He was born on December 20, 1949, in Bellevue, Iowa, to Mahlon Gerald Hyler and Mildred Wiedner Hyler of Bellevue. Gerald graduated from Bellevue High School as Salutatorian in 1968. He graduated with an Associate of Arts in Business in 1970 from Mesa (Arizona) Community College and from Arizona State University (ASU) in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting. He received Business Education certification from ASU in 1974. He was known as Gerald to his birth family, GT to his college friends, Mr. Hyler to his students, and Jerry to his Correctionville friends and family.
Jerry’s interests included a love of music. He learned piano (barely) at an early age, and played trumpet, French horn, and tuba in his high school band and drums in the garage band Johnny and the Rebs. He had the good fortune of marching with the ASU Marching Band in the Peach, Sun, and Fiesta Bowls, and appearing in NFL games. Other interests included sports card collecting and following the Chicago Cubs, Iowa Hawkeyes, and ASU Sun Devils.
Jerry began his teaching career at Eastwood High School in Correctionville in the fall of 1974 and retired from River Valley Schools in Correctionville following the 1998 school year. He taught virtually every business class offered by these schools during this time with the view that curriculum should be taught tempered with humor. He is proud to call many former students “friends” today. Gerald loved teaching and tried to make education both fun and useful at the same time.
Jerry’s greatest love in education was the coaching of contest speech. He loved watching students develop their performing skills and the confidence public speaking can bring. His students had a wealth of talent and Jerry was proud to play a part in maximizing this talent.
In 1985, Jerry married Sally Rosenboom Jensen and became instant dad to Brett and Megan. As a family, they loved to travel but always considered Correctionville their home. Jerry earned his master’s degree in library science from Emporia State University and took on the role of media specialist for several years, followed by a final stint in the business department teaching word processing and the inner workings of computers.
Jerry was a member of Grace Methodist Church, serving as its treasurer from 2009 to 2013. He was also the secretary/treasurer of Little Sioux Bowlers for over 15 years. His proudest community service was as city council member and later mayor from 2008 to March 2014. He was a driving force behind the incorporation of the Little Sioux Bike Trail, the Copeland Park sign renovation, and the establishment of the Pickle Ball Courts and the Copeland Disc Golf Course.
Jerry was preceded in death by his brother Gary Hyler of Mesa, AZ, and his parents.
He is survived by his wife Sally (Rosenboom); son Brett (Allison) Jensen of Liberty, MO; daughter Megan (Tom) Twait of Kansas City, MO; grandchildren Ryne and Ava Jensen; his only sister, Sandra Brockhage of Bellevue, IA; sister-in-law Margaret Hyler of Silva, NC; and 6 nieces and nephews and their families.
Click here to view Gerald Hyler's Memorial Folder