Jerry Lee Adkisson was born November 7, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas, to Bertie Nadine Jones and Gerald Lee Adkisson, the second of three children in the family. The family was in Wichita because Gerald was working at Boeing for the war effort. After leaving Wichita, Jerry's earliest years were spent in Freeport, Kansas, where his father ran the grain elevator. When Jerry was about 10, the family moved to the larger town of Anthony, Kansas, where Jerry graduated from Anthony High School in 1961. He played on the football team which was undefeated his senior year. He also participated in band and vocal music, as well as theatrical productions. He liked playing golf with his parents and boating at Anthony Lake. During summers, he worked for farmers, including his Uncle Glenn Barber.
Jerry accepted Jesus as his Savior as a youth and was baptized at First Baptist Church of Anthony. While in high school, he felt the call of the Holy Spirit to enter the ministry and was licensed to preach by First Baptist. He attended Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas, where, in addition to classes, he worked in the university's kitchen, participated in vocal music, and became active in the college youth program at North Baptist Church.
At Ottawa, Jerry soon met the love of his life, Sharon Piercy, and they were married January 26, 1963. He became a student pastor at small churches in rural Kansas. Son Michael Kevin Adkisson was born February 6, 1964. When Jerry realized school work was not his strong point, he began working full time, first at Moore Chevrolet in Ottawa and then in concrete construction in Kansas City. He then found an apprenticeship position in floor covering installation in 1965 in Claycomo, Missouri. After Sharon's graduation, the family moved to Claycomo and then to Gladstone.
They bought their first home on Old Pike Road in Gladstone in February 1968. Daughter Pamela Lynn Adkisson was born in 1969. After Jerry completed his apprenticeship, he decided to go into business for himself and started "Jerry's Expert Carpet Installation" in 1970. For a time, he employed a large crew of 12 installers but later realized he could do better with only one or two employees working along with him. Over the years, he trained several apprentices to become skilled workmen, including his dear friend Jerry Dunn. Jerry and Peggy Dunn became close friends and enjoyed many family gatherings with homemade ice cream.
Wanting to expand his offerings, he decided to open Metro Floor Covering in 1980 to offer sales of carpet and other flooring. The business was not in a high traffic area and did not do well, so he returned to concentrating on installation. Some of his interesting jobs included the control tower in the railroad yards in Kansas City, Kansas, the Sports Authority suite at Arrowhead Stadium, the Harry Truman Presidential Library, and specialty custom-designed carpets for an interior designer, as well as several churches and schools and many homes.
During these years, Jerry was very active at Grace Baptist Church, serving on the Board of Trustees, Board of Deacons, chancel choir, youth sponsor, first tenor in Grace Notes Quartet, and president of Men of Grace. He worked at the area and regional level as President of American Baptist Men and attended national conventions and conferences at American Baptist Assembly, Green Lake, Wisconsin. His first mission trip was to Nicaragua and El Salvador in March 1975, where he installed flooring at a Baptist camp. Other mission trips were to the Hopi reservation in Arizona, Bacone College in Oklahoma, St. Louis, Ottawa, and others.
Jerry was active with community leaders in the Gladstone Citizens Group, as president in 1968; and he served on the Gladstone Park Board 1969-1971, during the time Happy Rock Park was developed. He was also assistant Scoutmaster and Board member with Boy Scout Troop 613 at Grace Baptist and went to Bartle Scout Reservation with the troop several times. He was an honorary brave Slithering Copperhead in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Jerry was named an Outstanding Young Man of America in 1973. Jerry enjoyed bowling and sponsored a team. He also was proud of the prize he won bowling: a football autographed by most of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl IV team!
Jerry got his first motorcycle in 1969 and rode off-road with fellow installers and friends. He also liked to camp with both Scouts and family. Later he bought a bright yellow fiberglass canoe which looked cool atop the forest green van. The family hosted three exchange students: Pablo from Costa Rica in 1977-78, Masae from Japan, 1986-87, and Hannah from Saint Vincent in 1989. Jerry also struck up friendships with new members at church, especially those having a hard time. He was always willing to be a helping hand to one who needed it, whether it was giving his winter gloves to a hitchhiker or opening his home for several weeks to someone in need.
