Obituaries / LJWorld.com

Obituaries

Funeral services for Jerry Coonrod, 83, Lawrence, KS will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, December 7, 2012 at the First United Methodist Church in Lawrence. Family will greet friends after the service. Interment will be held at the National Cemetery in Ft. Scott, KS at 2:30 p.m. Jerry passed way at his home Saturday, December 1, 2012 after a long illness.
He was born March 24, 1929 in Fort Scott, KS, the son of John E and Hattie Dearing Coonrod.
Jerry married his beloved wife, Barbara Thornbrugh Coonrod, sixty-two years ago on March 9, 1950 in Fort Scott, KS.
He proudly served in the United States Army during the Korean War, and was awarded the Bronze Star. He was honorably discharged in 1953 with the rank of Sergeant First Class.
Over the 40 years Jerry was employed by KG&E, the Coonrod family lived in Wichita, Pittsburg, El Dorado, and Topeka. As Director of Public Affairs for the company, he was instrumental in successfully lobbying the Kansas Legislature securing the future of the Wolf Creek Power Plant which was eventually built near Burlington, KS.
In 1990 when Jerry retired, he and Barbara moved to Lawrence, KS where they became members of the First United Methodist Church. In the past, Jerry was also a member of the Lions Club and the Cosmopolitan Club. During his retirement, he pursued his passion for the game of golf belonging to both the Lawrence Country Club and Alvamar Country Club over the years. Jerry also spent leisure time training his dog Max, a Miniature Schnauzer, entering Max in many dog obedience trials winning various awards during competition.
Survivors include Jerry’s loving wife, Barbara of Lawrence; loving son, Brett Coonrod of Kansas City, MO; niece, Janan Fairman and husband Dan of Eldorado, KS and their daughters, great niece, Amy Hamm and husband, Robert and their daughter, Sutton Hamm of Olathe, KS; great niece, Macy Cargnel and her husband Mike and their son, Beckett of Kansas City, MO. Other nieces and nephews reside in Hastings, MN. Also included is Max, Jerry’s dedicated canine companion.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in his name to the First United Methodist Church or to the Jerry Coonrod Family Scholarship Fund and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary or directly to Partners in Education, 124 West Central, El Dorado, KS 67042.
Online condolences may be sent to www.warrenmcelwain.com.
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