Obituary written by son, Corey Bohn Gerald Robert “Jerry” Bohn, Battle Lake, MN, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 21, at the age of 75. Jerry moved to Battle Lake in 1992 where he lived at his home on Otter Tail Lake, following a lengthy career in the newspaper publishing industry.
Known throughout the Battle Lake area and by children of the Battle Lake School District as “Jerry”, Gerald was a bus driver in the Battle Lake School District from 2008-2018 following his retirement. Jerry’s love of the outdoors and particularly walleye fishing on Otter Tail Lake, brought him to the Battle Lake / Otter Tail lakes area where he enjoyed the lakes life for over 55 years. A visitation and prayer service / memorial will be held on Saturday, Nov.
3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Glende – Nilson Funeral Home in Battle Lake. The prayer service will begin at 1 p.m. During his professional career, Jerry published the Canby News from 1976 – 1992, and took great pride in promoting the Canby community and its business community, and it showed in his work. He was active in the Canby Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, and his church at Nicolai Lutheran in Canby.
Jerry was born on April 12, 1943 in Hankinson, ND, and was the son of Robert and Minnie Bohn. He graduated from Hankinson High School in 1961, and was a star athlete in basketball, baseball and football. He attended the North Dakota State School of Science, Wahpeton, ND, from 1961-1962 where he studied journalism and printing, and was a member of the NDSSS basketball team.
On July 7, 1962, he married Elois Stoltenow, Great Bend, ND. Shortly thereafter, the two moved to Elbow Lake, MN, where he worked at the Grant County Herald newspaper from 1962-1972. While living in Elbow Lake, they welcomed the birth of a son, Corey, and later a daughter, Debbie.
In 1972 , he moved his family to Alta, IA, and published the Alta Advertiser and Schaller Herald from 1972-1976, prior to purchasing the Canby News in 1976. Following the sale of the Canby News in 1992, he moved to his lake home on Otter Tail Lake. An avid outdoorsmen, Jerry enjoyed pheasant hunting, deer hunting and walleye fishing.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Lloyd, and a nephew, Craig. He is survived by his sister, Janice, Spokane, WA; son, Corey, Marietta, MN; daughter, Debbie Houge and husband, Tim, Faribault, MN; and five grandchildren: Sawyer Bohn, Cpl, United States Marine Corp. , Cherry Point, NC; Austin Houge, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA; Jordan Houge, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN; Madison Houge and Cole Houge, Faribault, MN; nieces Linda, Cindy, Sandy and Kim; nephews Scott and Dan; and his beloved dog, Heidi.
Jerry passed at Sanford Health, Canby, after losing his battle with lung cancer.
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