Gerald LeRoy Hazledine passed away peacefully, age 97, at Gordon Countryside Care in Gordon, Neb., on April 15, 2026, with his family by his side. He was born March 15, 1929, during a spring snowstorm in Deadwood, S.D., to Earl and Florence (Klinger) Hazledine of Spearfish. Florence had been staying with relatives in Lead. Earl and 6-year-old big brother Jimmy met Gerry a few days after his birth when roads were passable. Gerry grew up in Spearfish, graduating from High School in 1947. His childhood and teen years were spent at his dad’s Hazledine Drug Store, and finding mischievous adventures all over Spearfish and the surrounding area. In high school he lettered in football, basketball, and track. His senior year he took up golf, he was senior class president and was on Spearfish’s first American Legion baseball team.
He attended South Dakota State and Black Hills State universities and worked at the Homestake Sawmill in Spearfish before going into the US army in August of 1951. He was discharged in July of 1953, a few days after the official end of the Korean War. Gerry was stationed during that time in the army in Stuttgart, Germany. After returning from Germany, he was a member of the South Dakota National Guard.
In January of 1954 Gerry began dating Pat Sears, who was teaching in Belle Fourche, and they were married in Spearfish at the United Methodist Church on November 21, 1954. To this union were born four children; Linda, Lawrence, Sandra, and Michael.
They owned Gerry’s Hardware store in Spearfish, and he worked at the Minute Man Missile warehouse between Spearfish and Belle for a time before managing a motel in Minot, N.D.
Returning to Spearfish in 1964, Gerry graduated with a degree in Education in 1966 from Black Hills State University. He would later get his master’s degree from Western New Mexico University in Silver City. He taught high school business classes and drivers Ed enforce Forsyth, Montana, Douglas, AZ, and Thermopolis and Rollins, Wyoming. He coached high school wrestling, tennis, and golf.
Retiring from teaching at Rawlings in 1991, Gerry and Pat divided their time between Wyoming and Casa Grande, Ariz., and later between Spearfish and Casa Grande. They traveled to Canada, Mexico and Europe, but also loved just spending time at their cabin at Iron Creek Lake after moving to Spearfish full time, reconnecting with family and old friends.
In 2017 Gerry and Pat moved to Rushville, Neb., where their son Mike and his family reside.
Gerry’s interests and hobbies were hunting, fishing, camping, golf, and woodworking. He and Pat loved packing the camper and, with their dogs, going to craft fairs where they sold his wood projects and she painted some of them. He liked history and Western books and movies, puzzles, and game shows. He won office furniture on The Price is Right game show while visiting California. Gerry and Pat were both decades long Dodgers baseball fans and Denver Broncos football fans.
Gerry loved very much and always had great pride in all of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandson. He had a great interest in keeping up with their activities, achievements, endeavors, hopes, and dreams.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his father in law and mother in law, John and Eva Sears, his brother and sister in law Jim and Alta Hazledine, his son Lawrence, his granddaughter Sophia Rose Jones-Hazledine, his sister in law and brother in law Shirley and Harry Bickel, their daughter Deb Meginness, and Deb’s daughter Joy Austin. Gerry is also preceded in death by his loving wife of 68 years, Pat. At the time of Gerry’s passing, they had been apart nearly 4 years. And that was quite enough.
Gerry is survived by daughter Linda (John) Nemec of Midland, SD, daughter Sadra Lowery of Spearfish, and son Michael (Cate Jones-Hazledine) Hazledine of Rushville, Neb. Grandchildren Jessica Gamotis, Heather Lowery, Rachael Lowery, Evan Jones-Hazledine, Stella Jones-Hazledine, Ivy Jones-Hazledine, his great grandson Leon Gamotis, and by his nephews, nieces, and their families. Gerry is also survived by his longtime friend Arne Koski of Spearfish.
Memorial services will be July 25, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Spearfish United Methodist Church. Inurnment with military honors will follow at Spearfish Rose Hill Cemetery followed by a light luncheon back at the church.
In lieu of flowers a memorial to the newly open Spearfish Museum has been established in Gerry’s name. Gerry was loved and is so missed.