BRANSON MO NEWS: Jerry Whitson, of Pomme de Terre Lake, Wheatland, Mo., passed away on Oct. 14, leaving behind a wife, Bobbie Todd Whitson; daughter Lynne Whitson and husband Mike Smith (Bailey, Colo.), daughter Leesa Whitson and husband Andrew McCarl and grandsons Marcas and Marshall McCarl (Stanley, Kan.); niece Susan Gann and husband Joe (Springfield); and nephew John Huntley (Branson). He was preceded in death by his parents, John Noah Whitson and Crystal Lydia Whitson (Potter); his sister Jacquetta Vee Huntley (Whitson); and brother-in-law Bill Huntley; his nephew Steven Huntley; and grandsons Matthew and Andrew McCarl.
Jerry was born in Elkland, Mo., on July 22, 1936. He attended Springfield Public Schools through grade 12 then furthered his education at Southwest Missouri State University (BS in Education), University of Missouri (Masters in Education), and Pittsburg State University (Specialist in Education). After graduation from SMSU in 1959, he served his country as a lieutenant in the Army. He was stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga., from 1959-1961. He and Bobbie moved back to the midwest where Jerry was employed as the COE coordinator in Marshall Public Schools for five years before becoming the director of the vocational-technical school for two more. The family later moved from Marshall to Nevada where he opened the vocational-technical school (now Nevada Regional Technical Center) where he remained for 22 years until his retirement in 1994.
Throughout his life, Jerry enjoyed hotrods, baseball, fishing, hunting and scouting. Through scouts, he achieved the Order of the Arrow Distinction and became an honorary member of Mic-O-Say. He was a scoutmaster and often spoke of sharing the experience of Philmont Scout Ranch with his troop. Service to the community was a theme throughout Jerrys life. He held lifetime memberships in the American Vocational Association, Missouri State Teachers Association and served as a board member and later president of the …
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