Jerry H. Achtemeier

Jerry Harold Achtemeier was born January 7, 1945 to Harold F. and Letha Lee (McCord) Achtemeier at Fairbury, NE and passed away January 19, 2016 at his home with his wife at his side.

Jerry’s father was serving in WWII when he was born and he was nine months old before his father saw him. Jerry was baptized at the home of his grandparents, Albert and Marie Wegele Achtemeier, May 11, 1945 at rural Harbine and was confirmed at the Fairbury Methodist Church on Easter Sunday in March 1955. Jerry attended Fairbury Public Schools and graduated in 1963. He attended trade school in Omaha, NE to become an auto mechanic. After graduation he worked at the Chevy dealership in Fairbury until he was sworn into the U.S. Army on his birthday in 1966. He received his training in Ft. Leonardwood, MO and Ft. Sill, OK before he was sent to Manheim, Germany. He received a sharp shooters medal during basic training.

Jerry married Patricia Garton in 1965 and one son was born while he was stationed in Germany for two years. He was discharged in December 1968 from Ft. Carson, CO. While in the service he worked in maintenance on tanks. He was a member of the American Legion in Fairbury for 19 years.
Jerry married Shirley Svoboda March 1989 at Narka, KS. They lived in Lincoln, NE until September 1990 when he started working at KJ Chevrolet in Fairbury.

As a young man Jerry worked at the sale barn and hauled milk for Walt Elgert. He was an auto mechanic all his adult life and spent 55 years working on GM products. Twenty of those years were spent in his own business, Achtemeier Tuneups. He retired in 2015 due to illness.
Jerry loved cars. He was mechanic on several sprint and ¾ midgets. He loved the sound of a motor and anyone that was around when the weather was nice could hear the roar of race engines coming from his shop. He would pull races up on Internet, turn up the volume and revel in the sound.

Jerry and Shirley loved camping at farm ponds for the peace and quiet. He was at home in the country. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and of course, his motors. As a young boy he enjoyed going to the farm and helping Grandpa Achtemeier farm; especially when he got to drive the John Deere tractor. He loved little kids and enjoyed their reactions when he talked Donald Duck to them.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley, son Bradley Lee and wife Michelle, four grandchildren, Brady, Noah, Olivia, and Isias, sister Cheryl Zweifel, brother Gary and wife Linda, sister-in-law Donna Svoboda, special friends Vic Grummert and Dan (Fred) McCown, aunts, cousins and a host of friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, brothers-in-law Dean Zweifel, Duane and Marion (Butch) Svoboda.

Services will be held at the Narka Presbyterian Church in Narka, KS on Janaury 23, 2016 at 10:30 with burial at the National Cemetery at Narka, with Pastor Phil Goombi officiating and Sharon Schuster assisting, with graveside military rites. Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorials to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.