Jerome "Jerry" Penn

Jerome Edward Penn, age 69, of Erwin, passed away on Saturday, June 26, 2021, in DeSmet, SD, following a brave fight with cancer.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, 2021, at the Erwin Legion Hall with burial at the Erwin Cemetery.  The Rev. Marjie Brewton will be officiating.  

Visitation will be held at the Erwin Legion Hall, prior to the service, starting at 11:00 a.m.

Jerry was born September 6, 1951 in Volga, SD to L.E. (Bud) and Lois (Schlender) Penn.  He grew up in the Erwin community, graduating from Erwin High School in 1969.  He attended General Beadle State Teacher’s College for 3 years before enlisting in the Army in 1973.  On the day he was being sworn in, the announcement was made that the troops were being called home from Vietnam.  He was then given the choice whether he still wanted to enlist.  After 3 years in the service, he came home to join his dad in the family well business, Penn Drilling.  On November 27, 1976, he married his soul mate, Holly Steen at Good Hope Lutheran in rural Willow Lake.  They lived in Erwin and raised their 3 children there.   Due to the coming of rural water, Penn Drilling was retired.  Jerry then worked for a local farmer and became the clerk of the Erwin Post Office.   In his later years, he did factory work in DeSmet and Lake Preston.

He was active in the Erwin American Legion and took great pride in putting the flags at the Erwin Cemetery every Memorial Day and helping with the annual turkey dinner in October.  He made sure they were home this past Memorial Day to be able to ride along while his family put out the flags.

Survivors include his wife Holly of Erwin, SD; daughters, Crystal Penn of Erwin, SD and Michelle (Cody) Bertram of Parker, SD; son, Tom (Tabi) of Beresford, SD; 4 grandchildren, Hunter, Sophia, and Anderson Penn, and Drake Bertram; brother James (Patty) of Cudahy, WI; sisters, Christine (Eugene) Tetzlaff, and Andrea (Bill) Meyers, all of Pierre; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.

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