Jerry W. Hill
Jerry Wayne Hill was born April 15, 1938, to C.A. and Mabelle Hill in Sioux Falls, SD. He passed away peacefully with his loving wife Gloria and other family members by his side on November 11, 2024.
A memorial service will be held at 1:30 pm on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at the First Evangelical Free Church, 2601 W 69th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 with private burial at Hills of Rest Cemetery. The service will be live-streamed at https://youtube.com/live/lOMIjmHvVVk
In June 1948, when Jerry was 10 years old, he came to faith in Jesus Christ after attending Vacation Bible School at Westside Evangelical Free Church. He called this decision the most important decision of his life. At the end of his life, his greatest desire was for all his brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to experience salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Jerry’s first job as a young boy was delivering the Minneapolis Tribune. By then he had already discovered his love for ice cream. Jerry would take his paycheck and go to a Dairy Queen near 12th and Western and buy all the ice cream he could eat. When he had eaten all he could, he would buy more for the way home.
Jerry graduated from Washington High School in 1956. After graduation, he entered the Army Reserve. In 1957, he began his construction career by working for his father at Golden Rule Construction. Jerry worked in the construction industry most of his adult life. He worked with his brother Steve at Hill Brothers Construction from the early 1970s until 1980. In 1989 he joined Steve’s company ESI, where he worked as superintendent of major construction projects throughout the northwest until his retirement in 2000. Jerry came out of retirement in 2003-2004 to oversee ESI’s construction of the addition to First Evangelical Free Church in Sioux Falls.
In January 1967, Jerry joined the Sioux Falls Fire Department where he served as a firefighter and driver until 1976.
Jerry was a hunter, and he especially loved hunting bears. But his most treasured hunts were those with his sons, grandsons, and other dear relatives at their ranch in western South Dakota.
Jerry is survived by his first wife, JoAnn Baker, and the four children they shared, Donn (Brenda) Hill, Jackie (Steve) Dement, Bob (Bonnie) Hill, and Peggy Hill. He is also survived by his beloved wife of almost 40 years, Gloria, who stood by his side through many chapters of his life, and her three children Kathy (Joe) Conner, Melanie (Kevin) Horton, and Cory (Nancy) Anderson. He is survived by 7 children, 15 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, and 7 siblings.