Gerald Bye

Gerald Martin "Jerry" Bye was born in Pequot Lakes, on January 4, 1944. He was the second child and only son of Emil A. and Charlotte M. (Salewske) Bye. Jerry attended public school in Pequot Lakes, then Valley City, ND, and finally West St. Paul, MN, where he graduated high school in 1962. He entered the US Navy in 1964 and served four years on the USS America before being honorably discharged in 1968.

Jerry was a licensed Mechanical Engineer and worked in that capacity at the old Curtis Hotel in Minneapolis, and later at St. John's Hospital in St. Paul. He was a proud member of his union and served as steward for a number of years. He retired in 2008 and returned to Pequot Lakes for a try at small town living. There he became an active member in Our Savior's Lutheran Church and found satisfaction in working with various volunteer groups within the church. He also enjoyed spending time on the farm homesteaded by his grandparents in Loon Lake Township.

Jerry was a soft-spoken man who valued his upbringing in the Christian faith. For all of his life he was a truly kind-hearted person who practiced a genuine love for his fellow travelers. He generously lent his physical or emotional or monetary help when it was needed.

Jerry suffered with COPD and he left this world very suddenly in the early morning of May 1, 2016. In addition to devoted family and friends, his mourners include a son, Robert and wife, Nikki, and their daughters, Stella and Violet of Vancouver, WA; daughter, Lori and husband, Patrick Manani, and their daughters, Hailey and Alexa, of Phoenix, AZ; sister, Karen, of Pequot Lakes; sister, Terry and husband, Kevin Russell, of Denver, CO.

He enriched our lives and we will miss him forever.
Visitation will take place at Kline Funeral Home, Pequot Lakes, on Friday, May 6, from 5 to 7 PM. A memorial service will be held the following Saturday, May 14, at 10 AM at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Pequot Lakes.