5-10-44 to 1-11-18
Jerry Machacek of Eureka, Nevada went home to be with the Lord on January 11, 2018 after a long 20 year battle with pain and a short fight with congestive heart failure and renal failure.
In Jerry’s 73 years he was many things. A little kid that started welding when he was 9, he bought his first hammer when he was 6 and still had it in his tool box. He was a farmer at heart, a cowboy for a time in Idaho working on the Sheldon Ranch, a welder, machinist, pilot, licensed airframe and power plant airplane mechanic, design engineer, first responder, he built utility trailers and restored cars, owned and operated his one man machine shop for 40 years where he worked on everything from false teeth to D10 Cats and anything else those who needed him would bring into the yard. In 1993 he built and ran Eureka True Value Hardware where he worked for 23 years until the pain he suffered from spinal stenosis and nearly 20 back surgeries moved him into retirement.
He was a son to LaVerne and Eunice Machacek, and worked side by side with them when they moved from Buhl, Idaho to Eureka, Nevada in 1959 where the family worked a desert land entry and took 640 acres out of sagebrush and developed Machacek Farms. He later purchased his own 320 acres adding that to the family farm which he and his wife took over after his parents retired.
His mind and hands never stopped working. He was happiest when he was in his shop making something-anything that he could think of or needed. He was self-taught in most things but he did attend Northrup University where when he graduated 2nd in his class behind the man who wrote the book they studied in that class, his instructor asked for copies of Jerry’s extensive detailed notes and class work to use as teaching tools for following classes. He worked at Brittan Industries in Southern California where he designed and built autopilot systems that are still used in large and small private planes. After a few years he had enough of California and returned to Diamond Valley at Eureka to work the farm and feedlot with his parents.
In 1976 Jerry married the love of his life Trina Russell in Ely, Nevada. They worked, attached at the hip some would say, for the next 41 years, 9 months and one day—but who’s counting! To say he was a great husband is such an understatement. One of the last “jobs” Jerry undertook was that of editor for Trina as she wrote her weekly newspaper column, “Is This You?”
Jerry was a member of the Gideon Ministry where his life was enriched so deeply by spreading The Word by handing out Bibles to kids at schools and at the Eureka County Fair. He is a member of Diamond Valley Baptist Church where he attended until he could no longer get up the stairs and into the sanctuary. After that he attended the Eureka Community Church where he was heading up the efforts to build a new church building the Eureka-and in his final months he believed that was one of the biggest reason God put him on Earth. It was his proudest build.
Jerry was preceded in death by both parents, grandparents, Adolph and Adeline Machacek and John and Caroline Meyer. Adolph Machacek was Jerry’s source of teaching, inspiration and taught him to be all he could be—he just need to work for it, and he did just that.
Left behind are his wife Trina, his wonderful brother-in-law and sister-in-law Rod and Julie Russell of Ely, Nevada, nieces Marci and Cassie and nephew Damon. Also what he and Trina call their adoptive kids, Sam and Sheri Horst and their little one Sadie Marie, (Sadie Bug) of Clearbrook, Virginia, who to his great surprise, Jerry fell head over heels in love with and so looked forward to watching her grow. Along with his brothers in Christ and tons of cousins.
We know where you are Jerry and we are happier for you to be out of pain, than we are sad for ourselves. Go with God.
A memorial service is set for 11:00 a.m. January 20 at the Eureka Opera House with a carry in meal to follow. Please come dressed comfortably and be part of this last chapter of Jerry’s life. In lieu of flowers if your heart leads you please make donations to Gideon’s International, Elko Camp, P.O. Box 1717, Elko, Nevada 89803, or a cause you feel led to.
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