In 1985, son Michael was married to Valerie Lincoln.
Jerry was instrumental in helping start a new American Baptist Church in Platte County in 1989, originally named Church of the Master, later Rolling Hills Community Church. He also sang in the Northland Community Chorus. When Sharon started traveling with FDIC in 1989, Jerry got a job in Hays, Kansas, and commuted every weekend to the new church.
In 1990, he followed Sharon with her job to California, then to Connecticut in 1994, to Oklahoma City in 1997, back to California in 2003, then back to Oklahoma City in 2005. While working as an installer in California, Jerry installed flooring in such diverse places as a boat, an RV, an oil tanker in San Francisco Bay, at the San Francisco airport, and along the trolley route in San Francisco, where he had to move out of the way when the trolley rang its bell. He continued being active in church, the choir, and small groups, and chaperoned a youth mission trip to Tijuana. After purchasing another motorcycle, he and Sharon rode with the Retreads riders and the Christian Motorcyclists Association. There were lots of camping trips and sightseeing outings in California and then Connecticut, including the "Ride to the Gap" in Washington, DC, in October 1997 where about 5,000 motorcyclists met with up to 1 million men for prayer on the national mall.
In December 1992, Jerry had another surgery on his knee and was told he could no longer install flooring. In May 1993, he celebrated the end of 28 years of installing flooring with a "Hanging Up the Knee-Pads Party." After rehabilitation and retraining, he started working as a travel agent in 1994, telling people where to go. Unfortunately, after the move to Connecticut, no travel positions were to be found, so after a brief stint carrying mail, Jerry started working in flooring sales. He then connected with another company for flooring sales upon the move to Oklahoma City and again with the move back to California. In 2003 he retired and joined Sharon in traveling around California, to Hawaii and Guam. Back in Oklahoma City, he volunteered at First United Methodist Church and was active riding motorcycles with a group from church.
In 1998, Jerry and Sharon attended their first Marriage Encounter weekend and found their lives changed. They then began presenting weekends for other couples in Oklahoma and in California. They stayed active in Marriage Encounter until retiring to Independence.
In 2001, daughter Pamela married Alex West. Grandchildren Annali West and Tyler West came into the family in 2006 and 2008. In 2008, upon Sharon's retirement, Jerry and Sharon moved to Independence to help care for the grandchildren. One of his favorite activities was taking Annali and Tyler for rides in his wagon pulled by the yard tractor.
Jerry spent four months in late 2005 and early 2006 taking care of Michael as he fought colon cancer. He then accompanied Michael on a 10-day trip to Alaska in July 2006. Upon his return, Jerry had quadruple bypass heart surgery in August 2006. Michael died December 5, 2006.
Jerry became an election judge for Jackson County, from 2008 through 2020. He also served as facilitator for AARP Tax Aide from 2018 through 2020. He led the United Methodist Men at Christ United Methodist Church for two terms as president and was very involved in the Tuesday Morning Men's Bible Study. Three times he organized and led a group in preparing a pictorial church directory for Christ Church. He was a leader of two small community groups, sang with the praise band at contemporary worship and with the chancel choir at traditional worship, and helped lead the Alpha Course for a few years. In 2013, Jerry joined the Kansas City Metro Men's Chorus and participated in numerous concerts that raised funds for a variety of community organizations throughout the KC metro. He helped with the Food Drop at Christ Church, directing traffic, hauling cardboard, and working wherever needed. He also helped with Bible School and Creative Arts Camp.
Loving to travel, Jerry and Sharon have been to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam. They have traveled to Canada, Mexico, Central America, Israel, Europe, Great Britain, Ireland, and China, and on 10 cruises, starting with Hawaii in 1994, and most recently a Viking River Cruise in Germany and France in 2018. In 2006, Jerry and Sharon acquired a 17-foot Casita camper and took it from coast to coast, California to Florida, Washington to Maine and into Canada. Some trips were as long as 58 days and 8,700 miles. After giving up camping for health reasons, Jerry continued to enjoy short trips and outings.
