Jerald Jerry Eugene Roth

Long time Othello, Washington resident, Jerry Roth passed away on May 21, 2013. Jerry was born in Staples, Minnesota on March 4, 1930. He was the third child of Ann Clara (Walters) Roth and Lester Charles “Bob” Roth. He graduated from high school in Staples but left in 1949 to come to Washington State with three friends. All of them went to work for the Bureau of Reclamation as surveyor’s assistants on the main irrigation canals in the Columbia Basin Project, to bring water from Grand Coulee Dam. In 1951, he left the Bureau and went to work for the Milwaukee Railroad. Jerry’s hobby and interest was with trains & memorabilia. For a short time he worked on the Monigan, that dug the irrigation canals in the local area. In 1961, he joined the Othello Police Department and later organized the first police reserve group. He retired as Lieutenant in 1981. He also enjoyed being a school bus driver for many years.

Jerry met Nancy Lee Ferguson on the first day he came to Othello and they were married on January 1 1950. They were charter members of Pilgrim Lutheran Church. Jerry was a fireman for 10 years and was fire chief in 1955. During that time he was one of the first two scuba divers that recovered drowning victims from the lakes and canals. Jerry and Nancy loved traveling in there RV and enjoyed trips to Alaska, around the United States. They also took tours in Germany and North Eastern USA.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Connie Sweeney and daughter-in-law Sue Roth. He is survived by his two brothers, Paul (Diane) Roth of White Bear Lake, MN and Jay (Dee) Roth, of Omaha, NB; his wife, Nancy Lee, children; Sue (David) Long and Michael (Chris) Roth of Othello; and Carol (Brett) Trescott of Spokane Valley, WA; grandchildren Jennifer (Kevin) Goetz of Coulee City, WA; Scott Long of Basin City, WA; Jonathan Long, Sierra Vista, AZ; Jakob Trescott of Redmond, WA; Ryan Trescott of San Diego, CA; John (Brynne) Lyle and Anna (Stevie) Woods of Kennewick, WA; and Janilee (Cody) Montizaan of Richland, WA; 6 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Pilgrim Lutheran quilters or the Union Gospel Mission.