Gerald L. “Jerry” Conley, 70, of Havensville, passed away from an accident with a bull on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 near Westmoreland.
He was born October 10, 1952 in Seneca, the son of Ivan and Marie Heinen Conley. Growing up, he worked on the family dairy. He graduated from Centralia High School in 1970. Jerry served in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter mechanic, stationed mostly in Norfolk, VA.
Jerry owned and operated a Grade A Dairy for about twenty years. He then worked for R Tech Tool & Machine in Wamego, retiring in the fall of 2020.
He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Onaga, the Mid America Dairy Farmer’s Association and the Havensville Volunteer Fire Department.
Jerry married Marcia Sumner on June 23, 1973 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. She survives, of the home.
Jerry was a very family-oriented man who loved his children and grandchildren devotedly. As a man with incredible work ethic, the hay field and milk barn were places of both learning and socializing with friends and family. When not on the farm, Jerry could often be found cheering his grandkids on at all their events. He also loved trips with Marcia several times a year to Branson, MO and Estes Park, CO.
He and Marcia were blessed to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this summer with all their kids and grandkids at Mahoney State Park in NE. Jerry and Marcia’s marriage was a beautiful example of love and devotion to all who knew them.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Harold Conley, who died in infancy, and a sister, Lori Ann Conley, who died in childhood.
Other survivors include three sons, Jason Conley (Jada) of Centralia, Jerod Conley (Dara) and Jeremy Conley (Laura) of Havensville; a daughter, Jami Berges (Daniel) of Frankfort; three brothers, Alan Conley of Seneca, Howard Conley (Debra) of Omaha, NE and Neil Conley (Janet) of Wichita; three sisters, Margie Feldkamp (Bob), Dorothy Henry (Kenny) and Lola Hower (Randy), all of Topeka; and twelve grandchildren, Jenri, Jude, Camden, Adalei, Liam, Claire, Cora, Calvin, Nellie, Caralynn, Ivan and Owen.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 11th at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Onaga. Burial with military honors will follow in the Havensville Cemetery. Jerry will lie in state from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Onaga. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the church, with a Rosary being prayed at 7:30 p.m.
