Gerald "Jerry" Kenneth Shurb

Gerald Kenneth Shurb, fondly known to family and friends as Jerry, passed away at home on December 23, 2025 as a result of end-stage heart failure.

Jerry was born on March 24, 1939 in Madison, Minnesota, where he lived with his parents and siblings on a farm bordering the Minnesota River. At age six, after an extended childhood illness, Jerry became one of the first children in Minnesota to receive penicillin after WWII. He often shared the story of his dad taking the tractor two miles to the main road in the middle of a tremendous snowstorm to pick up the doctor and drive him back to the farm. The following summer, the family moved to a farm in rural Louisburg, Minnesota.

Jerry graduated from Appleton High School in 1957 and from St. Cloud State in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology. He ran track and cross country in both high school and college. Jerry went on to serve in the Army National Guard for six years after graduation. He was employed as an insurance adjuster with the General Adjustment Bureau in Brainerd and Minneapolis during that time. Jerry began working for Tow, Inc. as a marine surveyor and adjuster in 1969; he also moved to Marine on St. Croix that year.

In 1976, Jerry married Carolyn Skarphol, and together they moved to White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where daughter Kirsten was born in 1977. In 1979 they moved to rural Hudson, Wisconsin. Jerry designed and built their family home overlooking the St. Croix River with carpentry help from Carolyn’s dad, Sigurd Skarphol. Daughter Amy was born in 1982.

Jerry purchased Tow, Inc. and became the chief marine surveyor and Correspondent for the American Institute of Marine Underwriters. He worked surveying boats and barges on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers professionally until 1999.

Following retirement, Jerry designed and built a home in the mountain town of Frisco, Colorado. A master builder and craftsman, Jerry did the general contracting and much of the finishing work himself on all of his home building projects, and he was extremely proud of this legacy.

In 2006, Jerry took on another building project, remodeling their home in Hudson, which resulted in a beautiful two-story view overlooking the St. Croix River. Jerry’s love for the river extended beyond his job; he greatly enjoyed time on the river and at the beach with family and friends during many balmy Wisconsin summers. He especially loved spending long days at the beach with his five adventurous grandchildren.

Jerry and Carolyn spent the winter months skiing, snowshoeing and enjoying the sunny days with their family and many friends in the mountains of Colorado for more than twenty years. As a volunteer ski guide at Keystone Resort, Jerry helped guests navigate the ski area and led mountain tours for many years. He valued the camaraderie of the other mountain hosts as well as the activities and events he and Carolyn attended through the Summit County Senior Center in Frisco.

Known for his resourcefulness, joyful sense of humor, and adventurous spirit, Jerry formed lasting friendships wherever he lived and spent time. His homemade sweet and savory BBQ sauce is legendary. He especially enjoyed traveling the world with Carolyn, teaching his grandchildren to downhill ski, and he deeply treasured spending winters together with family and friends in Colorado.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Alma Shurb; siblings Charles Shurb, Carol Halverson, and Howard Shurb; son-in-law Scott Stafne; and many lifelong friends. He is survived by his wife Carolyn, daughters Kirsten (Robert) Parker of Stillwater, MN and Amy (John) Schultz of Appleton, WI; grandchildren Eva and Miranda Stafne, Caleb and Hannah Schultz, and James Parker; sister Dorothy Dock of Snellville, GA; and a large extended family.

The family prefers memorials to the Summit County Senior Center in Frisco, Colorado or Bethel Lutheran Church in Hudson, Wisconsin.

A memorial service will be held at Bethel Lutheran Church in Hudson, Wisconsin on Monday, December 29, with a visitation at 9:30 a.m., service at 10:30 a.m. followed by a lunch reception. The service will also be live streamed on the Bethel website.