Isabel) Hayzlette; nieces, Tammy Christensen and Jessie Holt; and nephew, Jacob Holt.