Gerry Juergens Obituary (1938 - 2024)

Gladys Geraldine Juergens, of Richwood, WV, passed away on January 28, 2024, after a short illness. Gerry was a graduate of Richwood High School and Beckley Beauty Academy. She and her husband Jim owned and operated Juergens Hardware for many years, after Jim's parents Jake and Alidene retired from the business. In addition to being co-manager, Gerry was the master of organization, accounts, window screen repair, paint mixing, and color consulting. She enjoyed her work and laughs with her coworkers at Gale's Drive-In; Rubberfabricators, B/E Aerospace, and SMR Technologies, where she proudly constructed air cushions for U.S. military amphibious assault craft; Richwood City Police, where she was a police and 911 dispatcher; and the Richwood City Water Department, where she worked in accounts. She served as a member of the Richwood City Council for several terms. Gerry was a dedicated daughter and sister. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family, especially her smart, funny, wonderful great-grandchildren. She also enjoyed spending time with friends, bragging about her daughters and her grandchildren, lunch at Senior Center and hot dogs at the Moose, visits from cousin Beverly, crossword puzzles (in ink, no less!), walking around the track, watching Jeopardy, reading mystery novels, chatting with friends and family around the country on social media, making beef and noodles and other amazing food, and watching the many deer in her yard. Gerry is probably best known around town in recent years for her hobby of making and selling "Juergens Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae Topping" at local fairs and festivals. She would even ship it to former Richwooders as far away as Alaska. The recipe originated at the Juergens Company confectionery where it was served in Juergens Drug Store in its ice cream parlor, later becoming Weitzel's Drug. Generations of Richwooders can recall enjoying a sundae after school at the drug store with Peanut Butter Fudge topping in a small paper cup to squeeze over the ice cream. Gerry greatly enjoyed carrying on the family tradition and always sold out wherever she set up a table. Gerry was preceded in death by her husband Jim, parents Ralph and Nancy Nicely, special niece Teddy O'Dell, grandnephew Anthony Trivolette, sister Phyllis Jackson, and brother-in-law Sherman Chapman. She is survived by her children, Lisa Brugnoli and husband Tom of Morgantown, WV, and Christina Juergens of Alexandria, VA; grandchildren, Dr. Amber Brugnoli and husband Eric O'Hara and Dr. Andrew Brugnoli and wife Andrea; great grandchildren, Katie and Addie O'Hara and Leo and Callan Brugnoli; sisters, Peggy (Seebert) Wolfe, Mavis Chapman, Janice (Roger) O'Dell, and Elaine (Waymon) Armstrong; brother, John (Margie) Nicely; special cousin Beverly Spence Frowine; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and cousins. The family would like to give heartfelt thanks to Anna and Britt Nicholas; Ronnie Bragg; the Richwood Fire Department; the ambulance service transport teams who braved dangerous blizzard roads; Summersville Hospital emergency department; and WVU Hospital Ruby Memorial neurology, gastroenterology, and geriatrics departments and doctors. Special thanks to Dr. Scott Findley, Dr. William Hutson, Daniel Gordon APRN, Dr. Taylor Hyde, Dr. Katherine Seachrist, and all of the dedicated, kind, and skilled WVU Hospital RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and nursing students who took such wonderful care of Gerry (and the family) during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, due to her love of reading and her love of Richwood the family requests donations in her memory to Richwood Public Library, 8 White Ave., Richwood, WV 26261, or Richwood Fire Dept., 10 White Ave., Richwood, WV 26261. Gerry was cremated with no funeral service in accordance with her wishes. Out of respect for her dislike of the cold and snow, a celebration of life will occur on Saturday, May 25, 2024 from 1:00pm-4:00pm at the Richwood Moose Lodge with inurnment to follow at Mountain View Memorial Park Cemetery, Hinkle Mountain in Richwood, WV. Smith Funeral & Cremation Care and SFCC Crematory of Westover / Morgantown, (304) 292-9494, is providing care and guidance to the Juergens family. Messages of comfort and other symbolic gestures may be offered to the family at www.smithfcc.com.