Jerold "Jerry" Lehman Weaver

Jerold Lehman “Jerry” Weaver was born in Dhamtari, India on October 14, 1941 to parents Ed and Irene Weaver. Jerry attended Woodstock, a boarding school in the foothills of the Himalayas, for nine months of the year. Above all else, Jerry valued time with family, and he spoke of going into the jungle with his parents and sisters for special picnics and how important that “undivided family time” was to him. Jerry also spoke often of his parents’ commitment to prayer and their relationship with Jesus and how that shaped his own faith journey. Jerry’s years growing up in India showed in his life-long appreciation for spicy Indian food, his fluency in Hindi, and his overflowing hospitality. Jerry remained attuned to the state of India and its people, and led several trips to India, including a family trip during which he was able to bury his mother’s ashes in his home village. Jerry came to the United States as a sophomore in high school, attending Hesston Academy. After graduating, he attended Hesston College for two years, during which time he met the love of his life, Catherine Carol Peachey. Jerry graduated from Hesston Academy and married Cathy on August 3, 1962. He attended Bethel College the next year and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree. Further education took place at Goshen, where he received his Master of Divinity degree in 1982. Jerry used his education and skills in many ways over the years, official positions being: the minister of Whitestone Mennonite Church; the Bethel College campus pastor and women’s tennis coach; serving in Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Calcutta, India; the Dean of students for Hesston College; the pastor of 1st Mennonite Church in Denver, CO; an independent insurance broker for LTC & Life; and the interim pastor for Hesston Mennonite, Crystal Springs (Harper), and Pleasant Valley (Harper) churches. Jerry and Cathy created a warm, loving home wherever they went. They raised their three sons in Hesston, KS, and eventually moved to Colorado when the boys were grown. Jerry always commented how Cathy could make any place they lived feel like home. Jerry and Cathy were renowned for their hospitality towards family, friends and strangers alike. Jerry took joy in many things, including golfing, playing tennis and racquetball, photography, hiking, listening to choral music, traveling, expanding his mind, pastoring church camps, and volunteering for causes such as Victim Offender Ministries, Mennonite Economic Development Associates, and MCC. The one thing that was always the most important to him was time with family and friends. Jerry loved getting to know people, and he had a special gift for continuing the relationships he began in a nurturing, tender way. Jerry met others with an open mind and heart, and Jesus’ love shone through his clear blue eyes. On Sunday, October 10, 2021, Jerry’s extensive family gathered inside and outside his room at the Schowalter Villa for a service of anointing and communion, at his request. Grandchildren sang hymns and favorite songs, and sons read Scripture. Jerry used this time to reaffirm his belief in Jesus Christ as his Savior and to bask in the love of the family into whom he invested so much time and joy. Later that night, Jerry died surrounded by his wife and sons. Jerry, in his humble, loving way, showed us exactly how to make time for each other, and how to meet each other with the love of Jesus. Jerry embodied “Namaste,” which is a greeting and goodbye in Hindi, and translates to, “The God in me recognizes the God in you.” No matter what differences Jerry had with others, he did not forget the sacred value of the human lives around him. His invitation to warm and deep hospitality lives on in all of us. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents (Ed & Irene Weaver) and his two sisters (Carolyn Esch & Betty Shima). Jerry is survived by his wife Cathy; three sons: David (Emily), Bruce (Lori), and Rick (Jill); six grandchildren: Miranda (Jamie), Madelyn (Jeff), Matthew (Crystal), Ashley (Caleb), Kendrick, and Ally; and four great-grandchildren: Devon, Rowan, Caelynn, and Dawson. The memorial service for Jerry will be held at Whitestone Mennonite Church on Sunday, November 7 at 3:30 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Economic Development Associates in care of Miller-Ott Funeral Home, PO Box 32, Hesston, KS 67062.

Jerold "Jerry" Lehman Weaver

October 14, 1941 - October 10, 2021