Jerry Sheffield was my first seat mate in the Salem Public Schools during the first week of sixth grade in 1962, when we Morningsiders who lived east of 12th Street were bused to Pringle until it turned out Morningside could accommodate us after all. Jerry, Nick Cloyd, Ralph Jackson, Katie Cannon and Brad Pence were among the Pringle regulars who were my classmates during that mystical week at the little white country school.
Jerry and I were later seat mates in a class or two at Judson, too, and I always found him fun to be around, even when he was slugging me in the shoulder a bit too vigorously. I can still picture him running extra laps in seventh-grade P.E. at the behest of Mr. Flood.
He was not a restrained guy, which worked to our advantage at the 25th reunion when the background music at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mills facilities was far too staid for us 43-year-old children of the Sixties. Many of us grumbled, but it took Jerry and Ron Wiebe to do something about it.
I haven’t been able to learn details of Jerry’s passing last year, but I wish he could have joined us at the 40th. He was always glad to see us.
I learned of Jerry's passing from the reunion site. Jerry was a lot of fun in high school, though he did have his excesses. I remember him wandering into school one morning our senior year so drunk he was falling against lockers creating a clash like symbols. It was either Dave Rabe or Dennis Rabe who helped me get him out of there before Pappy saw him. We tried to give Jerry a bit of the old herb to calm him down. We all missed school that day. If I had to sum Jerry up I guess I would say, "Crazy but kind."
Jerry was like a teddy bear. I just remember his smiles and big heart. Grinning from ear to ear, and twinkling eyes, he was a walking invitation to not take ourselves so seriously. I'm sad to learn he is gone...his invitation remains.
Terry Filley- Also went to Morninside Grade School, good friends with Jerry; In Jr High, South High, still a friend of the past. In PE Class, Jerry usly late doing extra push ups, that I remember.
Note: Davd [Barry] Hydes-On A Radio Shack Cruse in 1998 first time meeting-- still a good friend also. He's also A friend now,he's also A friend of Jerrys I did not know? was A friend of Jerrys I learned by profiles.
In the summer of 1970.....a bunch of us were drinking and partying at Carl Shaw's house. Carl's older brother Gene - had this GIANT beer mug that had on the side of it "bet you can't". This thing held something like 2 quarts. Many of us tried - but couldn't come close. Someone said "I'll bet Sheffield could!" (reputation as a guzzler). Later that night - a bunch of us went down to the Arctic Circle. Sure enough - there was Jerry. We issued the challenge - and he came up to the house. He drank the WHOLE thing = no problem and finished with his famous laugh. I've never seen anything like that, and probably never will again.
Kim (Colin) Seymour
Jerry Sheffield was my first seat mate in the Salem Public Schools during the first week of sixth grade in 1962, when we Morningsiders who lived east of 12th Street were bused to Pringle until it turned out Morningside could accommodate us after all. Jerry, Nick Cloyd, Ralph Jackson, Katie Cannon and Brad Pence were among the Pringle regulars who were my classmates during that mystical week at the little white country school.Jerry and I were later seat mates in a class or two at Judson, too, and I always found him fun to be around, even when he was slugging me in the shoulder a bit too vigorously. I can still picture him running extra laps in seventh-grade P.E. at the behest of Mr. Flood.
He was not a restrained guy, which worked to our advantage at the 25th reunion when the background music at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mills facilities was far too staid for us 43-year-old children of the Sixties. Many of us grumbled, but it took Jerry and Ron Wiebe to do something about it.
I haven’t been able to learn details of Jerry’s passing last year, but I wish he could have joined us at the 40th. He was always glad to see us.
Barry (Dave) Hydes
I learned of Jerry's passing from the reunion site. Jerry was a lot of fun in high school, though he did have his excesses. I remember him wandering into school one morning our senior year so drunk he was falling against lockers creating a clash like symbols. It was either Dave Rabe or Dennis Rabe who helped me get him out of there before Pappy saw him. We tried to give Jerry a bit of the old herb to calm him down. We all missed school that day. If I had to sum Jerry up I guess I would say, "Crazy but kind."Jan Horning
Jerry was like a teddy bear. I just remember his smiles and big heart. Grinning from ear to ear, and twinkling eyes, he was a walking invitation to not take ourselves so seriously. I'm sad to learn he is gone...his invitation remains.Robin Rummell (Filley)
Terry Filley- Also went to Morninside Grade School, good friends with Jerry; In Jr High, South High, still a friend of the past.In PE Class, Jerry usly late doing extra push ups, that I remember.
Note: Davd [Barry] Hydes-On A Radio
Shack Cruse in 1998 first time meeting-- still a good friend also. He's also A friend now,he's also A friend of Jerrys I did not know? was A friend of Jerrys I learned by profiles.
Robert Curtis
In the summer of 1970.....a bunch of us were drinking and partying at Carl Shaw's house. Carl's older brother Gene - had this GIANT beer mug that had on the side of it "bet you can't". This thing held something like 2 quarts. Many of us tried - but couldn't come close. Someone said "I'll bet Sheffield could!" (reputation as a guzzler). Later that night - a bunch of us went down to the Arctic Circle. Sure enough - there was Jerry. We issued the challenge - and he came up to the house. He drank the WHOLE thing = no problem and finished with his famous laugh. I've never seen anything like that, and probably never will again.