Robert "Bob" Jaeger

Robert “Bob” William Jaeger, 72, was born on Mar 22, 1940 in Wagner, SD to Anthony and Teresa (Temme) Jaeger. He went to his heavenly home on July 1, 2012 at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD. Bob was the fourth of 14 children. He grew up on a farm near Bovee, SD and went to country school there, graduating from Geddes High School in 1958. Bob married Cheryl Pavlis on November 26, 1966 in Elkhart, IN. Three daughters were born into this marriage. Cheryl passed away on February 18, 2006. Bob worked on the missile sites after high school and was in the National Guard for 10 years. He moved to Elkhart, IN, in 1965 and worked for National Trailer Convoy delivering trailer houses around the country. In 1968, Bob and Cheryl moved to Dolton, SD where he continued to live the rest of his life. In 1969 and 1970 he ran a tower crane for Henry Carlson Co. until he bought his first backhoe in 1970. He owned and operated Jaeger Digging and raised hogs for 20 years. Bob was then a rural mail carrier for the Dolton and Bridgewater post offices until his health no longer permitted him to work full-time. Bob and Cheryl then worked together for Jack’s Campers in Mitchell, SD delivering campers around the country, which he continued to do after Cheryl’s death. Bob was a Vigortone Feed dealer for 39 years. One of Bob’s favorite things was people. He made many, many lasting friends wherever he went and would visit with strangers as if he had known them for years. He was always willing to help others, expecting nothing in return. Bob instilled the values of hard work, unconditional love for family and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ into his children and grandchildren, whom he loved spending time with and would do anything for. He was a member of the Gideon’s International. Bob was blessed through the selfless act of organ donation with a heart transplant on July 24, 1994. This miracle gave him nearly 18 years of renewed quality of life and the opportunity to tell others how God worked through that experience speaking at many churches, schools, prisons, etc. Bob’s testimony of his four-minute glimpse of heaven while waiting for his new heart gave countless people the hope that only comes from knowing Jesus Christ. Bob is survived by his 3 daughters and sons-in-law, Denise and Dave Ehlers of Newcastle, WY, Gloria and Pete Horvath of Dolton SD, Lori and Glen Dewald of Tripp, SD. His 7 grandchildren, Dillon and Rachel Ehlers, Austin, Ashley and Aaron Horvath, and Emily and Leah Dewald, his 3 sisters, Sr. Mary Jaeger, Sioux Falls, SD, Madeline and Jim Stoltz, LeSueur, MN, and JoAnn and Dennis DeBoer, Huron, SD, his 10 brothers, Jerome Jaeger, St. Peter, MN, Richard Jaeger, Aurora, CO, George and Eileen Jaeger, Tyndall, SD, Don and Lila Jaeger, Bridgewater, SD, Tom and Elaine Jaeger, Platte, SD, Lawrence and Colleen Jaeger, Geddes, SD, Kenneth and Cindy Jaeger, Herrold, SD, Gene and Peggy Jaeger, Rapid City, SD, Roger and Cindy Jaeger, Aurora, CO, and Raymond and Kim Jaeger, Rapid City, SD. Bob is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends who will miss him dearly. Reuniting with him in heaven are his wife, Cheryl, his parents, and a sister-in-law, Martha Jaeger. Funeral services will be at 10:00am Friday, July 6, 2012 at the Bethesda Mennonite Church, rural Marion with burial to be at 4:00pm Friday at St. Ann Cemetery, Geddes, SD. Visitation will begin at 5:00pm Thursday at the church with a Prayer Service to be at 7:00pm. Arrangements by Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Chapel, Marion. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred. Memorials may be given in memory of Bob to the LUC Boys Ranch in Lampe, MO, the Gideons, or Second Chance for Life. We would like to thank the Dougherty Hospice House for their care and compassion in our dad’s last days with us.