Gerald “Jerry” Uecker, 76, of Mitchell, formerly of Artesian, died Sunday, March 30, 2025, at Prairie View Healthcare Center in Woonsocket surrounded by his family. 

Funeral services were on Saturday, April 5, at the Assembly of God Church in Mitchell, with visitation one hour prior. Burial will be at the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Artesian at a later date. Arrangements were by Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Gerald Lee Uecker was born Jan. 23, 1949, in Sioux Falls to Dale and Vera (Ericksen) Uecker. Jerry attended school through 10th grade at Canistota and graduated from Tripp High School. After high school, he served in the US Navy from 1967 to 1971. He then completed the electronics program at Mitchell Technical Institute.

Jerry was united in marriage to Lilian Marquardt, together they welcomed their son Jason in 1976. In 1982, Jerry married the love of his life DaVonne “Davy” Larson, and to this union their son Jeremy was born in 1983. 

Jerry was a rural mail carrier for 34 years from 1978 until his retirement in 2012. He was the mayor of the City of Artesian in the 1990s, and drove school bus for the Artesian-Letcher School District for a number of years. He enjoyed playing the Hammond organ for “The Postmen,” and was inducted into the South Dakota Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame on April 16, 2016. He was a member of the Artesian American Legion.

In his free time, Jerry enjoyed fishing, golfing, playing cards and cribbage and collecting boats. He also enjoyed playing the organ and traveling to purchase organs. Jerry loved sports and was a big Twins fan as well as a Tom Brady fan. He enjoyed coaching youth basketball when his kids were younger, and he took great pride in attending his grandchildren’s sporting events.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Davy; sons, Jason of Watertown and Jeremy (Ashly) of Woonsocket; six grandchildren; mother-in-law, Karen Galvin; sisters-in-law, LaVonne Stevenson and JoAnne Oberg; brother-in-law, Jeff Larson; several nieces and nephews; and his dogs, Oscar and Archie.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Francis; grandma, Ann Puskas (Ericksen); brothers-in-law, Shane Oberg and Melvin Stevenson; mother-in-law, Phyllys Hargarten; and father-in-law, Dwaine Larson.