Jerry Hauser

Jerry G. Hauser, age 75, of Carroll passed away on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at the Friendship Home in Audubon. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 A.M. on Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Carroll with Fr. Craig Collison as Celebrant. Music for the Mass will be by the St. Lawrence Choir with Kate Cuddy as organist and Ron Hauser as guitarist. Lector for the Mass will be Jameson Hauser and Denny Rutten. Gift bearers will be Jerry’s grandchildren Michael Hauser, Brittany Merhar, and Brandon Danner. Eucharistic ministers will be Joni Rutten and Denny Rutten. Casket bearers will be Michael Hauser, Brandon Danner, Doug Danner, Todd Hauser, Mike Hauser, Chris Hauser, Tony Hauser, and Jameson Hauser. Burial will be in the Carroll City Cemetery. Friends may call at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll after 5:00 P.M. on Monday where there will be a Christian Wake Service held at 7:00 P.M. The casket will be moved to St. Lawrence Church at 9:30 A.M. on Tuesday where visitation will resume until the time of Mass. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com Born on December 20, 1941 in Carroll, IA, he was the son of Wilfred and Josephine (Eilers) Hauser. Jerry grew up in Carroll and graduated from Kuemper High School in 1960. Following high school, Jerry worked for Matt Furniture Store and then Woolco Department Stores. Jerry was married to Jolene Rutten on January 4, 1964 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church by Fr. Koester. Jerry’s job as store manager with Woolco took the couple to Davenport, IA, Enid, OK, Bowling Green, KY, and Kansas City, MO. Jerry and Jolene moved back to Carroll in 1979 when he went to work with his brother Jack as an insurance agent for various insurance companies. Jerry was an accomplished musician starting The Fabulous Thunderbolts his sophomore year in high school with his brother Ron Hauser and Rich Danner. After High School, Ted Kisgen, Gene Wycoff, and Harold Powell joined the band. As the band grew in popularity, they traveled and played gigs throughout Iowa and surrounding states opening for many well-known bands. Jerry took time away from the band while working for Woolco and upon moving back to Carroll he joined The Reflections; also a very well-known band in the area. Jerry went to work for Sears in 1998, Bomgaars in 2005 and retired in 2008. He also worked for several years at American Home Shield. Jerry enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing, building bird houses, taxidermy, and spending time with his family and friends. The highlights of Jerry’s life were spending time with his grandchildren and being inducted into The Iowa Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 with the band members of The Fabulous Thunderbolts. Jerry is survived by his wife Jolene of 53 years of Carroll; daughter Angela Danner (Doug) of West Des Moines; son Thomas Hauser of Carroll; three grandchildren: Michael Hauser (Tia Frederick) of Des Moines, Brittany Merhar (Jim) of West Des Moines, and Brandon Danner of Ames; two step great-grandchildren: Melanie and Tyler Merhar; brother Ron Hauser (Nancy) of Carroll; five brothers-in-law: Richard Rutten of Carroll, Robert Rutten of Omaha, Roland “Ron” Rutten (Lois) of Davenport, Tom Rutten (Suzy) of Naples, FL, and Robert Harkenrider of Ft. Wayne, IN; five sisters-in-law: Janice Brink of Minneapolis, MN, Donna LeGros (Denny) of Omaha, Mary Kay Schmeiser (David) of Carroll, Karen Kunecke (Gary) of Carroll and Doris Hauser of Mason City; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents Wilfred and Josephine Hauser; his mother and father-in-law Frank and Dorothy Rutten; sister LaRene Harkenrider; and three brothers: Jack, Jim, Bill, and grandson Benjamin Danner, and nephew Tim Hauser.