Gerald Beers

Gerald Beers, 84, peacefully left us to meet his Lord in the early morning hours of Wednesday August 16, 2017 at his home in Rosewood Heights.Born on July 31, 1933 in Alton, he was the fifth and last son of Wintha and Leona (Crump) Beers. Jerry went to Humbolt Elementary School in Alton and graduated from East Alton-Wood River High School in 1952 when his family moved to Hartford.Jerry worked at Colonial Dairy while he was in high school making ice cream, butter and cottage cheese. After graduation, he joined Owens-Illinois in 1952 and became a journeyman mold maker in 1959 and worked in the mold repair shop until the glass manufacturing plant closed in 1983. Within that tenure, Jerry played basketball on the plant team and served a term as President of the Flint Glass Workers Local 43. He transferred to the mold manufacturing plant and retired after 37 years when that facility closed. He worked at the First National Bank of Wood River as a maintenance man, a salesman for St. Peter’s Hardware and he finished his career in the field where he started, at the Farm Fresh milk store in Rosewood Heights.Mr. Beers was a 10-year veteran of the Rosewood Heights Volunteer Fire Department and an active member of New Hope Baptist Church in East Alton. He enjoyed fishing trips with his brothers, camping and floating on the Black River with his family, playing Santa Claus, landscaping, “moose tracks” ice cream, and building a model railroad for children, grandchildren and church youth groups to play on.In addition to his wife of 43 years, Betty (Dempsey), he is survived by his brother Harold (Shirley) of Clarion, PA; three sons Russell Beers of Johnston City, Dan (Susan) Beers of Godfrey, and Scott Beers of Alton; two daughters Terri (Bob) Lowrance of Edwardsville and Lynne (David) Meding of Rockton. He was blessed with ten grandchildren, Amy Beers-Ball (Mark), Heather Hamilton, Emily Yungen, Errin Meding, Eric (Brittany) Schmidt, Paige (Ryan) Davis, Robby Lowrance, Ryan Lowrance, Alex Beers,0 and Chrystal Woods; eight great grandchildren Bailey, Cailyn, Silence, Brinay, Adrieona, Gabriel, Lyndall and Norah.He was preceded in death by his mother and father, brothers Eural, Trennis and Herbert, son Keith and daughter Carol Gurley.Visitation will be from 4 to 7 pm Friday August 18. 2017 at Elias, Kallal and Schaaf Funeral Home in Bethalto. Funeral to be at New Hope Baptist Church Rosewood Heights in East Alton at 11 am Saturday August 19, 2017. Interment followed in Woodland Hill Cemetery, Wood River.Memorials are suggested to New Hope Baptist Church, Rosewood Heights Volunteer Fire Department or the Hope Center in Cottage Hills.Online condolences may be left at www.eliaskallalandschaaf.com

Obit Provided By:
Elias, Kallal & Schaaf Funeral Home