Gerald “Jerry” Gene Carnes, 85, of Lincoln, passed away peacefully on October 23, 2020. He was born on October 3, 1935 to Harry and Clara (Rogge) Carnes in Palmer, Kansas. He attended Spring Creek Rural School near Palmer and 9th grade in Linn, Kansas, until the family moved to Auburn, Nebraska, where he attended high school, graduating in 1953.
After high school Jerry attended Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska, close to his home in Auburn. Jerry said if it wasn’t for Peru State he may never have attended college and was grateful for the opportunity to earn a degree. He graduated in the teaching field and began his education career in 1957 teaching and coaching basketball at Byron High School for a year. His team won a state tournament championship. Jerry married Janet Levander on June 5, 1958 at Trinity Lutheran in Bruning, Nebraska. They were married 55 years, and their two children are Carmen and Perry.
Following the year at Byron Jerry entered the Army and was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO and Fort Ord, California for training. Jerry worked at Waco public school from 1960-61 where he taught industrial arts, driver ed, and coached basketball and track. His next move to teach in Alma, Nebraska, was interrupted when he was called from his guard unit out of York to report to Ft. Carson, CO, during the Berlin Crisis.
Upon return to Nebraska in 1962, Jerry served at DeWitt Public Schools as Principal, teacher, and coach. Then in 1963 as Superintendent.
From DeWitt, Jerry returned to Waco as Superintendent from 1964-67. While there he was involved in the consolidation process of a number of area schools that was to form a new district, Centennial. From 1967-1975 Jerry was Superintendent at Ashland Greenwood Public Schools. Then was Superintendent at Central City Public Schools from 1975-1990 where he was also Merrick County Superintendent for a time. Jerry also was Superintendent in Doniphan and then Campell Public Schools (he and Janet job shared administrative duties there) from 1990-1997. Jerry earned a Master’s Degree and Educational Specialist degree from UNL and was active in the following professional and community organizations throughout his career: Nebraska Association of School Administrators, Phi Delta Kappa Honorary, Nebraska Schoolmasters Club, Rotary and Sertoma Clubs. Jerry was President of Sertoma while in Central City.
In retirement both Jerry and Janet continued working part time in the education field. Jerry worked as a Business Manager for Cheney School District in Lancaster County, and stayed several years until they consolidated with Norris. He and Janet supervised student teachers from Peru State and UNL. Jerry was a regular “church goer” and was an active member of different Lutheran and Methodist churches over the years. Southwood Lutheran was his church home since 1997. Jerry played a lot of golf participating in local leagues and playing with friends and his brothers. He played a lot of golf at the Ashland Golf Club and Valley View in Central City among other Nebraska courses. He and his brothers all followed the St. Louis Cardinals and baseball in general. Of course Jerry was a big Husker fan and attended many sporting events and never missed a television broadcast until recent years.
Jerry and Janet weren’t big travelers but they loved traveling to conventions and were able to see a lot of the country when they did this. Their travel largely consisted of short jaunts to visit family and friends. After Janet passed, Jerry reluctantly went on one of those bus trips with some Ashland friends touring Georgia and South Carolina. He also was able to visit brother Ken in Arizona a couple times where he saw some baseball spring training games. That was fun for him. Jerry was a big encourager and supporter of young people, especially his grandkids. He and Janet were usually in attendance at grandkids’ life events cheering them on whenever possible.
Survivors include son Perry (Elizabeth Ashley-Carnes) Carnes, of Omaha; daughter Carmen (Richard) Jirovec of Lincoln; brothers, Ron (Pat) Carnes of Wayne, Ken (Dorothy) Carnes of Surprise, AZ; sister in law, Joyce Levander of Central City; grandchildren Jacob Jirovec of Lincoln, Alec Carnes and Addison Carnes both of Omaha; nine nieces and nephews and their families. Preceded in death by his wife, Janet (Levander) Carnes, parents, brother in law, Richard Levander, and his mother and father in law, Donna and Harvey Levander.
Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at Southwood Lutheran Church, 4301 Wilderness Hills Blvd., Lincoln, NE, 68516. Burial 2 p.m., Wednesday (10-28-2020) at Bruning Public Cemetery in Bruning, NE. Public visitation will be held Tuesday (10-27-20) 3-7 p.m. at Roper & Sons South Lincoln Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Dr., Lincoln, NE. Social distancing and face coverings are required.
Memorials may be directed towards Southwood Lutheran Church or the Peru State College Foundation, P.O. Box 10, Peru, NE, 68421 or online at https://pscgiving.org/ atten: Carnes Memorial.