Jerry Lausmann | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 30, 1930
Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Died | January 6, 2012 (aged 81)
Medford, Oregon, United States |
| Nationality | American |
Jerry Stewart Lausmann (March 3, 1930 – January 6, 2012), was the second longest-serving mayor of Medford, Oregon.
Early life
Jerry Stewart Lausmann was born March 3, 1930, in Portland, Oregon. [1] He was adopted by Anton and Grace Lausmann. [2] When he was 12, the family moved to Medford, Oregon, where Anton started a sawmill. [2] He graduated from Medford High in 1948, and spent three years in the U.S. Navy before graduating from Oregon State University. [2] He also attended St. Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota. [1]
Lausmann married his first wife Sally Moffitt on 12/27/1951, [3] but they divorced in 1953. [4] He married Catherine Kennedy in 1955. [5] His next marriage was to a woman named Marion and they divorced in 1963. [6] Lausmann married Donnis O. Briesath on June 5, 1965, in Winona County, Minnesota. [7]
Jerry took over his father's lumber company after his father was unable to run it, and the company eventually diversified into real estate. [2] He invented the Smokeless Burner, and held three patents for it in Canada, Japan, and the United States. [1]
Jerry was also an occasional member of his father Anton's musical group, Lausmann's Lousy Loggers Band. [8]
His four children were Ann Lausmann-Istel, Tony Lausmann, Craig Lausmann, and Sharon Smale-Lausmann. [2] These children were all born prior to his marriage to Donnis. [1]
Politics
Lausmann ran for Congress twice unsuccessfully in the 1970s. [2] He was elected mayor of Medford in 1986. [2] He was mayor of Medford for six consecutive 2-year terms, and was the second longest-serving mayor the history of the city. [1] He was the mayor of Medford until 1998. [2] In 1999, he was chosen as the "Citizen of the Year" by the Medford Chamber of Commerce. [1]
Lausmann died on January 6, 2012, at Rogue Valley Manor, where he lived with Donnis since spring 2011. [2] He is entombed in the Medford IOOF Cemetery mausoleum.
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Jerry Stewart Lausmann". Ashland Daily Tidings. Jan 12, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Valencia, Mandy (Jan 8, 2012). "'He will always be Mr. Medford'". Mail Tribune.
- ^ "Medford Mail Tribune from Medford, Oregon on November 4, 1951 · Page 19".
- ^ Mail Tribune, 4 Oct 1953
- ^ Mail Tribune, Dec 1954
- ^ Mail Tribune, 16 Jan 1963
- ^ "Jerry S. Lausmann, "Minnesota Marriage Index, 1958-2001"". familysearch.org. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ^ "Digging in the FHS Crates: Lausmann’s Lousy Loggers Band". Forest History Society. Retrieved on February 27, 2022.