Gerald “Jerry” D. Teller

Gerald “Jerry” D. Teller, 77, of Hermosa, passed away Monday, December 28, 2020 at Monument Hospital in Rapid City.

A memorial service was held Friday, January 22, 2021 at United Church of Christ in Hermosa. Memorial contributions may be made payable to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund in honor of Gerald Teller.

Jerry was born September 20, 1943 to Lloyd and Bernice (Van Sickle) Teller at their homestead ranch south of Red Elm, SD. He attended grade school at the Lewis Country School with his older brother, Kenny and younger sister, Gloria. He then graduated in 1961 from Dupree High School.

He married his first wife, Ruth Brchan, on March 14, 1965 and lived the first few years in Belle Fourche and had a daughter - Jody. They then moved to the White Thunder Ranch in Milesville, where Jerry worked for Western Cattle Company for some time and their son, Jerod was born. The company then relocated the family to the Hermosa area in the fall of 1969 and established a home in the early 1970’s.  Jerry left Western Cattle Company and started working at Knecht Lumber in Rapid City. In 1981 he started driving truck for the Nash Finch Company, where he retired after 36 years in 2017. For the past 27 years Jerry also delivered the Quick Quarter paper once a week in the southern Black Hills in Hermosa, Hot Springs, Custer, Hill City, and Keystone.

Jerry met his second wife, KJ in 1992 and then married on August 7, 1993. They continued living in Hermosa and in 1994 their daughter, Elizabeth was born. 

Jerry was the guy you could always talk to. He had great stories to share and always loved to listen to other’s stories. He created friendships with almost every person he encountered and met. When he drove truck and delivered the Quick Quarter, he met so many people who he built a lasting friendship with. He always knew how to make people laugh and had a good joke to tell. Jerry was extremely passionate about rodeo, whether it was on TV or in person, professional rodeo, high school rodeo or even a jackpot roping.  He never missed the chance to watch it or attend if he could. His all-time favorite rodeos to watch or attend were the ones that his son, Jerod and his grandchildren were competing in.

Jerry dearly loved his wife and family and was very proud of the accomplishments of his children. He was a proud grandpa and great grandpa and loved telling people about his family. He enjoyed drinking coffee in the morning and having a great conversation. He liked to collect western movies DVD and VHS, country CDs and cassette tapes, and Western books, specifically Louis L’Amour books.

Thankful for sharing Jerry’s life are his wife, KJ Teller of Hermosa; his son, Jerod (Becky) Teller of Maricopa, AZ; his daughter, Elizabeth Teller of Hermosa; three grandchildren, Clinton (Ashley) Teller of Prescott, AZ, Cullen (Karly) Teller of Fort Collins, CO, Corilynn (Jared) Harris or San Angelo , TX; and two great grandchildren. He is also survived by siblings, Kenny (Donna) Teller of Belle Fourche, Gloria (Jim) English of Spearfish, and numerous nieces and nephews and friends.

Preceding him in death where his parents, Lloyd Teller (1970) and Bernice Teller (1999); his daughter, Jody Lynn Teller (1981); his brother, Stanley Teller (2012); and two sisters, Marcella Kissack (2013) and Doris Frankfurth (2019).