Jerry Priester

Jerry (“JP”) James Priester was born in Pipestone, Minnesota, on June 24, 1956, to James Herbert and Betty A. (Vanden Bosch) Priester. Jerry was raised in Pipestone with his older sister Terry and younger brother Tom. Jerry played basketball and ran track in high school, graduating from Pipestone High School in 1975.

Jerry spent his entire life living in Pipestone other than a couple of summers living and working in Colorado as a young adult. He began driving for his parents’ Priester Bus business in 1974, and a love for transporting kids began. It wasn’t just about transporting the kids - Jerry liked to get to know them, encourage them, find a way to brighten their days, and teach some life lessons along the way. Jerry formed special bonds with his special needs students that often extended into his personal life. He loved to encourage and help them to surpass what others thought were their capabilities. In the early 1990s Jerry started Jasper Bus Service and then took over his parents’ Priester Bus business, retiring in 2016. A couple of years later he began working for the Pipestone County Medical Center as a courier. Continuing to be out in public was important for Jerry because of his outgoing personality.

Jerry joined the Pipestone Fire Department in 1985 and served with the Hook & Ladder Company, following in his father’s footsteps. Jerry served with the Department for 23 years, retiring in 2008. School buses were not the only big yellow vehicles Jerry loved.

Jerry married Jody (Mouw) Caldwell in 1984 and became an instant father to her son Joshua. Jordan was later born to Jerry and Jody. In 2004 Jerry ran into Sara Evans at the annual firemen’s dance. They fell quickly in love and married in 2005. Jerry then became a father a third time, to her daughter Chloe. Jerry raised all three kids as his own. He took immense pride in being their father figure, sharing with them his wisdom, work ethic, humor, and unwavering support. Jerry instilled valuable life lessons, teaching them the importance of working smarter, not harder, and passing down practical skills - most notably, the proper way to wash a vehicle. His love for his children was boundless, and his legacy of kindness and work ethic will live on in each of them.

Jerry became a grandfather in 1998 and was a grandfather to five granddaughters and one grandson. Jerry was always a kid at heart and loved spending time playing with his grandchildren as well as attending their activities and life events.

Besides family and kids, Jerry loved music, travel and grilling. Jerry particularly loved Blues music, and he and Sara attended many live concerts during their marriage, as far away as California. Jerry’s favorite trip was with Sara to the Grand Canyon and Sedona early in their marriage – he liked to tell everyone following that trip that they needed to see the Grand Canyon at least once in their lifetime and longed to return. Jerry loved grilling for his family and friends (and dogs), but he also used his grilling talents to help raise money for local sports teams, the American Legion, and other groups.

Jerry passed away on March 14, 2025, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls after a 3-week illness with a severe staph infection.

Jerry is survived by his wife Sara Priester, their children Jordan (Mandy) Priester of Apple Valley, Minnesota, Joshua (Ashley) Caldwell of Thornton, Colorado, and Chloe Lear of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and grandchildren Julia and Jonah Priester, Lily, Hudson and Evangeline Caldwell, and Gertrude Wolf. He is also survived by his father James Priester (Pipestone), brother Thomas Priester (Pipestone), and special niece Angela Floody (Sioux Falls). He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Priester, and sister, Terry Floody.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate to one of Jerry's favorite charities, including:

Make A Wish (wish.org)

National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org)

The Nature Conservancy (nature.org)

St. Joseph's Indian School (stjo.org)

Special Olympics (specialolympics.org)

Tuskegee Airmen (tuskegeeairmen.org)

Your local hospice organization