Jerry passed away Friday, August 19, 2022, at his home in Independence, Missouri. Jerry was preceded in death by his father in 1964, son Michael in 2006, his mother in 2008, and his sister Patsy in 2020. Surviving are wife Sharon Adkisson of the home, daughter and son-in-law Pamela and Alex West, grandchildren Annali and Tyler West, brother Ernest Adkisson and wife Betty, brother-in-law Brian Piercy, sister-in-law Phyllis Rabun, and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.
Jerry accepted Jesus as his Savior as a youth and was baptized at First Baptist Church of Anthony. While in high school, he felt the call of the Holy Spirit to enter the ministry and was licensed to preach by First Baptist. He attended Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas, where, in addition to classes, he worked in the university's kitchen, participated in vocal music, and became active in the college youth program at North Baptist Church.
At Ottawa, Jerry soon met the love of his life, Sharon Piercy, and they were married January 26, 1963. He became a student pastor at small churches in rural Kansas. Son Michael Kevin Adkisson was born February 6, 1964. When Jerry realized school work was not his strong point, he began working full time, first at Moore Chevrolet in Ottawa and then in concrete construction in Kansas City. He then found an apprenticeship position in floor covering installation in 1965 in Claycomo, Missouri. After Sharon's graduation, the family moved to Claycomo and then to Gladstone.
They bought their first home on Old Pike Road in Gladstone in February 1968. Daughter Pamela Lynn Adkisson was born in 1969. After Jerry completed his apprenticeship, he decided to go into business for himself and started "Jerry's Expert Carpet Installation" in 1970. For a time, he employed a large crew of 12 installers but later realized he could do better with only one or two employees working along with him. Over the years, he trained several apprentices to become skilled workmen, including his dear friend Jerry Dunn. Jerry and Peggy Dunn became close friends and enjoyed many family gatherings with homemade ice cream.
Wanting to expand his offerings, he decided to open Metro Floor Covering in 1980 to offer sales of carpet and other flooring. The business was not in a high traffic area and did not do well, so he returned to concentrating on installation. Some of his interesting jobs included the control tower in the railroad yards in Kansas City, Kansas, the Sports Authority suite at Arrowhead Stadium, the Harry Truman Presidential Library, and specialty custom-designed carpets for an interior designer, as well as several churches and schools and many homes.
During these years, Jerry was very active at Grace Baptist Church, serving on the Board of Trustees, Board of Deacons, chancel choir, youth sponsor, first tenor in Grace Notes Quartet, and president of Men of Grace. He worked at the area and regional level as President of American Baptist Men and attended national conventions and conferences at American Baptist Assembly, Green Lake, Wisconsin. His first mission trip was to Nicaragua and El Salvador in March 1975, where he installed flooring at a Baptist camp. Other mission trips were to the Hopi reservation in Arizona, Bacone College in Oklahoma, St. Louis, Ottawa, and others.
Jerry was active with community leaders in the Gladstone Citizens Group, as president in 1968; and he served on the Gladstone Park Board 1969-1971, during the time Happy Rock Park was developed. He was also assistant Scoutmaster and Board member with Boy Scout Troop 613 at Grace Baptist and went to Bartle Scout Reservation with the troop several times. He was an honorary brave Slithering Copperhead in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Jerry was named an Outstanding Young Man of America in 1973. Jerry enjoyed bowling and sponsored a team. He also was proud of the prize he won bowling: a football autographed by most of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl IV team!
Jerry got his first motorcycle in 1969 and rode off-road with fellow installers and friends. He also liked to camp with both Scouts and family. Later he bought a bright yellow fiberglass canoe which looked cool atop the forest green van. The family hosted three exchange students: Pablo from Costa Rica in 1977-78, Masae from Japan, 1986-87, and Hannah from Saint Vincent in 1989. Jerry also struck up friendships with new members at church, especially those having a hard time. He was always willing to be a helping hand to one who needed it, whether it was giving his winter gloves to a hitchhiker or opening his home for several weeks to someone in need.
In 1985, son Michael was married to Valerie Lincoln.
Jerry was instrumental in helping start a new American Baptist Church in Platte County in 1989, originally named Church of the Master, later Rolling Hills Community Church. He also sang in the Northland Community Chorus. When Sharon started traveling with FDIC in 1989, Jerry got a job in Hays, Kansas, and commuted every weekend to the new church.
