Jerry’s Hats

Jerry’s Nebraska hat was the beginning of his life. Jerry Lee Thompson was born on November 19, 1948 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Howard Stanley and Ruth Florence (Robinson) Thompson. Jerry was the seventh of eight children but sadly only the oldest, his brother Lyle, and he survived due to RH.

Jerry grew up on the farm and always had many stories of his escapades. When he was ten his dad passed away and, with older brother Lyle in the Navy, the farm was sold and he and his mom moved into a little house in Scottsbluff. He attended school there, graduating in 1967, and made many lifelong friends. The escapades became bigger and bolder with all of them involved at times. Oh, the stories Jerry told! While in high school Jerry held various jobs but the one he liked best was a band he was in. Jerry played the steel guitar and he loved meeting the ladies. Jerry had a need for speed in fast cars and motorcycles, he thought his mom didn’t know what he was up to but one day told him to “show your wife where you used to run on the dirtbike to get away from the police.” They had plenty of fish and wild game as Jerry was always an avid fisher and hunter. Which may or may not have gotten him into trouble at school more than once on opening day.

Jerry’s next hat was OD green. After graduating Jerry was off to the Army and was with the 1st Calvary, 229th Company A in Vietnam, but the escapades still got him in trouble at times with his new friends. He would say to young soldiers he met “if you don’t get demoted at least once were you never in the military”, one can only imagine why. He was a crew chief on a Huey and part of the Ghost Riders and Black Bandits. Like many of the soldiers Jerry never talked about his time there but reminisced about fellow crew mates often and wondered how and where they were. After Jerry returned home, he decided the Army wasn’t too bad and planned on going the full 20 years but his extensive exposure to Agent Orange had other plans and he was medically retired after twelve years.

Jerry slipped on the hat of an over the road truck driver next, crossing the country many times. He would always stop at his mom’s if he was in town and she could always tell if he passed through while she wasn’t home. She shared the most memorable prank he pulled of taking all the kitchen cupboard contents and stacking them on the top shelf, she was barely five feet tall and had to get the ladder out. After Jerry’s health could no longer let him long-haul, he moved to Black Hawk and worked for Hills Material as a heavy equipment operator, with that comes an entire new group of cohorts. Many memories were shared of parking lots and snow removal through the years.

In July of 2003 Geno, a friend of Jerry’s, decided he needed to take a lady for a bike ride and set him up with Lori Baker. A few rides later came the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally; he put saddlebags on his bike for the very first time. These were bolted to the frame, and his friend Tiny teased him by saying “There’s going to be a wedding!” Three months later Jerry Thompson and Lori Baker were married on October 12, 2003, in the back yard of friends John and Sue Hebrard. Jerry was a confirmed bachelor so no one believed it, so he married her again on February 28, 2004 with his brother Lyle officiating and lots of family and friends. He laughed as I read him stories involving the toasters this year, his friends all gave us toasters, used and full of crumbs! Jerry’s health took a turn again and he left Hills Material and joined his wife at her business Bryans Cleaners where he operated the cleaning machine and held down the swivel chair. About this time Jerry put on his hat as a lifelong member of The Disabled American Veterans. He made a new group of friends and enjoyed the games of cribbage and pool. He helped in setting up fundraisers, annual pheasant hunts, cooked for meetings, and got the first gun raffle started. Jerry was a Jr. Vice Commander and took on the role of Service Officer and was awarded Service Officer of the Year.

Jerry’s health began to decline again, and he put on his last hat for hobbies that included reloading, hunting, fishing, and more frequent trips on the motorcycle. In 2014 he traded his 1983 wide glide for a trike and bought a toy hauler so he could travel further and made a few trips to Tennessee where one of his daughters lives.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Lori Thompson. Not one to differentiate between blood and non-blood his daughters Holly, Stephanie, Jennifer, Rebecca, and Candy, Grandchildren: Trey, Brittany, Owen, Tristian, Savannah, Diane, and Xander and two great-grandchildren, his sister-in-law Earline Thompson and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parent Howard and Ruth Thompson, brother Lyle, and six siblings.

A funeral service will be held for Jerry at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at Kinkade Funeral Chapel. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at Black Hills National Cemetery at 12:30 p.m. A luncheon will follow the burial at American Legion Post 311, Piedmont, SD.

A last quote from Jerry, “If you can’t eat um or smoke um what good are flowers.” So in lieu of flowers he asked memorials to be directed to his “pick up crew” at the Black Hawk Volunteer Fire Department 6010 Peaceful Pines Road Black Hawk, SD 57718