Jerold “Jerry” Boblenz

Jerold “Jerry” Boblenz

West Des Moines

Jerold “Jerry” Boblenz, age 82, of West Des Moines, IA, formerly of Moravia, IA, passed away on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at Edgewater Retirement Community in West Des Moines, IA.

Jerry was born on Christmas Day, 1943, in Chariton, IA, to Herbert and Doris Marie (Pennington) Boblenz. He lived on the family farm in Melrose until 1947 when the family moved to a farm south of Moravia. He grew up attending school in Moravia, graduating from Moravia High School. Following high school, Jerry spent a year working at Yellowstone before returning home. He attended Indian Hills Community College for 2 years before furthering his education at Iowa State University, earning his Bachelor of Science in Vocational Agriculture. After completing his degree, Jerry served his country in the United States Army. On July 28, 1968, he was united in marriage to Virginia Coulter in Laurel, IA.

Upon returning from the service, Jerry worked as an Ag instructor for the Moravia School District for 2 years. In 1972, he went to work at Moravia Farm Service, transferring to Quad County Farm Service in 1976, and lastly transferring to NEOWA Farm Service in Oelwein where he worked until his retirement in 2006. Following retirement, Jerry purchased the family farm with his nephew and began farming.

Jerry was a member of the Wesley Chapel Methodist Church as a child and later the Grace United Methodist Church in Moravia. In his youth, Jerry was active in 4-H and FFA, winning many awards at the state and local level. Jerry was also a member of the Moravia Ruritans. Jerry had a long and dedicated career in fire service, beginning in 1972 with the Moravia Fire Department. Jerry also served on the Emmetsburg and Oelwein Fire Departments, holding roles including Captain, Assistant Chief, and Safety Officer, as well as earning the Firefighter of the Year Award in 1986 and again in 2004.

Jerry was exceptionally talented and had a gift for problem-solving. He enjoyed woodworking throughout his life, creating plaques, crafting Christmas ornaments for the church, and building cabinetry—including the bathroom cabinets in his home. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Jerry was instrumental in starting a Parkinson’s support group in Centerville in 2012.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Virginia (Coulter); sons, David (Jennifer) of Iowa City and Stephen (Sarah) of Des Moines; grandchildren, Evean, Adam, Alec, Will, Cora, Rebecca and Luke; as well as sisters, Nancy Friday of West Des Moines and Connie (Gary) Belzer of Albia.

Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Doris Boblenz; an infant son, Paul Thomas; and brothers-in-law, John Kirstein and Noel Friday.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026, at the Moravia Grace Church in Moravia, IA. Military honors provided by the American Legion of Unionville Post #407 will follow services with lunch to follow at the Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to APDA-Iowa chapter, Moravia Fire and First Responders, or a charitable organization of your choosing.

Condolences to the family may be left online at www.tharpfh.com.