Jerry Blakesley Afton

Jerry Blakesley, 77, of Afton died Nov. 5, 2013, at Greater Regional Hospice Home in Creston.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 8, at Powers Funeral Home, 612 North Dodge St., Afton. The Rev. Joel Sutton will officiate. Burial will be in Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter. Military rites will be conducted by Theodore J. Martens Creston VFW Post No. 1797 and John B. Parks Afton VFW Post No. 8882. Open visitation will be 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday with family present 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be given to Greater Regional Hospice Home or Afton First Responders. Online condolences may be left at www.powersfh.com.

Jerry Judson Blakesley, son of Lola Irene Blakesley, was born Feb. 17, 1936, in Ringgold County at the home of his grandparents.

Jerry served in the U.S. Army from Jan. 20, 1955, until Jan. 17, 1958, in Lawton, Okla.

On April 4, 1955, Jerry married Rosalyn Kay Oziah in Ringgold County.

He lived in Shannon City, Diagonal, Arispe, Afton and rural Afton during his life.

Jerry was a self-employed Trucker for 50 years and also worked as an insurance adjuster for Farmer’s Mutual Hail for 30 years.

Jerry was a member of Afton Volunteer Fire Department in the 1960s.

Jerry is survived by his wife Rosalyn Blakesley of Afton; sons, Larry Dean (wife Pamela) Blakesley of Creston and Gary Wayne (wife Dorothy) Blakesley of Garner; daughter Jeri Sue (husband Jim) Claiser of Afton; brothers, Leo (wife Darlene) Cheers of Creston and Jim (wife Kay) Cheers of Independence, Mo.; sister Shirley (husband Marvin) Klos of New Loudon; grandchildren, Kristin Blakesley, Jesse (wife Stacy) Claiser, Nicholas (Jenny) Blakesley, Asa Blakesley, Stanley Blakesley, Kaci (husband Jesse) Davidson and Haley Blakesley; step-grandchildren, Brooke (husband Brad) Bakken and Nick Ulrich; great-grandchildren, Kelsie and Jake Claiser; and step-great-grandchildren, Tori Johnson and Bristelle Bakken.

Jerry was preceded in death by his mother, stepfather Tom Cheers, father-in-law L.E. Oziah, mother-in-law Nancy Oziah, brother-in-law George Allbaugh and grandparents, Asa and Carrie Blakesley.