Jerry Salyards

Jerry was born November 19, 1946, to Agnes M. Jeffries and Roy Salyards in the small, western Tennessee town of Dyersburg.  Jerry went to live in his heavenly home, June 30, 2023, after 6 ½ month, hard fought battle against cancer.  He was surrounded by family and friends.

Jerry loved people, he loved his family, he loved his country, and he loved the Lord; this is evidenced through the many ways in which Jerry chose to spend his time, his occupations, and his daily activities.

Jerry was the eldest child in a family of nine siblings.  His family moved to Roswell, New Mexico when he was seven years old.  During his early life, Jerry enjoyed spending time with his younger siblings.  His greatest pleasure, though, was returning to Tennessee to spend time with his grandad, Elvie Jeffries, where they worked hard and spent a whole lot of time fishing on Reelfoot Lake.  Until his death, Jerry loved sharing stories about his adventures with his grandad on Reelfoot Lake.

Jerry attended Mark Howell Elementary School, North Junior High School, and graduated from Roswell High School in 1965.  He began working at Shamas Market on North Main at the age of fifteen and throughout his high school career.  Jerry joined the air force in 1965, immediately after graduation.  He served in the Air Force for four years, in Amarillo, San Antonio, Roswell, Grand Forks, and Udorn, Thailand.  Jerry was honorably discharged in 1969; he was proud of the time he spent serving his country.

Jerry married the love of his life, Mary Sallee, July 5, 1968, in Roswell, New Mexico, and they have been married 55 years.  Together, they built a life and home in Roswell.  Jerry had been employed at Home Depot as a merchandiser for the past 18 years, a job which he enjoyed because he was able to meet and interact with customers and employees.  Prior to working at Home Depot, he worked in a variety of jobs including newspaper and radio sales and advertising, chemical and tools sales in New Mexico and Texas.  He enjoyed meeting people and made many friends among his customers.

Jerry was a member of Country Club Road Church of Christ, where he served as a Deacon, a Sunday school teacher, and a Bible Bowl Director.  He loved the time he spent serving the Lord in these roles and positively impacted the lives of many young people as a result.

Jerry loved to fish and was an avid sports fan.  He went to many football, baseball, and basketball games locally and occasionally college, semi-pro, and pro games.  He especially loved watching his son, daughter, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews play softball, volleyball, soccer and baseball.  For many years he coached teams himself, beginning with baseball.  He coached his son’s soccer team for several years.  They were very competitive and traveled to matches throughout the state.  His love for being involved in children’s lives did not end with sports.  For many years he was the Bible Bowl Coordinator at Country Club Road Church of Christ.  He took Bible Bowl teams to competitions in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas where they won many awards.

He enjoyed time with his family, whether it be an outing for a day, a family and friend cookout, or one of several trips to Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and other places to vacation or visit relatives.  He especially enjoyed holiday celebrations with family and extended family.  Jerry’s family always looked forward to the New Year’s Day celebration of which Jerry was the head chef and cooked a traditional, southern New Year’s feast.

Jerry didn’t meet a stranger and he loved people.  Throughout his life he was met with and overcame challenges which could easily have created a bitterness of spirit.  But Jerry always chose to be grateful and forgiving and would do just about anything to help those in need.  He is deeply loved and cherished by his family and has left a hole in our lives that cannot be filled; his legacy will be the ways in which his family chooses to love and serve others.

Jerry was preceded in death by grandparents, Elvie and Clarice Jeffries; brother John Salyards; parents, Marvin and Marie Moore, parent in-laws, Walter and Tessa Sallee.

Jerry is survived by his wife Mary, of the home; daughter, Jennifer Cole and husband Chad; son Jeff Salyards and wife, Kristen; grandchildren Ashley Meadows and husband Chris (Bella, Byntli); Heidi Weeaks (Mavin); Rylie Cole; Cason and Carli Salyards; brothers and sisters, Joe Salyards, Larry Salyards, Sharon Harlow, Rose Cumby, Kathy Dill, Sandra Wallis, Wendy Shelton.  Numerous in-laws, nieces, and nephews, and cousins also survive Jerry.

“Raise up children in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it.” 2 Samuel 7:14-15

“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Ephesians 4:32

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