Gerald J. Granger

Gerald "Jerry" James Granger, 87, of Lincoln, Nebraska, passed away October 7, 2026. Born May 18, 1939, in Greeley, Nebraska, Jerry was the son of Harry M. and Alice I. (Roy) Granger. One of nine children, he spent his early years on several farms in Boone County, Nebraska, where his father worked. Jerry attended school in Primrose, Nebraska.

As a teenager, Jerry worked for Dale Thomas Shows, a local carnival in Belgrade, Nebraska. The carnival was part of fairs in Boone and surrounding counties. It was at one of those county fairs that he met his future bride, Janet Maricle, who was attending with her cousin. On December 25, 1959, Jerry and Janet were married at the Methodist Church in Albion. Their life together began with a move to Lincoln, where neither had work waiting for them, but that soon changed.

Jerry spent his adult life working as a machinist. He worked for Bair Machinery in Lincoln for a few years before the family relocated to Hastings, Nebraska, for a short time while Jerry worked for Reece Manufacturing. The family returned to Lincoln, where Jerry worked for Notifier for nearly 30 years. After that, he was part owner of ISAS and then worked for TMCO until his retirement.

Their family life included camping trips, fishing, and involvement with Boy Scouts. Jerry was adept at fixing anything and everything, so he never had to call a repairman. He also enjoyed refurbishing old vehicles and woodworking. His greatest joy was time spent with his children and their families. Anytime an opportunity arose to gather, he enjoyed playing card games, grilling food, and watching football games. He and Janet also loved polka dancing. They also made lasting memories through travel, including 13 trips to Hawaii and many visits to Branson.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Harry Granger, Ed Granger, Shirley Battershaw, Joellyn Granger and Leo Granger. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Janet; his sons David (Lisa) and Stephen (Jill) Granger and daughter Sherie (Joseph) Pable; grandchildren Jennifer James, Murphy (Shannon) Granger, Quinton (Marnee) Granger, Delaney (Beshoy) Rezek, Sawyer Granger, Macy (Brandon) Marxman, Jacob Granger, Ellie (Basili) Petropoulos, Joshua Boehm, Nickolas Boehm, Karli (Aaron) Kick and Samuel Pable; 10 great-grandchildren; siblings Karen Carr, Carol Glass and Richard Granger; nieces, nephews and many friends.

A visitation with the family present will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, October 11, 2026, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S. 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.

A funeral service for Jerry will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, October 12, 2026, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S. 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. Interment at Lincoln Memorial Park will immediately follow the service. A reception will be held in the lower level of the funeral home following the graveside service.