Jerry L. Strait... Age 70

Visitation: 4-7 pm November 30, 2016 at the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home.

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Jerry Lynn Strait, age 70 of Osawatomie, KS died Thursday November 24, 2016 at his home. Jerry was born June 2, 1946 in Joplin, MO. He was the eldest of four children born to Henry Owen and Bessie Leatha Anna (Burke) Strait. He grew up in Parsons, Kansas and attended Labette County Community High School and Trade School where he graduated with the class of 1964. After high school, he worked various jobs mostly having to do with electrical field. He ran his own television repair shop off and on during his entire career. Other jobs included the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, Sears, The Video Center, and Radio Shack all in Parsons, KS. His primary career was as an electrician for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad, that later turned into the Union Pacific railroad. He lived most of his life in Parsons, until the railroad transferred him to Conway, Arkansas, where he lived for a few years before being transferred to Kansas City, MO and later to Osawatomie, KS.

In 1966, Jerry married Carol Bolander in Parsons, Kansas. Together they had three children Sheila, Rod and Sherry, they later divorced. In 1991, Jerry married Judy Wallace, they later divorced.

In 2006, Jerry married Kelly Johnson. He not only gained a wife, but also a step-son Josh and two step-daughters, Christina and Stephanie. Jerry and Kelly made their home in Osawatomie. He was a “jack of all trades”. Even though electrical work was his expertise, he was good at everything. He was a self-taught handyman. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, cooking and barbecuing. He would grill the best steaks for his family and friends. Jerry loved working in his shop, where he would fix broken household appliances for people and help work on cars. He even helped set up and repair the automated Christmas lights for Parsons, KS. He was ornery and always playing pranks on his family. Jerry was also a member of the Elks Lodge #921.

Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Anna Strait, and mother-in-law, Shirley Morehead.

Survivors include wife, Kelly Strait, of the home. Son Rod Strait and his wife Anja Westphal of Liberty, MO, two daughters, Sheila Attia and her husband Mohamed of Tulsa, OK, and Sherry Hare and her husband John of Gladstone, MO. Step-son Josh Johnson and his wife Rhonda of Osawatomie, KS. Two step-daughters Christina Claar and her husband Daniel of Ottawa, KS, and Stephanie DeGeest and her husband Kevin of Osawatomie, KS. His brother Patrick Strait of Parsons, KS, sisters Vickie Price and her husband Bob of Independence, MO, and Debi Shannon and her husband Leon of McCune, KS. 14 surviving grandchildren include Maria Cervantes, Henry and Evan Hare, Nita and Chamain Westphal, Haylee and Peyton Claar, Gabrielle and Chase DeGeest, and Dalton, Craig, Griffin, Danny, & Scarlet Johnson. He is also remembered fondly by many other family and friends.