Obituary of Jerry Robert Devereaux

Jerry Robert Devereaux, 89, of Boise, Idaho, passed away on September 25, 2023, in Boise, Idaho. He was born on October 27, 1933, in Nampa, Idaho to Robert and Dorothy Devereaux. Jerry was a quiet man of few words. When he spoke, his words were meaningful and to the point. He was known for being tough, independent, a bit rough around the edges with many thoughts and a strong determination to see his will accepted. He was a dedicated family man, having been married to his beloved wife, Louise June (Harvey) Devereaux, for 70 years. They raised their two children on their ranch in Middleton.  

In Jerry’s early life he worked as a daily newspaper delivery boy for the Caldwell Tribune riding a bicycle around his route in Caldwell to deliver the papers to subscribers. He transitioned to the newspaper print shop; his shift from messenger to news creator left a lasting impact on his memories. Later he worked as a railroader and then moved on to work with his father-in-law, Kenneth Harvey, on the ranch Kenneth owned in Middleton, Idaho. Jerry’s hard work and dedication led his grandmother to sell her ranch, also in Middleton, to him and Louise in the 1960’s, which he ran until retirement. In the 1970’s, still owning the ranch, he worked as a truck driver for Kit Manufacturing delivering recreational vehicles with his friend Vernon across the western US, making great friendships along the way. Over those years he received many awards from Kit for safe driving over the thousands of miles he traveled. 1974 brought Jerry an opportunity to double the size of his ranch when he purchased another 160 acres that bordered his Lancing Lane operation. At that time, he became a full-time rancher/farmer running a total of 310 acres. In 1975 Jerry purchased a small herd of angus breeder cows and began a beef raising operation where he could grow crops to feed to the livestock through the winter and sell them in the spring. Jerry had a prosperous career as a rancher managing large herds of angus cattle and the ground that grew the crops to feed them. His dedication and hard work were evident in all that he did. He took pride in his work and was admired by those who knew him.  

1979 brought tragedy to Jerry’s family when both of his parents were killed in a car accident. He was able to put the loss behind him and successfully navigated the difficult environment of the early 1980’s. Then in 1993, with the advancement of medicine, Jerry survived a heart attack when a 5-bypass surgery was performed on his heart. This resulted in his retirement selling off the original part of the ranch and then the herd of angus cattle in 1994. 

After retiring and recovering from the heart attack and surgery, Jerry’s passion was traveling across the country coast to coast exploring and experiencing new places. The traveling included starting from Boise to New York City then to Florida going along the east coast in a new dually pickup with a 32-foot fifth wheel in tow. They also went through parts of the Midwest and Southwest. Their travels eventually took them to Arizona. Jerry loved the mild Arizona winters so much that they purchased a retirement home in Arizona City, south of Phoenix and spent the winters there for several years. During that time, Jerry completely landscaped the grounds around the house and sold it in 2018. After selling the Arizona house Jerry and Louise stayed close to home in Idaho, other than fishing trips and attending auctions around the Boise Valley, in the Mountain Home, McCall/Cascade and Ontario, Oregon areas. Like his father, Jerry was an avid and skilled fisherman. He loved fishing and would spend hours trolling Idaho lakes cruising each lake from end to end and always enjoyed eating the catch of the day that Louise cooked up afterward for supper. 

Jerry had his lighter side; around the holidays at family and friend gatherings he would be the trickster by preparing extra strong alcoholic drinks to get family members’ surprised reaction to his scheme. Most quickly became wise to his antics but some fell victim to his scheme. 

Jerry will be deeply missed by his surviving family members, including his wife, Louise June Devereaux, his daughter Elaine Ingalis Lambrou, his son Ray Lee Devereaux, his son-in-law Robert Duane Lambrou, his daughter-in-law Stacey Michelle Devereaux, his granddaughters Jennifer Ann Niederer, Kelli Jo and Katie Leigh Devereaux, his grandson Jack Raymond Thomas and wife Janielle Marie. He also leaves behind great-grandsons Drake Logan Niederer and wife Savannah Carol, Hayden James Niederer and wife Rylee Khira, Grayson Matthew Niederer, Landon Isaiah Niederer, great-granddaughter Brianna Jayne Thomas and his great-great-granddaughter Kylie Ann Niederer, Drake and Savannah’s child. Jerry's family tree grew even more with the addition of step-grandchildren Lauren, Dana, Lillianna, Heather, Sierra, Tianna, and Omarri.  

Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Robert Brown Devereaux, his mother, Dorothy Mae Devereaux, his father-in-law, Kenneth Harvey, his mother-in-law, Ingalis Gustava Harvey, his sister-in-law, Lois Alberta Christy, his sister-in-law, Linda Ann Zehr, and his brother-in-law, Leonard Elbert Harvey.  

A funeral service to honor Jerry's life will be held at Flahiff Funeral Home, located at 624 Cleveland Blvd., Caldwell, Idaho 83605 at 11:00 a.m., October 1, 2023. The compassionate professionals at Flahiff Funeral Chapels & Crematory in Caldwell, Idaho, are assisting the family with the arrangements.   

Jerry will be remembered for his strength, determination, and love for his family. His memory will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. He leaves behind a legacy of love and commitment.