In 1990, he followed Sharon with her job to California, then to Connecticut in 1994, to Oklahoma City in 1997, back to California in 2003, then back to Oklahoma City in 2005. While working as an installer in California, Jerry installed flooring in such diverse places as a boat, an RV, an oil tanker in San Francisco Bay, at the San Francisco airport, and along the trolley route in San Francisco, where he had to move out of the way when the trolley rang its bell. He continued being active in church, the choir, and small groups, and chaperoned a youth mission trip to Tijuana. After purchasing another motorcycle, he and Sharon rode with the Retreads riders and the Christian Motorcyclists Association. There were lots of camping trips and sightseeing outings in California and then Connecticut, including the "Ride to the Gap" in Washington, DC, in October 1997 where about 5,000 motorcyclists met with up to 1 million men for prayer on the national mall.
In December 1992, Jerry had another surgery on his knee and was told he could no longer install flooring. In May 1993, he celebrated the end of 28 years of installing flooring with a "Hanging Up the Knee-Pads Party." After rehabilitation and retraining, he started working as a travel agent in 1994, telling people where to go. Unfortunately, after the move to Connecticut, no travel positions were to be found, so after a brief stint carrying mail, Jerry started working in flooring sales. He then connected with another company for flooring sales upon the move to Oklahoma City and again with the move back to California. In 2003 he retired and joined Sharon in traveling around California, to Hawaii and Guam. Back in Oklahoma City, he volunteered at First United Methodist Church and was active riding motorcycles with a group from church.
In 1998, Jerry and Sharon attended their first Marriage Encounter weekend and found their lives changed. They then began presenting weekends for other couples in Oklahoma and in California. They stayed active in Marriage Encounter until retiring to Independence.
In 2001, daughter Pamela married Alex West. Grandchildren Annali West and Tyler West came into the family in 2006 and 2008. In 2008, upon Sharon's retirement, Jerry and Sharon moved to Independence to help care for the grandchildren. One of his favorite activities was taking Annali and Tyler for rides in his wagon pulled by the yard tractor.
Jerry spent four months in late 2005 and early 2006 taking care of Michael as he fought colon cancer. He then accompanied Michael on a 10-day trip to Alaska in July 2006. Upon his return, Jerry had quadruple bypass heart surgery in August 2006. Michael died December 5, 2006.
Jerry became an election judge for Jackson County, from 2008 through 2020. He also served as facilitator for AARP Tax Aide from 2018 through 2020. He led the United Methodist Men at Christ United Methodist Church for two terms as president and was very involved in the Tuesday Morning Men's Bible Study. Three times he organized and led a group in preparing a pictorial church directory for Christ Church. He was a leader of two small community groups, sang with the praise band at contemporary worship and with the chancel choir at traditional worship, and helped lead the Alpha Course for a few years. In 2013, Jerry joined the Kansas City Metro Men's Chorus and participated in numerous concerts that raised funds for a variety of community organizations throughout the KC metro. He helped with the Food Drop at Christ Church, directing traffic, hauling cardboard, and working wherever needed. He also helped with Bible School and Creative Arts Camp.
Loving to travel, Jerry and Sharon have been to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam. They have traveled to Canada, Mexico, Central America, Israel, Europe, Great Britain, Ireland, and China, and on 10 cruises, starting with Hawaii in 1994, and most recently a Viking River Cruise in Germany and France in 2018. In 2006, Jerry and Sharon acquired a 17-foot Casita camper and took it from coast to coast, California to Florida, Washington to Maine and into Canada. Some trips were as long as 58 days and 8,700 miles. After giving up camping for health reasons, Jerry continued to enjoy short trips and outings.
Jerry passed away Friday, August 19, 2022, at his home in Independence, Missouri. Jerry was preceded in death by his father in 1964, son Michael in 2006, his mother in 2008, and his sister Patsy in 2020. Surviving are wife Sharon Adkisson of the home, daughter and son-in-law Pamela and Alex West, grandchildren Annali and Tyler West, brother Ernest Adkisson and wife Betty, brother-in-law Brian Piercy, sister-in-law Phyllis Rabun, and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.
