Gerald "Jerry" R. Crisp

Jerry Crisp, 94, passed away on Dec 8, 2020, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

He was born in Dell Rapids, July 9, 1926 to Walter and Naomi Crisp.  While growing up, he had a newspaper route which he used to pay for tires for a motor scooter his dad made for him, the first one in town.

Jerry did not graduate high school instead left Dell Rapids at 17 to enlist in the Navy in 1944.  He left by train for Ft. Snelling/St. Paul, MN for his physical, then onto Great Lakes Basic Training.  He experienced many travels during his Navy enlistment; starting at Newport, Rhode Island, to Marseille, France then to Manila, Philippines via the Panama Canal.  He was on the USS Sirona next to the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay while the Peace Treaty was being signed.  After the war, He was discharged from the Navy at Alameda Naval Air Station, CA, Dec 1946 and like many others, hitchhiked home.

Jerry and Alice Munk were married in 1950 after which they lived in Rapid City where their first daughter Rita was born.  They moved many times following jobs; Montana, Kansas, and Nebraska until second daughter Bonnie was born in Dell Rapids.  He then got a job with Weelborg Brothers operating their road grader/maintainer for over 25 years all over the State of South Dakota, building roads.  Jerry then started his own business digging cable, water, and phone lines with his Ditch witch.

Jerry enjoyed a great circle of friends and was always up to something whether it was taking everyone up the Big Sioux River to Golden Park in his Chris Craft for a steak fry or building canoes in the basement.  He was a man of many talents, remodeling kitchens, dancing, ice skating, working on cars and anything with an engine.

After retirement, he and Alice spent many winters driving down their motorhome to Brownsville, TX where they met up with other snowbirds.

Jerry is survived by his wife of 70 years, Alice (Munk) and four children; Rita (Ron ) May, Bonnie (Myron) Quissell, Jeff (Jackie) Crisp and Jon (Alma)Crisp; seven grandchildren; Jackie May, Chris May, Stacy (Quissell) Stahl, Erica Quissell, Janel Crisp Goodwin, Ashly (Crisp) Vicuna, Emmett Crisp and three great grandchildren; Benjamin, Miles, Evan and Emery Jane.  He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Helen Thoma and brother Stewart Crisp.

Interment will be held at a later date at the Dell Rapids Cemetery.