Jerry Lee Klein

Jerry L. Klein, age 75, was born on October 25, 1947, in Walters, Oklahoma, the son of Rudolf and Mable Klein, and passed away on February 11, 2023, in Amarillo Texas. Jerry was born in the house where his mother was still living when she died, next door to his Grandma Elliott, and in the same town as his mother’s two sisters and their families. He loved that part of living in Walters. He learned to work in Walters; and he learned to love photography from his father as well. His older brother Richard and first cousin Marion Musgrove, who were both his “big brothers” as far as he was concerned were his earliest role models. They taught him to hunt, fish, raise chickens, pigeons, and rabbits. He was 12 years old the first time he drove a car—Marion’s brand new 1959 Chevrolet Impala (it had a 409 and 3 deuces).

But Jerry has always believed that his life really began when he went to college. It was there that he found what he wanted to do with his life. He also met life-long friends that still meant the world to him when he died. And, it was in college that he met the love of his life, Janie Keeth. They married on April 20,1969; and by the time they moved to West Texas in 1975, they had been blessed with two fine sons, Jerry II and John.

Jerry and his family moved to Amarillo on August 3, 1982, where he finally got to be, and feel successful at what he had always wanted to be—a Bible Chair Director. He came here to direct the Amarillo Bible Chair at Amarillo College and taught Greek, Philosophy, and Religion classes for AC. During his years in Amarillo, he also served as a minister at the Comanche Trail Church of Christ, working with one of those best friends he made in college, Loran Harper, and as a Bible teacher at Caprock High School. Altogether, he taught at AC for 25 years, and was the Amarillo Bible Chair Director there for eighteen of those years. He was also one of the ministers at the Comanche Trail Church of Christ for 18 years. He was very proud to be a part of both his Amarillo College and Comanche Trail Church of Christ families. He retired at the end of 2017, at the age of 70, at which time “Campus for Christ” gave him their Lifetime Achievement Award for his many years of campus ministry (30 years in all).

Jerry always wanted to be a faithful Christian first of all, a good husband, father, and grandfather second, and a good teacher and friend to others. His biography appeared regularly in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, and Who’s Who in Religion until the time of his retirement.

The greatest awards he ever received though, were the love given him by his wife, children and grandchildren. They were his greatest successes, his pride and joy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his older brother Richard, his mother and father-in-law Gwen and Elbert Keeth, and one son, Jason Keeth Klein, as well as grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins.

He is survived by his wife Janie of the home, two sons, Jerry II and partner Jennifer; John and wife Jill, all of Amarillo; by four grandchildren: Jace, Emily, Jack and Bryson; and, by two brothers-in-law, Lyndon Keeth of Tuttle, Oklahoma; and Bernard Keeth and wife Laura of Norman, Oklahoma; his other “big-brother” Marion Musgrove and his family of Fort Worth; and his former sister-in-law, Peggy Fletcher of Wichita Falls. In addition, he is survived by one nephew, two nieces and their families, two aunts, and several cousins. Jerry was especially grateful that Janie’s family accepted him as one of their own from the time they got married. He is survived by many brothers and sisters in Christ, friends, colleagues and former students.

Memorials may be given to the Amarillo Bible Chair at Amarillo College, the Comanche Trail Church of Christ, the High Plains Children’s Home, or the Mountain States Children’s Home in Longmont, Colorado. Jerry’s heart was in all these works.