Jerry Lee Adkisson was born November 7, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas, to Bertie Nadine Jones and Gerald Lee Adkisson, the second of three children in the family. The family was in Wichita because Gerald was working at Boeing for the war effort. After leaving Wichita, Jerry's earliest years were spent in Freeport, Kansas, where his father ran the grain elevator. When Jerry was about 10, the family moved to the larger town of Anthony, Kansas, where Jerry graduated from Anthony High School in 1961. He played on the football team which was undefeated his senior year. He also participated in band and vocal music, as well as theatrical productions. He liked playing golf with his parents and boating at Anthony Lake. During summers, he worked for farmers, including his Uncle Glenn Barber.
Jerry accepted Jesus as his Savior as a youth and was baptized at First Baptist Church of Anthony. While in high school, he felt the call of the Holy Spirit to enter the ministry and was licensed to preach by First Baptist. He attended Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas, where, in addition to classes, he worked in the university's kitchen, participated in vocal music, and became active in the college youth program at North Baptist Church.
At Ottawa, Jerry soon met the love of his life, Sharon Piercy, and they were married January 26, 1963. He became a student pastor at small churches in rural Kansas. Son Michael Kevin Adkisson was born February 6, 1964. When Jerry realized school work was not his strong point, he began working full time, first at Moore Chevrolet in Ottawa and then in concrete construction in Kansas City. He then found an apprenticeship position in floor covering installation in 1965 in Claycomo, Missouri. After Sharon's graduation, the family moved to Claycomo and then to Gladstone.
They bought their first home on Old Pike Road in Gladstone in February 1968. Daughter Pamela Lynn Adkisson was born in 1969. After Jerry completed his apprenticeship, he decided to go into business for himself and started "Jerry's Expert Carpet Installation" in 1970. For a time, he employed a large crew of 12 installers but later realized he could do better with only one or two employees working along with him. Over the years, he trained several apprentices to become skilled workmen, including his dear friend Jerry Dunn. Jerry and Peggy Dunn became close friends and enjoyed many family gatherings with homemade ice cream.
Wanting to expand his offerings, he decided to open Metro Floor Covering in 1980 to offer sales of carpet and other flooring. The business was not in a high traffic area and did not do well, so he returned to concentrating on installation. Some of his interesting jobs included the control tower in the railroad yards in Kansas City, Kansas, the Sports Authority suite at Arrowhead Stadium, the Harry Truman Presidential Library, and specialty custom-designed carpets for an interior designer, as well as several churches and schools and many homes.
During these years, Jerry was very active at Grace Baptist Church, serving on the Board of Trustees, Board of Deacons, chancel choir, youth sponsor, first tenor in Grace Notes Quartet, and president of Men of Grace. He worked at the area and regional level as President of American Baptist Men and attended national conventions and conferences at American Baptist Assembly, Green Lake, Wisconsin. His first mission trip was to Nicaragua and El Salvador in March 1975, where he installed flooring at a Baptist camp. Other mission trips were to the Hopi reservation in Arizona, Bacone College in Oklahoma, St. Louis, Ottawa, and others.
Jerry was active with community leaders in the Gladstone Citizens Group, as president in 1968; and he served on the Gladstone Park Board 1969-1971, during the time Happy Rock Park was developed. He was also assistant Scoutmaster and Board member with Boy Scout Troop 613 at Grace Baptist and went to Bartle Scout Reservation with the troop several times. He was an honorary brave Slithering Copperhead in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Jerry was named an Outstanding Young Man of America in 1973. Jerry enjoyed bowling and sponsored a team. He also was proud of the prize he won bowling: a football autographed by most of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl IV team!
Jerry got his first motorcycle in 1969 and rode off-road with fellow installers and friends. He also liked to camp with both Scouts and family. Later he bought a bright yellow fiberglass canoe which looked cool atop the forest green van. The family hosted three exchange students: Pablo from Costa Rica in 1977-78, Masae from Japan, 1986-87, and Hannah from Saint Vincent in 1989. Jerry also struck up friendships with new members at church, especially those having a hard time. He was always willing to be a helping hand to one who needed it, whether it was giving his winter gloves to a hitchhiker or opening his home for several weeks to someone in need.
