Our amazing, strong, kind and caring, wholehearted father, grandfather and brother passed away peacefully at his home on April 15th, 2025 surrounded by his loving daughter and granddaughter. He had just recently turned 85 years old. After a long and hard battle with congestive heart failure and stage 3 kidney failure. He fought hard, brave and true but in the end longed to find peace and be reunited with the love of his life.

Jerry E. (Ernest) Heer was born to Ernest Martin Heer and Genevieve Bronson on April 9th , 1940, in Uravan Colorado. He is the middle child and has an older sister named Joan and a younger sister named Judy. Gen was a stay-at-home old-fashioned mother who was born and raised Mormon, and raised her kids as such. Ernest was a coal miner which is the job that eventually brought them over to what was then known as Dragerton, Utah in 1945; Jerry was just five years old. Jerry went to school in Dragerton and Price, Utah. In high school, he was a baseball player and a very fine and great one at that. Coached by his father in the pony leagues. While in high school, Jerry also took a few college classes in Price at USU Eastern. In between going to school, he worked at the old store in town. His time was split between the two locations. One located in Columbia and the other stood in the place residents now know as The Wellness Center. It was his first ever job and one that he loved to talk and tell stories about.

After graduation Jerry enlisted in the U.S Navy and joined as a Postal Clerk in 1960, becoming a NPO 3. He proudly served two years and was stationed overseas in Rota, Spain. Sometime along his oversea journey he met the love of his life, Maria Josefa Victoria Astorga Riera, a beautiful Spanish native with a kind demeanor and an amazing family who welcomed him with open arms. They later wed on September 5th , 1962. They lived in Spain for a few months after their wedding while Maria began her paperwork to move back to the United States. He joined the Navy Reserves and put in another two years before his honorable discharge in 1964. Upon returning home to the states, Jerry and Maria welcomed their first-born child, a son named Michael David Heer on September 6th, 1963, a year after they were married. Three years later on March 25th, 1966 they then welcomed their first and only and final child, a daughter, Kristine Andrea Heer.

Jerry was a busy body and loved being at work and on the job. He gave his all to each and every place he worked. Putting in his heart, sweat, and tears, and even obtaining some injuries that would come to haunt him later in life. He had many jobs but loved each and every one of them, making memories and gaining great stories to tell. Some of his most talked about were, The Missile Base in Green River, The Horse Canyon Mine, Summerset Mine, An inspector for the State Road, The U.S Forest Service, Dinosaur Tire, Driving trucks and the Train for ECDC, and being a Hunter Education Instructor for 55 years. He finally retired and settled down in 2006, making more time to spend and help raise his granddaughter Cheyanne Velasquez. His one and only grandchild and a light and pride in his life.

Jerry is survived by his daughter, Kris Heer; granddaughter, CheyLee Velasquez; sister, Joan Pilling; sister, Judy (Les) Hamilton; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Genevieve Heer; wife, Maria Heer; son, Michael Heer; and brother-in-law, Bud Pilling and Cathy Pilling.

The family would like to thank Dr. Larsen from Pine Top Medical, Symbii Home Health & Hospice, Jeanna and William Vigil, Carbon Medical Pharmacy, East Carbon Fire & Lift Assistance, EMTs and Officers, Miners Trading Post, The VA, The American Legion, the UMWA, and the entire staff at Mitchell Funeral Home for their years of dedicated service to our family.

Graveside service, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 12:00 noon, Valley View Cemetery, Sunnyside, Utah.

Arrangements are entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price and Huntington where friends and family are always welcome daily and may share memories of Jerry online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.