Jerry Carstens

JERRY P. CARSTENS

Wyoming

Jerry P. Carstens, 79, of Wyoming, passed away Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, at Hallmark Care Center in Mount Vernon. His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Lahey & Dawson Funeral Home in Wyoming. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at the funeral home. Burial will be at Antioch Cemetery, rural Anamosa.

Jerry Peter was born May 4, 1940, in Manilla, Iowa, to Albert and Maxine (Farley) Carstens. He graduated from Manilla High School and went on to earn his bachelor's degree from Buena Vista University. On May 27, 1989, he was united in marriage to Kathy Dietz in Lake View.

Jerry taught and coached at Marathon Community School for two years and Midland High School for more than 39 years. Coaching and being a mentor were a great blessing in his life. He was the assistant girls' basketball coach in Independence and also coached boys' baseball and track at Midland and was the assistant football coach. He was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Jerry spent his free time fishing, golfing, riding his bike and spending time with his family.

Those left to cherish his memories are his wife of 30 years, Kathy of Wyoming; four children, Scott (Barb) Harms of Cedar Rapids, Brenda (Kevin) Leonard of Wyoming, Kirt (Jacque) Carstens of Arnolds Park and Dana (Adam) Clark of Brandon, S.D.; six grandchildren, Katie (Seth McCord) Leonard, Allison (Ryan Andresen) Leonard, Jenna (Brian Steffens) Harms, Megan Harms, Kole Carstens and Carly Carstens; and one great-granddaughter, Collins McCord.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Rick.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Otter Creek Animal Shelter or Jones County Animal Welfare Friends in his honor.