In 1985, son Michael was married to Valerie Lincoln.
Jerry was instrumental in helping start a new American Baptist Church in Platte County in 1989, originally named Church of the Master, later Rolling Hills Community Church. He also sang in the Northland Community Chorus. When Sharon started traveling with FDIC in 1989, Jerry got a job in Hays, Kansas, and commuted every weekend to the new church.
In 1990, he followed Sharon with her job to California, then to Connecticut in 1994, to Oklahoma City in 1997, back to California in 2003, then back to Oklahoma City in 2005. While working as an installer in California, Jerry installed flooring in such diverse places as a boat, an RV, an oil tanker in San Francisco Bay, at the San Francisco airport, and along the trolley route in San Francisco, where he had to move out of the way when the trolley rang its bell. He continued being active in church, the choir, and small groups, and chaperoned a youth mission trip to Tijuana. After purchasing another motorcycle, he and Sharon rode with the Retreads riders and the Christian Motorcyclists Association. There were lots of camping trips and sightseeing outings in California and then Connecticut, including the "Ride to the Gap" in Washington, DC, in October 1997 where about 5,000 motorcyclists met with up to 1 million men for prayer on the national mall.
In December 1992, Jerry had another surgery on his knee and was told he could no longer install flooring. In May 1993, he celebrated the end of 28 years of installing flooring with a "Hanging Up the Knee-Pads Party." After rehabilitation and retraining, he started working as a travel agent in 1994, telling people where to go. Unfortunately, after the move to Connecticut, no travel positions were to be found, so after a brief stint carrying mail, Jerry started working in flooring sales. He then connected with another company for flooring sales upon the move to Oklahoma City and again with the move back to California. In 2003 he retired and joined Sharon in traveling around California, to Hawaii and Guam. Back in Oklahoma City, he volunteered at First United Methodist Church and was active riding motorcycles with a group from church.
In 1998, Jerry and Sharon attended their first Marriage Encounter weekend and found their lives changed. They then began presenting weekends for other couples in Oklahoma and in California. They stayed active in Marriage Encounter until retiring to Independence.
In 2001, daughter Pamela married Alex West. Grandchildren Annali West and Tyler West came into the family in 2006 and 2008. In 2008, upon Sharon's retirement, Jerry and Sharon moved to Independence to help care for the grandchildren. One of his favorite activities was taking Annali and Tyler for rides in his wagon pulled by the yard tractor.
Jerry spent four months in late 2005 and early 2006 taking care of Michael as he fought colon cancer. He then accompanied Michael on a 10-day trip to Alaska in July 2006. Upon his return, Jerry had quadruple bypass heart surgery in August 2006. Michael died December 5, 2006.
Jerry became an election judge for Jackson County, from 2008 through 2020. He also served as facilitator for AARP Tax Aide from 2018 through 2020. He led the United Methodist Men at Christ United Methodist Church for two terms as president and was very involved in the Tuesday Morning Men's Bible Study. Three times he organized and led a group in preparing a pictorial church directory for Christ Church. He was a leader of two small community groups, sang with the praise band at contemporary worship and with the chancel choir at traditional worship, and helped lead the Alpha Course for a few years. In 2013, Jerry joined the Kansas City Metro Men's Chorus and participated in numerous concerts that raised funds for a variety of community organizations throughout the KC metro. He helped with the Food Drop at Christ Church, directing traffic, hauling cardboard, and working wherever needed. He also helped with Bible School and Creative Arts Camp.
Loving to travel, Jerry and Sharon have been to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam. They have traveled to Canada, Mexico, Central America, Israel, Europe, Great Britain, Ireland, and China, and on 10 cruises, starting with Hawaii in 1994, and most recently a Viking River Cruise in Germany and France in 2018. In 2006, Jerry and Sharon acquired a 17-foot Casita camper and took it from coast to coast, California to Florida, Washington to Maine and into Canada. Some trips were as long as 58 days and 8,700 miles. After giving up camping for health reasons, Jerry continued to enjoy short trips and outings.
