Harold Dean "Jerry" Jeremiah

Knowing the loving and caring heart of my Dad, I’m sure he touched each of your lives in some special and unforgettable way. As you all know, a good day for my Dad was being around his friends and his family joking around, telling funny stories, or teasing someone with love and laughter.

My Dad’s family moved to California from Oklahoma.

He joined the United States navy when he was 17 and served 4 years.

My Dad’s life in these parts of the Sierras began in 1967. He was hired by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s department as the resident Deputy Sheriff in the bustling metro community known as Kyburz. Dad loved living in Kyburz and he remained living, working, raising family, celebrating birthdays and Thanksgiving and Christmas in Kyburz for 48 wonderful years.

My Dad was a very intelligent man. He worked very, very hard his entire life, sometimes working 2 jobs just to ensure his family had food on the table and warm beds to climb into. With the adoring pride of a loving daughter, I can say in all honesty that my Dad could do just about anything. I remember when he got me my horse, instead of having someone drive all the way up to Kyburz to shoe her, he learned how to do it himself. He could cut hair as good as any professional barber. I remember the men who lived in Kyburz coming over just so dad could cut their hair while they laughed and joked and enjoyed each other’s company so very much. When Dad was in his early 20’s, he learned how to paint cars and do body and fender work. On his off days working as a Deputy Sheriff for the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, he worked logging large trees off the mountain by setting choke-chains so helicopters could haul them out. Law enforcement was Dad’s primary career and focus, so when he retired from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department in 1985, he acquired his contractor’s license and started working around Kyburz putting in septic systems, foundations, roads, digging out tree stumps and during winter time plowing snow. To Dad, there was nothing better than getting on his backhoe and putting in a good day’s work.

After my Mother passed away, my Dad met Esther and after they had dated for several years, they got married. I wholeheartedly believe marrying Esther was the best thing that could have happened to my Dad after my mom passed away. Honestly, I don’t think my Dad would have lived as long as he did if it wasn’t for Esther and her family bringing love and laughter into his heart and his home. He actually articulated these feelings to me on several occasions. Esther has 6 children and I know that he has a special place in his heart for each of them and continues to love them very much. This includes all the grand kids, great grand and great-great grand kids. I believe in my heart and I can see with my eyes all the members of my Dad’s family love him and admire him very deeply.

Between my husband Steve and myself, we have 5 kids and Dad loved coming to our house to celebrate each one of their birthdays and all the holidays. Once a year, Eric would invite my Dad and Esther to come down to our house and watch Wrestlemania. Dad thoroughly loved to watch wrestling with his grand kids.

Dad was the patriarch of the Jeremiah family and was admired and looked up to by his sisters, nieces and nephews.

I’m honored to have had him as my Father. He was the best. He made sure I had a beautiful childhood. He was always there for me and loved me unconditionally no matter what I did. He was my best friend, advisor and loving father. I can’t think of one thing I would change, except to have him back forever. I will miss Dad’s unconditional love, Dad’s sense of humor and Dad’s unwavering wisdom. Dad, you will be missed by everyone you so dearly loved, mentored, and cared for. Dad, you will remain in all of our hearts forever.