Gerald "Jerry" A. Kasuske

The world has lost an aviation legend, and heaven has gained a man who could undoubtedly fix anything. Gerald “Jerry” Kasuske, 82, with his children by his side peacefully passed away on March 17th at Prairie Lakes Hospital. A celebration of his life will be held Thursday, March 20th from 5-7p.m. at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel.  Services will be held on Friday, March 21st at 10:30 a.m. at the chapel. The burial will be at the Milbank Cemetery at 2 p.m.

He was born on December 21, 1942, in Milbank, SD. Jerry attended Milbank High School. On July 13, 1963, he married Geraldine Opseth.  After marriage,  he enrolled in the inaugural class of Aviation Mechanics at Lake Area Technical Institute. He graduated in 1970. Gerald began his crop dusting career in Milbank flying a SuperCub. Shortly after, the family consisting of his wife and four children relocated to Huron, SD, where they ventured into the Roller Skating Rink business. The following year they moved and constructed a skating rink in Scottsbluff, Nebraska while Jerry also worked as a pilot for Reisig Brothers Aerial Sprayers. They eventually returned to Watertown at the end of 1983 to operate the roller skating rink. He spent numerous hours fixing, building, and inventing items to improve daily operations.

In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Jerry opened Jerry’s Aviation. He met several lifelong friends through the farming and aviation communities.  He built Jerry’s Ice Cream Truck that brought smiles to many faces when children saw it coming down the street.  Jerry and his wife also started Cookies and Fudge which was located in the Watertown Mall.  He continued to pursue his passion for flight until the age of 69 when he unfortunately had to hang up his wings. In recognition, Jerry was awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award celebrating over 50 years of commitment to aviation.

Jerry dedicated his life to making people laugh and offering unsolicited aviation advice.

His hobbies included watching and attending NHRA events, golfing, playing cards, hunting, fishing, along with racing snowmobiles in his younger years. He made several trips to the Black Hills and Jackson Hole for ski trips and West Yellowstone for snowmobile trips. He also enjoyed attending the Oshkosh Air Show and Reno Air Races. Though he had many hobbies, aviation was his passion. He spent countless hours rebuilding airplanes and helping others fulfill their aviation dreams. Jerry was an accomplished and skilled pilot in a variety of aircraft.  He owned and flew everything from helicopters, gliders, single engine, multi-engine, and amphibious aircraft, in addition to radial engine Ag-Cats which were his favorite. He would prepare for a day of crop spraying saying, “I love hearing the sound of the radial engine early in the morning when the world was still asleep.”  Jerry’s aviation knowledge was plentiful and he loved passing his knowledge to others by lending a hand or a tool. If you didn't have the right tool for the job, he would disappear and later show up with a one-of-a-kind tool that worked perfectly.  There were not many things he couldn't fix, make, or invent.  He could be considered a mechanical engineer without the degree. Jerry would often say, "The difficult I can do right away, but the impossible takes me a bit longer.” 

On Sundays you often found him and a group of friends flying to small towns for supper. Later in life he would do the same but on motorcycles with friends and family. He also looked forward to annual golfing trips with his buddies for a winter getaway. His friends usually tolerated his mischievous pranks; however, Jerry wasn’t fond of stunts played on him.  He lived by the motto, “If you’re not 15 minutes early, you’re late,” a principle he instilled in those around him. Jerry was a believer that a handshake is a contract along with his word.  

Jerry is survived by his brother Ronald (Marilyn) Kasuske, Watertown, SD;  his four children: Laura (Roger) Bunde, Watertown, SD, Elisa (Jackson) Beutler, Jaqueline (Michael) Hubner, Tulsa, OK, and Jason (Jenny) Kasuske, Watertown, SD; his grandchildren: Alyssa, Aaron, Eric, Kate, Graham, Graysen, Jack, Kolbie, and Colton; nine great-grandchildren; brother-in-law: Orville Opseth Jr.

Gerald is now united in heaven with the love of his life, his wife Geraldine Kasuske, his parents Walter “Jack” and Elsie Kasuske, his sisters, Donna, Lois, and Ella, his in-laws Orville and Georgine Opseth, Shirley (John) Heffren, and John (Geraldine) Opseth. 

Fly high, Jerry. You may have taken your last flight, but you will forever be in our hearts.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown and Hayti

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