Ferrin “Jerry” Folkert

Jan. 1, 1957-Nov. 7, 2018

Ferrin “Jerry” Folkert died Nov. 7, 2018. Services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

He was born to Verner and Mildred Folkert on Jan. 1, 1957, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Jerry was named Ferrin after his mother’s favorite Country and Western singer. Jerry had five sisters: Cheryl, Jaque, Susan, Linda and Jill and four brothers, Gene, Jim, Jay and Jeff. Jerry was the second youngest.

When Jerry came of age he went to Job Corp and studied forestry, after which he spent four years in the U.S. Army. While the majority of his experiences in the military did not sit well with him, the time period did cement his deep love of the outdoors and introduced him to the land he was to call home, Alaska.

Jerry followed that love back to Alaska. Here he met and married his first wife, Danielle Bell. They had two daughters,Ananda and Lena. Here in Alaska Jerry also embarked on a serious mining expedition, but not the one he planned on when he brought along his father’s mining gear to pan for gold. Jerry began an in-depth search for who Jehovah God is as a person (Proverbs 2:1-5). His good friend Steve Malnarick helped Jerry find scriptures in the Bible to answer questions he had wondered his whole life. Finally, Jerry was able to connect the natural world he adored with the Creator who wanted to be his personal friend.

In 1986 Jerry was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a public demonstration of his heartfelt desire to be Jehovah’s servant for the rest of his life. He and his family served in the remote Seward area, teaching dozens of people to love the same God they served.

In 2001 Jerry’s life changed forever. On Oct. 4, Jerry married his “Flower,” Maricel Abordo. These two belonged to each other. They loved to ride Jerry’s motorcycle, go hiking, camping, fishing, anything that combined the three things they loved the most: Jehovah, the outdoors and each other.

Together Jerry and Maricel built their home in Anchor Point. They loved having big groups of friends over to their home for a meal and a game of pool. They also had a good time growing things in their greenhouse and making raspberry wine from berries they harvested from their property. Maricel came home from work every day to find Jerry waiting at the door for her with a smile. Maricel cannot wait to meet resurrected Jerry at the door of their home with a huge smile just for him, his family said.

Jerry eagerly devoted time every week to share his hope from the Bible with neighbors in the community. A local Bible student said of Jerry, “he had a love and zeal for God’s Word,” a sentiment with which anyone that knew Jerry would agree. The comfort Jerry gave others on many occasions rings true today. He shared verses such as John 5:28, 29 and Revelation 21:3, 4. Jerry was not afraid of death because of his ironclad hope in the resurrection. Soon Jerry’s hope will be realized.

“We will have him back to live the ‘real life’ Jehovah intended for us. (1 Timothy 6:19). We who loved Jerry are comforted knowing that day is ‘Just Around The Corner,’” his family said.