Jerri was born in 1940 in Camas, WA, to Howard and Merle Rich. She was an only child, and earned a BS in education from Portland State University and an MS as a reading specialist from National University in San Diego, CA.
In 1966, Jerri married Fredrick Kaiser, and embarked with him on a 20-year career in the U.S. Army. During that time, they lived in Oregon, Washington, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Virginia, Kansas, and California in the United States; and Bad Kissingen and Giessen in Germany. While at Fort Sill, OK, Jerri was awarded the Molly Pitcher Award for her service to the community and to the Officers’ Wives Club.
Jerri was incredibly talented, and over the years, she wore many different hats. While Fred was in the Army, she taught grades 1-5, as well as piano, needlepoint, folk art, and cross stitch. She was a substitute teacher for grades 7-9, and had to teach all kinds of classes; she said that symphony was right up her alley, but when they told her to teach shop, she switched all of the tools off and called it study hall! Upon Fred’s military retirement in 1986, they moved to Springfield, VA, where Jerri took a job with Northrop Grumman, starting as a proposal editor and retiring as the department head.
She and Fred moved to Quinton in 2000 to be near their children and grandchildren, because Jerri wanted to “make sure those children were raised right,” and the “special days with Oma” they spent with her were some of the best days of her life. In her later years, she drew closer to the Lord, and became a faithful member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Richmond.
Jerri was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, mother-in-law and friend, an excellent cook, and a talented artist. Her generous hospitality and mischievous sense of humor made her a much-loved member of all the many communities in which she lived. She is survived by her husband, LTC (ret.) Fredrick G. Kaiser; her daughter, Kelly Kaiser Hargreaves (Dan); her son, Jason Kaiser (Meredith), and five grandchildren: Evan, Analiese and Ames Hargreaves; and Elizabeth and Stephen Kaiser. Services will be held at Christ Presbyterian Church on Saturday, November 23 at 11 AM, and memorial gifts may be made to the church.
“I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Ps. 23:6
