Jerry Preston Houser

Jerry Preston Houser, born Oct. 10, 1937, passed away Jan. 7, 2026 at the age of 88. His children, Brian, Brett, Wendy and Bentley as well as his grandson, Zach, were with him.
He was born in Quail Spur, but his family moved closer to Hurley and his grandfather’s farm when he was young. His parents, D.C. (Johnny) and Freda Houser raised him and his older brother, Danny, on a farm on Tin Can Hollow Road.
He graduated from Hurley High School in 1955.
He lost his right hand in an industrial accident in Aurora, at the age of 23. He was engaged to Linda Gideon at the time. People asked her if she was still going to marry him, and she did. This marriage lasted for over 60 years until Linda passed away in 2023.
Early in the marriage, Jerry owned a hay truck and ran a crew of people he bragged on even 60 years later. Later, he owned a gas station in Hurley. After selling, he went to work for Harold Dulin running a bulldozer.
When his oldest children were teenagers, he began working in local stone quarries until he retired at 63 after developing arthritis in his left elbow. Following that he kept busy cutting and selling firewood, running a chainsaw into his seventies.
He became a part of the Billings community, serving on the city council for a time. He played dominoes regularly at CJ’s and the VFW in Republic.
When Linda died in 2023, he continued living on his own until his death. He took great pleasure in his 10 grandchildren and four his great-grandchildren.