Jerome C. (Jerry) Wachsmuth, age 95, a longtime resident of the Skagit Valley, passed away in Mount Vernon on February 1, 2017. He was born on May 25, 1921, the son of William and Aurelia Wachsmuth, in a rustic farm house located near the Village of Millen in northern Wisconsin. Shortly after his birth, they moved back to their hometown, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Here he attended elementary parochial schools, graduating from Holy Name School in 1934 and graduating with the first graduating class of North High School in 1939. After graduation, Jerry worked for a short time at Garton Toy Manufacturing Co. Jobs were not plentiful in those days. After Christmas orders were filled, the youngsters were laid off.

Jerry had two prides in his life. One was his service to the country and the other community employment and involvement in places that he lived. On May 8, 1938, Jerry enlisted in the National Guard of the United States and the State of Wisconsin. Here he served in the Service Battery, 120th Field Artillery of the 32nd Division. On November 24, 1939, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After completing boot camp at Recruit Depot in San Diego, CA, he was sent to Sea School and subsequently assigned to serve with the Marine Detachment on board the USS Pennsylvania, the Flagship of the United States Fleet. He was on board this ship in Pearl Harbor on the morning that the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941. On July 14, 1942, he was transferred to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Regiment of the Second Marine Division. It was with this unit that he served in combat against the enemy on Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands, Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, and Saipan in the Marianas Islands. He received his Honorable Discharge for services rendered on December 13, 1945.

On January 24, 1945 he married Frances Claudia Robberson of Seattle in Klamath Falls, OR. At this time Jerry was at a Marine Corps facility located in Kalamath Falls, being treated and recovering from tropical diseases that he was afflicted with as a result of exposures while serving in the South Pacific. They were together for 60 ½ years when she passed away June 29, 2005. On April 22, 2007, Jerry married Mary Ann Sevy of Mount Vernon, who passed away on September 18, 2009. He was also preceded in death by his parents, William and Aurelia Wachsmuth, son Frank Robert Wachsmuth and daughter Donna Lee Thompson.

After his discharge from the Marine Corps, Jerry decided to make Seattle his hometown. He found employment at North Coast Wood Products in Ballard. While working there, he took the entrance examination for the Seattle Fire Department, passed and became a firefighter in July 1946. Jerry retired from the Department with the rank of Fire Captain in March 1972. He then worked as a Loss Control Representative for the American States Insurance Company and ended his working career employed by the University of Washington as Assistant Fire Marshall. He found great pleasure in working in these emergency response positions, because most of the time he was reacting to help someone in need or creating a safer environment. In 1991, Jerry and his wife Fran moved to Mount Vernon. He attended the second Citizens Police Academy and spent more than a few years as a volunteer on Citizens Patrol, Block Watch, Civic Events and other activities.

Jerry was a joiner and belonged to numerous organizations. He was a member of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Retired Firefighters of Washington Association, Retired Seattle Firefighters Travel Club, Second Marine Division Association, Marine Corps League Skagit Valley #1043, Military Order of Devil Dogs Pound #118, Mount Vernon Elks #1046, Mount Baker Masonic Lodge #46, Scottish Rite Valley of Seattle, American Legion Post #43, VFW Post #5056, Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Guadalcanal Campaign Veterans, and the Seagoing Marines Association.

He is survived by daughter, Jaclyn Vickers of Helena, MT, son, Raymond (Janice) Wachsmuth of Jacksonville, FL, son-in-law, Steven Thompson of West Valley, UT, ten grandchildren and their spouses and children, and dear friend and companion, Gladys Hayes-Conrad of Mount Vernon.

Graveside services will be held at Hawthorne Memorial Park on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 9 am followed by a memorial service at 10am at First Lutheran Church, 2015 E. Blackburn Rd, Mount Vernon, WA. Donations to the church in lieu of flowers.