Jerry William Culbertson

Jerry W. Culbertson, age 69, of Storm Lake, Iowa died October 18, 2020 in Sioux City, Iowa. Please join us in honoring his life, passion, and spirit at a public visitation on Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in STORM LAKE. Guests are encouraged to wear masks while in attendance. Public funeral services will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in STORM LAKE. Burial will be in the Storm Lake Cemetery. Should friends desire, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jerry’s name to any of the following organizations and institutions that he supported: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation – Arizona Chapter, Ducks Unlimited – Iowa Chapter, Buena Vista University, and Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Foundation. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. Jerry William Culbertson’s sense of humor and exuberant personality captured the hearts of nearly everyone he met. He loved to put a smile on people’s faces and would talk to anyone he encountered. Jerry was a man who set high expectations and never wavered from his convictions. He was like the Energizer bunny never wanting to stop and always going all-out with whatever he set his mind to…whether it was his determination to provide the best service possible to his customers, his comeback from death in 2005, or just staying physically active going to the gym often two or more hours at a time. To say Jerry was an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman is to put it mildly. When asked his favorite color, his response was always camo. To the horror of his doctor, after his brush with death and surgery in 2005 and subsequent long recovery, he went mountain lion hunting in Colorado in January 2009. In characteristic Jerry-form, he shot a record-book size mountain lion with bow and arrow. Often Jerry would be so caught up in his hunting—whether duck, pheasant, or deer—he would even be late for important events like Thanksgiving dinner. As a young boy, he started hunting deer with his father and never missed an opening day of Iowa deer hunting season since. Later in life, Jerry discovered the thrill of hunting elk in Arizona. Chasing the ever-elusive wapiti, he shot five elk with bow and arrow in five consecutive years. In high school, he was active in track, wrestling, and football. Known as Cobb, his successful plays on the football team were frequently written up in the local newspaper. Later, his fierce passionate spirit earned him the nickname Bear. One of his favorite sayings was “Don’t poke the Bear” because he knew how assertive he could become when provoked. Jerry graduated from Buena Vista College in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Education and Physical Education, minoring in Psychology, and obtaining teaching endorsements in secondary education, art, and coaching. Instead of his original plan in education and coaching, Jerry decided to take a different path and embarked on a 30-year career in the petroleum equipment industry. In 1992, Jerry acquired the Neuman Equipment Company and formed the Iowa Petroleum Equipment Company, Inc., which he owned until his retirement. Jerry will be deeply missed by all those who came to know and love him. It is difficult to accept someone so full of life leaving us so soon. Jerry is preceded in death by his father Gerald, his mother Irene, and his half-brother Jimmie Whitlock. He is survived by his brother Steve (wife Jane), his former wife Sharron, and the love of his later years in life Cherie Wright.

Jerry William Culbertson

August 18, 1951 - October 18, 2020