Jerome “Jerry” Alois Vorwald – Colesburg

Jerome “Jerry” Alois Vorwald, 92, died on Wednesday, 27 Dec 2023, at his home on the farm.
Jerome was born on 24 December 1931 at home Southeast of Colesburg, Iowa, son of Gregor and Theresa Maiers
Vorwald. He was raised on the family farm and attended Colony #1 Country School through the eighth grade. He
married Marilyn Zittergruen on August 18, 1952, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Garber, Iowa. Three children
were born to this union. They celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in 2023.
Together they farmed north of Colesburg. He loved driving his Allis Chalmers D-17 tractor. Jerry was still
driving the D-17 on the hay rake in September of this year.
Jerry was a bus driver for the Edgewood-Colesburg Community School District for 51 years. Over the years he
told many, many stories of the adventures of driving the bus. He drove to many sporting and other school events.
He particularly enjoyed the girls’ softball games and the speech contests. He didn’t just drive the bus; he would sit
in on speeches of the Ed-Co students. Every year a new group of students arrived to listen to his old jokes. He
thoroughly enjoyed those years visiting with the students, teachers, staff, and other drivers. He drove bus full time
for 51 years. He then drove part-time for another three years. In 2018 Jerry received a Longevity Service Award
from the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association “in recognition of extraordinary years of service and exemplary
dedication to your community.” He was honored as the Ed-Co Homecoming Parade Grand Marshall in 2012.
His CB radio handle was Choredodger. Why? Because bus driving duties always occurred at chore time. The
milking was left to Marilyn.
He also loved hunting squirrel, raccoon, and especially deer. His pride and joy is his 22 point buck he had
mounted. He told countless stories of those hunts. Once he was trapped in a tree at 2 a.m. by a bull while hunting
raccoon in the rain. The bull eventually got bored and went away. The hunters trudged home tired, wet, and
without any raccoon.
He was a master morel mushroom hunter. He had pictures of bushel baskets of mushrooms to prove it. He
learned to tap maple trees from his father-in-law and to make maple syrup. He passed this hobby to his children
and grandchildren.
He loved to visit with people and would stop to chat. Many people stopped at the farm to visit. Many times, the
kitchen was crowded with people and the driveway looked like a parking lot.
The hardest part for Jerry was the pandemic and being homebound building up his strength, especially during the
winter. During the spring, summer, and fall he would be found outside riding the four-wheeler or doing whatever
just so he was outside.

Jerry loved his wife and children and thoroughly enjoyed his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Marilyn, 3 children: Deb (Mark) Gremmels of Dubuque, Deanne (Steve) Arthur of
Dubuque, and Darin Vorwald (Nikki Shannon) of Colesburg. 7 grandchildren: Melissa (Dusty) Kalkomey of
Needville, Texas, Matthew (Lacey) Gremmels of Dubuque, Megan (Jonathan) Goodfellow of Wake Forest, North
Carolina; Tasha (Greg) Studelska of Cascade, Mackenzie (Leighton) Hackert of Dubuque, Emily Vorwald (Luke
Kann) of Garber, and Daniel (Kristen Willenborg) Vorwald of Garber. 10 great-grandchildren. Sister, Shirley
Vorwald of Colesburg and several nieces and nephews. Sisters-in laws Dorothy Vorwald of Dyersville and
Jean Zittergruen of Edgewood.
He was preceded in death by his parents Gregor (1896-1972) and Theresa (1897-1989), mother and father in-law
William (1899-1989) and Evelyn (1903-1989) Zittergruen, brothers and sisters: Kay Mescher (1919-1988),
Vincent (1920-1989), Mary Berg (1922-1985), Francis (1924-2010), Robert (1926-2014), infant brother (9-10
April 1928), Anna Mae (1929-1992), Ramona Engelken (1935-2017). Brothers-in law and sister-in laws: Richard
Zittergruen, Louis Mescher, Ray Berg, David Engelken, Rosie Vorwald, and Germaine Vorwald, niece and
nephews: Pam Berg, Bobby Vorwald, Greg Engelken, and Mike Vorwald.
During his last days he was under the care of St. Croix Hospice. A special thank you to the nurses and staff!
Online condolences may be sent to www.leonard-mullerfh.com .
Mass of Christian Burial: 10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 30, 2023, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in
Colesburg, Iowa, with Reverend John Haugen presiding.
Visitation: 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Friday, December 29,2023, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in
Colesburg, Iowa
Friends may also call on Saturday between 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., at the church.
Interment: St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery-Rural Colesburg