Gerald, "Jerry", was the eldest child of Willis and Claire Luttrell Thatcher and was raised in Sacramento CA. He was the older brother to Delores Jean Thatcher Porter and Ted Thatcher. He played minor league baseball and made and lost fortunes in sales. He lived a life full of adventure to the end. He met the beautiful Ruth Choquette and went with her to Washington D.C. where she was to meet with Jaquelyn Cochran and sign up for the Women's Air Force Service Pilots. They hitchhiked all the way from Dallas to D.C..
Jerry served a short time in the army but for the bulk of WWII he bought scrap metal for the government for the War Production Bureau. Ruth was stationed at Avenger field in Sweetwater, TX and oddly enough there must have been a lot of scrap metal in Sweetwater because Jerry went there often. Jerry would pick up Ruth at the base and her friends would stuff her bunk full of pillows to look as if she were sleeping and Jerry would make sure she was back on base before revielle the next morning. After the war they were married in Mexico.
Jerry and Ruth helped raise Ruth's nephew, Gerald, and a little while later their son Michael Edgar Thatcher came along. They raised the boys in many different states but spent the most time in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. Michael married Brenda Joyce Brackney and in 1985 they brought the beautiful Rebecca Lauren Thatcher into the world who was adored by both her paternal grandparents. Sadly in 1989 Jerry lost his beloved Ruth to cancer. He never remarried; he never found someone who could compare to Ruth.
Michael died in 2006, 3 years after marrying Sherill Sitz. He had a massive heart attack in his sleep. Jerry was soon diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 93. He had to go into a nursing home where Sherill and Rebecca visited him often. He was always planning an escape and always kept his bag packed just in case he might catch the door open or find a way to slip out.
On July the 18th 2009 Gerald Thatcher left the nursing home and met with Michael and Ruth in heaven. He left behind many people who loved him. Among them were his granddaughter Rebecca Thatcher, daughter-in-law Sherill Thatcher Hensley, brother Ted Thatcher, sister Delores Jean Porter, brother-in-law Ray Choquette and his wife Gladys and many neices, nephews and friends.
Jerry served a short time in the army but for the bulk of WWII he bought scrap metal for the government for the War Production Bureau. Ruth was stationed at Avenger field in Sweetwater, TX and oddly enough there must have been a lot of scrap metal in Sweetwater because Jerry went there often. Jerry would pick up Ruth at the base and her friends would stuff her bunk full of pillows to look as if she were sleeping and Jerry would make sure she was back on base before revielle the next morning. After the war they were married in Mexico.
Jerry and Ruth helped raise Ruth's nephew, Gerald, and a little while later their son Michael Edgar Thatcher came along. They raised the boys in many different states but spent the most time in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. Michael married Brenda Joyce Brackney and in 1985 they brought the beautiful Rebecca Lauren Thatcher into the world who was adored by both her paternal grandparents. Sadly in 1989 Jerry lost his beloved Ruth to cancer. He never remarried; he never found someone who could compare to Ruth.
Michael died in 2006, 3 years after marrying Sherill Sitz. He had a massive heart attack in his sleep. Jerry was soon diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 93. He had to go into a nursing home where Sherill and Rebecca visited him often. He was always planning an escape and always kept his bag packed just in case he might catch the door open or find a way to slip out.
On July the 18th 2009 Gerald Thatcher left the nursing home and met with Michael and Ruth in heaven. He left behind many people who loved him. Among them were his granddaughter Rebecca Thatcher, daughter-in-law Sherill Thatcher Hensley, brother Ted Thatcher, sister Delores Jean Porter, brother-in-law Ray Choquette and his wife Gladys and many neices, nephews and friends.
Gerald, "Jerry", was the eldest child of Willis and Claire Luttrell Thatcher and was raised in Sacramento CA. He was the older brother to Delores Jean Thatcher Porter and Ted Thatcher. He played minor league baseball and made and lost fortunes in sales. He lived a life full of adventure to the end. He met the beautiful Ruth Choquette and went with her to Washington D.C. where she was to meet with Jaquelyn Cochran and sign up for the Women's Air Force Service Pilots. They hitchhiked all the way from Dallas to D.C..
Jerry served a short time in the army but for the bulk of WWII he bought scrap metal for the government for the War Production Bureau. Ruth was stationed at Avenger field in Sweetwater, TX and oddly enough there must have been a lot of scrap metal in Sweetwater because Jerry went there often. Jerry would pick up Ruth at the base and her friends would stuff her bunk full of pillows to look as if she were sleeping and Jerry would make sure she was back on base before revielle the next morning. After the war they were married in Mexico.
Jerry and Ruth helped raise Ruth's nephew, Gerald, and a little while later their son Michael Edgar Thatcher came along. They raised the boys in many different states but spent the most time in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. Michael married Brenda Joyce Brackney and in 1985 they brought the beautiful Rebecca Lauren Thatcher into the world who was adored by both her paternal grandparents. Sadly in 1989 Jerry lost his beloved Ruth to cancer. He never remarried; he never found someone who could compare to Ruth.
Michael died in 2006, 3 years after marrying Sherill Sitz. He had a massive heart attack in his sleep. Jerry was soon diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 93. He had to go into a nursing home where Sherill and Rebecca visited him often. He was always planning an escape and always kept his bag packed just in case he might catch the door open or find a way to slip out.
On July the 18th 2009 Gerald Thatcher left the nursing home and met with Michael and Ruth in heaven. He left behind many people who loved him. Among them were his granddaughter Rebecca Thatcher, daughter-in-law Sherill Thatcher Hensley, brother Ted Thatcher, sister Delores Jean Porter, brother-in-law Ray Choquette and his wife Gladys and many neices, nephews and friends.
Jerry served a short time in the army but for the bulk of WWII he bought scrap metal for the government for the War Production Bureau. Ruth was stationed at Avenger field in Sweetwater, TX and oddly enough there must have been a lot of scrap metal in Sweetwater because Jerry went there often. Jerry would pick up Ruth at the base and her friends would stuff her bunk full of pillows to look as if she were sleeping and Jerry would make sure she was back on base before revielle the next morning. After the war they were married in Mexico.
Jerry and Ruth helped raise Ruth's nephew, Gerald, and a little while later their son Michael Edgar Thatcher came along. They raised the boys in many different states but spent the most time in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. Michael married Brenda Joyce Brackney and in 1985 they brought the beautiful Rebecca Lauren Thatcher into the world who was adored by both her paternal grandparents. Sadly in 1989 Jerry lost his beloved Ruth to cancer. He never remarried; he never found someone who could compare to Ruth.
Michael died in 2006, 3 years after marrying Sherill Sitz. He had a massive heart attack in his sleep. Jerry was soon diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 93. He had to go into a nursing home where Sherill and Rebecca visited him often. He was always planning an escape and always kept his bag packed just in case he might catch the door open or find a way to slip out.
On July the 18th 2009 Gerald Thatcher left the nursing home and met with Michael and Ruth in heaven. He left behind many people who loved him. Among them were his granddaughter Rebecca Thatcher, daughter-in-law Sherill Thatcher Hensley, brother Ted Thatcher, sister Delores Jean Porter, brother-in-law Ray Choquette and his wife Gladys and many neices, nephews and friends.
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PVT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
Always in our Hearts
