Jerry L. Cranston

The storied life of Jerry L. Cranston ended too soon on Friday, July 28, 2017 at Mercy Hospice in Johnston, IA. His earthly journey began July 21, 1943, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, born to Cecil and Floren (Knox) Shultz, and ended in Johnston, his home of 40 years. He lost a torrid battle to complications of Lewy Body Dementia and renal failure.

Jerry grew up in rural Mahaska County near Rose Hill, Iowa. He attended one-room Rea School through the 8th grade, graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1962 and attended both William Penn University and Drake University. Jerry considered his decades of employment at Sears Roebuck and Johnston Schools to be mere necessary distractions to his preferred and innate calling to absorb nature and the outdoors—hunting, fishing, bicycling and time spent on his 27 acres of timber in Keokuk County.

A favorite destination was Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, but equally enjoyable was the 40 years of nurturing his Johnston property and engineering various large and small scale genius ‘Jerry-rigged’ inventions. He believed that if he could dream it, he could build it--and he did. But now the busy, familiar tapping of his hammer is at rest, and the world pauses to remember. His many life-struggles, pain and mental anguish are over and his soul is at peace.

He had a very soft spot in his heart for animals, especially dogs and horses, and in later years for bird watching and geese. He wondered constantly about their culture and communication. Enjoyment of various aspects of the changing seasons brought many hours of reflection and weather watching. He never met a dusty old western movie that he didn’t like and most he’d seen so many times he knew the lines before the actors could recite them. Jerry will be remembered for his ability to fix anything, his quick wit, and wry sense of humor. He possessed an insatiable curiosity about the world around him that paired perfectly with his huge knowledge bank of trivia. He possessed an uncanny resilience to compensate for his deficits.

Preceding him in death were his parents, a son, Andy A. Roth by a previous marriage, and stillborn son, Cecil Archie. Missing his imaginative, eclectic inventions and creative genius are his wife of 48 years, Allene “Cookie” Cranston; daughter, Carrie (Brenden) Cranston Stephens of Urbandale; his pride-and-joy granddaughters, Rebecca Stephens of Iowa City, Gracie Stephens and Lindsay Stephens, both of Urbandale; sister, Pat (James) West of Hudson, Wisconsin; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. And lastly but not the least of these is his ever-present canine companion, Bailey Bedford Moon.

The family extends appreciation and thanks to Dr. Scott Honsey and staff; Dr. Heike Schmolck and staff; all individuals of Taylor House Hospice and Mercy Hospice; Susan Callison, Felicia Mullen and all staff, volunteers and friends of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Arrangements are being handled by Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway in West Des Moines where a visitation is planned for Sunday, August 6, from 3:00 to 4:30, with a short celebration of remembrance beginning at 4:30. Memorial contributions may be made to the National Park Service, Animal Rescue League of Iowa, or Mercy Hospice in Johnston.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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