Jerry passed away Friday, August 19, 2022, at his home in Independence, Missouri. Jerry was preceded in death by his father in 1964, son Michael in 2006, his mother in 2008, and his sister Patsy in 2020. Surviving are wife Sharon Adkisson of the home, daughter and son-in-law Pamela and Alex West, grandchildren Annali and Tyler West, brother Ernest Adkisson and wife Betty, brother-in-law Brian Piercy, sister-in-law Phyllis Rabun, and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.
Jerry accepted Jesus as his Savior as a youth and was baptized at First Baptist Church of Anthony. While in high school, he felt the call of the Holy Spirit to enter the ministry and was licensed to preach by First Baptist. He attended Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas, where, in addition to classes, he worked in the university's kitchen, participated in vocal music, and became active in the college youth program at North Baptist Church.
At Ottawa, Jerry soon met the love of his life, Sharon Piercy, and they were married January 26, 1963. He became a student pastor at small churches in rural Kansas. Son Michael Kevin Adkisson was born February 6, 1964. When Jerry realized school work was not his strong point, he began working full time, first at Moore Chevrolet in Ottawa and then in concrete construction in Kansas City. He then found an apprenticeship position in floor covering installation in 1965 in Claycomo, Missouri. After Sharon's graduation, the family moved to Claycomo and then to Gladstone.
They bought their first home on Old Pike Road in Gladstone in February 1968. Daughter Pamela Lynn Adkisson was born in 1969. After Jerry completed his apprenticeship, he decided to go into business for himself and started "Jerry's Expert Carpet Installation" in 1970. For a time, he employed a large crew of 12 installers but later realized he could do better with only one or two employees working along with him. Over the years, he trained several apprentices to become skilled workmen, including his dear friend Jerry Dunn. Jerry and Peggy Dunn became close friends and enjoyed many family gatherings with homemade ice cream.
Wanting to expand his offerings, he decided to open Metro Floor Covering in 1980 to offer sales of carpet and other flooring. The business was not in a high traffic area and did not do well, so he returned to concentrating on installation. Some of his interesting jobs included the control tower in the railroad yards in Kansas City, Kansas, the Sports Authority suite at Arrowhead Stadium, the Harry Truman Presidential Library, and specialty custom-designed carpets for an interior designer, as well as several churches and schools and many homes.
During these years, Jerry was very active at Grace Baptist Church, serving on the Board of Trustees, Board of Deacons, chancel choir, youth sponsor, first tenor in Grace Notes Quartet, and president of Men of Grace. He worked at the area and regional level as President of American Baptist Men and attended national conventions and conferences at American Baptist Assembly, Green Lake, Wisconsin. His first mission trip was to Nicaragua and El Salvador in March 1975, where he installed flooring at a Baptist camp. Other mission trips were to the Hopi reservation in Arizona, Bacone College in Oklahoma, St. Louis, Ottawa, and others.
Jerry was active with community leaders in the Gladstone Citizens Group, as president in 1968; and he served on the Gladstone Park Board 1969-1971, during the time Happy Rock Park was developed. He was also assistant Scoutmaster and Board member with Boy Scout Troop 613 at Grace Baptist and went to Bartle Scout Reservation with the troop several times. He was an honorary brave Slithering Copperhead in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Jerry was named an Outstanding Young Man of America in 1973. Jerry enjoyed bowling and sponsored a team. He also was proud of the prize he won bowling: a football autographed by most of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl IV team!
Jerry got his first motorcycle in 1969 and rode off-road with fellow installers and friends. He also liked to camp with both Scouts and family. Later he bought a bright yellow fiberglass canoe which looked cool atop the forest green van. The family hosted three exchange students: Pablo from Costa Rica in 1977-78, Masae from Japan, 1986-87, and Hannah from Saint Vincent in 1989. Jerry also struck up friendships with new members at church, especially those having a hard time. He was always willing to be a helping hand to one who needed it, whether it was giving his winter gloves to a hitchhiker or opening his home for several weeks to someone in need.
In 1985, son Michael was married to Valerie Lincoln.
Jerry was instrumental in helping start a new American Baptist Church in Platte County in 1989, originally named Church of the Master, later Rolling Hills Community Church. He also sang in the Northland Community Chorus. When Sharon started traveling with FDIC in 1989, Jerry got a job in Hays, Kansas, and commuted every weekend to the new church.
