Jerry Roy Spainhower

Jerry Roy Spainhower, 71, of Enterprise, died Jan. 16 after a long battle with cancer. A celebration of his life will begin at 11 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Enterprise.

Jerry was born the fourth of five children Dec. 16, 1938, to Welby Roy and Goldie Pauline Spainhower in Kaycee, Wyo. The family later moved to the Northwest and finally to Pendleton.

At the age of 5, he began singing for local church services, civic organizations and radio stations.

Jerry attended school in Pendleton through his junior high years before enrolling in boarding school at Mount Ellis Academy in Bozeman, Mont., where he was active in the music program and met many of his lifelong friends.

In 1958 Jerry met Betty Krieger, and in April 1959 they were married in Billings, Mont. The couple moved to Boise where Jerry worked at a local mortuary. Their first son, Kevin, was born in September 1960, the second, Tod, in March 1964.

Jerry then moved the family to San Bernardino, Calif., to pursue a career in radio. He remained in radio for many years, eventually landing in Caldwell, Idaho, as an on-air personality and sales manager. The couple divorced in 1970.

Through his life, Jerry was active in the music business. In 2001 he pursued a full-time music career performing gospel music in venues throughout the United States and Canada. He has recorded 14 albums of gospel music and toured extensively.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Laura of Enterprise; son, Kevin Spainhower and his wife, Dee, and their daughter, of Caldwell; son, Tod and his wife, Tracy Spainhower, and their daughter and son of Boise; two sisters, Marilyn Overbaugh of College Place, Wash., and Donna Klein of Murfreesborough, Tenn.; and a brother, Carroll Spainhower of Edgemont, S.D.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Rosalie Chamberlain; and two brothers-in-law, Lewis Overbaugh and Gordon Klein.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Ken Cox Ministries at P.O. Box 1027, Loma Linda, CA or at www.kennethcoxministries.org.

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