Gerald Hepp Obituary (1953 - 2024)

Born Apr 11, 1953, Gerald Hepp attended Watertown High School in Watertown, WI. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Gerald Hepp.

Graduation Year	Class of 1971
Date of Birth	Apr 11, 1953
Date of Passing	Jun 24, 2024
About	(no additional information)
Events	Gerald "Jerry" Lee Hepp of Watertown, aged 71, passed away on Monday, June 24, 2024. He suffered an unexpected cardiac event that took him home. Jerry was born on April 11, 1953, in Watertown to Reuben and Shirley (Eckhardt) Hepp. He grew up on the family farm as one of eight children and graduated from Watertown High School in 1971. Immediately following high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps for two years. He served honorably, received several meritorious awards, and was discharged as an E-5 Sgt. Jerry worked at Koplin Excavating as an equipment operator from 1973 to 1980, when he started his own business, Jerry Hepp Excavating Inc. He married Linda Hensler in June of 1979. They have two children, Ryan Hepp and Casey Riggs, both of Watertown. Jerry successfully owned and operated his own business for over 40 years. Now it’s in the very capable hands of his son, Ryan. Jerry enjoyed working with his hands, running equipment, and tinkering in his garage and shed. He was very proud of all of his retirement projects. He was involved in countless events that benefited the community, from fundraisers through the various boards and committees he was a part of, to the donation of materials and equipment through the excavating company to flag responsibilities at Aero Park, Sharp Corner Park, and Veterans Park. However, none of these jobs can compare to Jerry’s other skills. No one could build better paper airplanes, ramps, and mini meeting rooms than Grandpa. Jerry held many titles in his life, but his most prized was Grandpa. He was always supportive of his children and was an absolute hero to his grandchildren: Colby, Levi, and Keaton Hepp, Myles Krueger, and Elowyn Riggs. Jerry started his excavating company in April of 1980 and Hepp’s Warehousing, LLC, in 1987. He developed the Hepp Heights Subdivision in 2005. He was a charter member of the Watertown Marine Corps League - Bartelme-Schwefel detachment and received several service awards through the years for continued contributions “for the good of the league.” He was named Marine of the Year in 1996. He was instrumental in the development of Marine Corps League Aero Park on Boomer St, from the excavating of the land for the shelter and bathrooms to the 911 monument, pergola, and granite walls. Expanding and maintaining Aero Park has been a labor of love for both Jerry and his brother Steve and their families. He helped build the Survive Alive Fire House and pulled it through the 4th of July parade in 1994. He sponsored and/or pulled hundreds of units through Watertown parades. He was the parade marshal in 1998. Jerry was a board member of Chickens Unlimited, American Legion, The Turners, Watertown Conservation Club, other clubs in the community, Watertown Chamber of Commerce, and Watertown Airport Commission Board. He had the Main St bridge named after him in 2022. Jerry is survived by his wife, Linda Hepp; son, Ryan (Mallory) Hepp; daughter, Casey (Travis) Riggs; grandchildren, Colby, Myles, Levi, Elowyn, and Keaton; brothers, Dale, Dave (Jane), Russ (Jill), and Ron (Laurie) Hepp; sisters, Shari Nienow and Rose (Vic) Anderson; several in-laws, nieces, and nephews. Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Reuben and Shirley Hepp; his brother, Steve Hepp and his wife, Sue; and son-in-law, Matt Krueger. Visitation will be held on Friday, June 28, 2024, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Watertown from 11 until 3 o’clock and a service to follow at 3 p.m. Entombment, with military honors, will take place after the service at Glenview Cemetery in Ixonia. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated for Aero Park. Hafemeister Funeral Home and Cremation Service is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.hafemeisterfh.com.