In 1990, he followed Sharon with her job to California, then to Connecticut in 1994, to Oklahoma City in 1997, back to California in 2003, then back to Oklahoma City in 2005. While working as an installer in California, Jerry installed flooring in such diverse places as a boat, an RV, an oil tanker in San Francisco Bay, at the San Francisco airport, and along the trolley route in San Francisco, where he had to move out of the way when the trolley rang its bell. He continued being active in church, the choir, and small groups, and chaperoned a youth mission trip to Tijuana. After purchasing another motorcycle, he and Sharon rode with the Retreads riders and the Christian Motorcyclists Association. There were lots of camping trips and sightseeing outings in California and then Connecticut, including the "Ride to the Gap" in Washington, DC, in October 1997 where about 5,000 motorcyclists met with up to 1 million men for prayer on the national mall.
In December 1992, Jerry had another surgery on his knee and was told he could no longer install flooring. In May 1993, he celebrated the end of 28 years of installing flooring with a "Hanging Up the Knee-Pads Party." After rehabilitation and retraining, he started working as a travel agent in 1994, telling people where to go. Unfortunately, after the move to Connecticut, no travel positions were to be found, so after a brief stint carrying mail, Jerry started working in flooring sales. He then connected with another company for flooring sales upon the move to Oklahoma City and again with the move back to California. In 2003 he retired and joined Sharon in traveling around California, to Hawaii and Guam. Back in Oklahoma City, he volunteered at First United Methodist Church and was active riding motorcycles with a group from church.
In 1998, Jerry and Sharon attended their first Marriage Encounter weekend and found their lives changed. They then began presenting weekends for other couples in Oklahoma and in California. They stayed active in Marriage Encounter until retiring to Independence.
In 2001, daughter Pamela married Alex West. Grandchildren Annali West and Tyler West came into the family in 2006 and 2008. In 2008, upon Sharon's retirement, Jerry and Sharon moved to Independence to help care for the grandchildren. One of his favorite activities was taking Annali and Tyler for rides in his wagon pulled by the yard tractor.
Jerry spent four months in late 2005 and early 2006 taking care of Michael as he fought colon cancer. He then accompanied Michael on a 10-day trip to Alaska in July 2006. Upon his return, Jerry had quadruple bypass heart surgery in August 2006. Michael died December 5, 2006.
Jerry became an election judge for Jackson County, from 2008 through 2020. He also served as facilitator for AARP Tax Aide from 2018 through 2020. He led the United Methodist Men at Christ United Methodist Church for two terms as president and was very involved in the Tuesday Morning Men's Bible Study. Three times he organized and led a group in preparing a pictorial church directory for Christ Church. He was a leader of two small community groups, sang with the praise band at contemporary worship and with the chancel choir at traditional worship, and helped lead the Alpha Course for a few years. In 2013, Jerry joined the Kansas City Metro Men's Chorus and participated in numerous concerts that raised funds for a variety of community organizations throughout the KC metro. He helped with the Food Drop at Christ Church, directing traffic, hauling cardboard, and working wherever needed. He also helped with Bible School and Creative Arts Camp.
Loving to travel, Jerry and Sharon have been to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam. They have traveled to Canada, Mexico, Central America, Israel, Europe, Great Britain, Ireland, and China, and on 10 cruises, starting with Hawaii in 1994, and most recently a Viking River Cruise in Germany and France in 2018. In 2006, Jerry and Sharon acquired a 17-foot Casita camper and took it from coast to coast, California to Florida, Washington to Maine and into Canada. Some trips were as long as 58 days and 8,700 miles. After giving up camping for health reasons, Jerry continued to enjoy short trips and outings.
Jerry passed away Friday, August 19, 2022, at his home in Independence, Missouri. Jerry was preceded in death by his father in 1964, son Michael in 2006, his mother in 2008, and his sister Patsy in 2020. Surviving are wife Sharon Adkisson of the home, daughter and son-in-law Pamela and Alex West, grandchildren Annali and Tyler West, brother Ernest Adkisson and wife Betty, brother-in-law Brian Piercy, sister-in-law Phyllis Rabun, and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.
Gravesite Details
Section 3, Grave 17
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
