Jerome Anthony Hageman

Jerome Anthony Hageman was born on a wheat farm near Osborne, Kansas on March 25, 1938, to Arthur Hugo Hageman and Catherine H. Mick Hageman. His bassinet was an empty dresser drawer. Jerome was the baby of the family with Verna (1923), Arnold (1925), Lucille (1926), Raymond (1928 - who died at 18 months), Edith (1931), and Jerome in 1938.

Growing up on the farm was limitless hard work that shaped Jerry’s life and work ethic. He got up before dawn, ate huge pancakes, six eggs, and then worked until after sunset. They raised wheat and cattle. Jerry liked being both a farmer and a rancher and wore cowboy boots and cowboy hats most of his life. They farmed with draft horses and Jerry talked about riding on their backs until they got a John Deere tractor. He learned to drive at nine-years-old, and still had a valid license when he died. He drove himself to school at 14, and later would park the car at a friend's house where he hid his motorcycle. Thankfully, no one ever tried to pry the keys out of his hands.

Arthur Hageman died when Jerome was only fifteen years old. Jerry said he went "off the deep end” and crashed three Harley Davidson’s. His older brother, Arnold, tried to reel him in, and his mom, Catherine, prayed the rosary for Jerry every day. Jerry also worked in addition to the farm chores and helped pour concrete on top of the Bloomington grain elevator.

However, the farm was too much work for Catherine and Jerry to continue, so they moved to Denver when he was eighteen and lived with Roy and Lucile Troxell. Jerry got a job at Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph by calling them every day until they gave in. He started a 41 year career in telecommunications. He loved the tractors on the farm and loved the heavy equipment at the phone company. He worked as a lineman, burying cable, locating cable, on air pressure on cables, and testing the quality of cables. He once was called out on a storm break in Kansas. His favorite task was operating a backhoe; he was often called out on cut cables.

Jerry’s sister, Lucille Troxell, met Martha Trembley at the Englewood Stationary store. Lucille mentioned her younger brother, Jerry, and Martha mentioned her daughter, Sharon. They arranged a blind date on a Sunday evening at the Trembley house. They watched Lawrence Welk, fell in love, and got engaged. Then Jerry was drafted into the U.S. Army, and they postponed marriage until his return.

Jerry served at Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Ord, California; and Nuremberg, Germany during the Bay of Pigs and the construction of the Berlin Wall. He fell from a wet tree while stringing phone lines in Germany and badly broke his left leg. After surgery and six months in a cast, he was discharged and came home. He was asked to volunteer for Vietnam, but declined because Sharon was waiting.

Jerry and Sharon were married on November 24, 1962. They had two children, Jeffrey Arthur, born in 1964, and Jennifer Ann, born in 1965. In 1968, they bought a brick ranch style home at 1231 S. Marshall St. in Lakewood. It cost $16,000 and the payments were tough to make at $165 per month. Though it was difficult financially, Sharon stayed home to raise the children. Jerry and Sharon filled the house with love and laughter including meals of tuna fish casserole with potato chips, hot dogs baked in biscuit dough, and shrimp with french fries on Christmas. They stretched the budget with clothes and toys from garage sales. Vacations were camping and road trips to visit family in Kansas, South Dakota, and one trip each to Washington State (including Canada) and a Trembley family reunion in Indiana.

Jeff married Heather Langthorn, and they had Will, Jon, and Kate. Will’s fiancee is Melissa Acker, Jon married Jamira Johnson who had Coda (2 years old), and Kate married Alec Young. Kate had Jonah (3) and Elliot (1).

Jenny married Randy Hoiten, the cowboy of her dreams, and they live in Dayton, Wyoming.

Jenny got her work ethic and loyalty from her dad, and has been with the same fastener company for 42 years.

Because he was injured during his military service, Jerry joined the Disabled American Veterans. He enjoyed all the friends that he made there and loved to travel to state and national conventions including those in Washington D.C. and Hawaii. He was a member of the National Order of Trench Rats and was President of the United Veterans Council from 1987-88. He was the Colorado State Commander of the DAV from 1994 to 1995. Sharon often lovingly called him “The Grand Pubah.”

Dad’s Catholic faith from his parents ran deep. He grew up at St Aloysius in Osborne, Kansas, went to All Saints in Englewood with his mom and sister’s family, St.Anthony’s in Denver for many years and finally St. Jude’s in Lakewood. He served by ushering and was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Jerry retired from Qwest in 2001. Jerry and Sharon lived in the Marshall Street house for 55 years. and often Jerry said they would carry him out in a pine box. He enjoyed fishing with Jim Webster, who also worked for the phone company, and called Jim his “fishing buddy.” Only one person in the world could ever change Jerry’s mind and that was Sharon. In 2023, they bought half of a large house and shared it with Jeff’s family. For two years there were four generations living together. Jerry and Sharon were married for 63 years last November. They were an example of loving each other, their children, family and friends. He often called her, “Sweet Pea,” and she called him, “Teddy Bear.” Their determination and faith helped them stay in love and together despite challenges. Sharon’s love of reading transferred over to Jerry. When he retired in 2000, he started to read voraciously. At the end of his life, Jerry regularly requested more mystery and thriller books from the library. Until the very end, he sometimes read one a day.

For the last year and a half, Jerry lived in the Village at Belmar assisted living thanks to his Knights of Columbus insurance. He was on chemotherapy for multiple myeloma and required care for the pressure wounds on his back caused by compression fractures in his spine. He never complained of pain. Thank you to all the doctors, nurses and medical staff who served tirelessly to help the end of his life be as comfortable as possible. Special thanks for Dr. Cornelius at Kaiser Oncology and Loretta Davis at Gateway Home Health. Jerry wanted to stay with Sharon no matter what, and was willing to live with her in Memory Care for a year due to her dementia. This was incredibly trying, but he stayed with her until the very night she died on December 14, 2025. Jerry then moved to his own room in Assisted Living. Somehow he was a favorite of the staff despite his grouchiness; it is a testament to their compassion. Because he was still fighting so hard, Jerry’s death came as a shock despite his health conditions. He accepted each new condition and complication. Though he was very tired, he never said he was expecting the end.

Jerry made friends everywhere he went and maybe a few enemies. Someone said he always spoke what was on his mind and you knew where you stood. Jerry’s entire family is grateful for all his friends from the neighborhood, the phone company, the DAV, the Knights of Columbus, and St. Jude Catholic church.