Jerry Feick, 74, of Osage (formerly of Fontanelle area)

Jerry Edwin Feick, six weeks premature and weighing only 3 1/2 lbs, was born 29 December, 1949 and died 1 October 2024. “We protected his tiny head in my Grandma Dovenbarger’s Haviland teacup, wrapped him in blankets and hot water bottles, placed him in a shoebox and made the 32-mile trip to Creston Hospital, where he was in an incubator for three months until returning home to his ten-minute older fraternal twin Cary,” Mom told. As inseparable playmates Cary and Jerry were the “Twinning Effect”, even musically, with Jerry playing saxophone and the organ to Cary’s piano, drums and accordion and throughout high school they sang public solos and duets, with “Bless This House” often requested. Jerry often told of Cary, “I rely on him because he is always there for me.” Jerry was life-long friends with: Madie Marnin, June Eshelman and Ruth Rohner; teachers Bessie Lents, Jerome Nibaur, Linda Jones, David West and Jan Wollenhaupt; aunts Agatha Feick Bolz and Emilie Feick Rogers, uncles Don Rogers and Charles Huntington, classmate Dennis Rohner, cousins Viola Bolz, Joy Feick and Maxine Bolz; Des Moines friend John Brenton; Osage friends Mary Fisk and Linn at Kountry Kupboard, numerous former customers; and many at First United Methodist Church in Osage.

 A May 1968 graduate of Bridgewater-Fontanelle Community School, Jerry enrolled immediately at Iowa Barber College, worked the required year in Bedford and attended Iowa School of Cosmetology to be the only Iowan to hold both licenses by 1971 so he could legally but and style both men’s and women’s hair. Insisting, “Hair doesn’t have gonads!” Jerry began petitioning the Iowa legislature in 1969 to rescind its archaic, sex-based haircutting laws and he convinced Iowa Senator Minnette Doderer and three of her colleagues to pass a 33-page law that since March 1974 has allowed Barber and Cosmetology College graduates to cut both men’s and women’s hair. Jerry’s sense of social justice inspired his working with Senators Ted Kennedy and Tom Harkin to support gay rights because many of his clients were gay. Using only precision, German-made scissors-never clippers- for haircutting, Jerry insisted, “Hair holds itself if properly cut; it’s all in the cut!” And he taught his cutting skills in many state and national seminars in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Jerry owned and operated solons at three Des Moines locations, the longest at 2807 Grand Avenue, across the street from The Governor’s Mansion and Governor Ray and his wife Billie were among his clients from six Midwest states. In order to offer non-caustic hair-care products, Jerry studied organic chemistry at Drake University Library after closing his shop at night so he could develop his own permanent wave solutions, coloring dyes, shampoo and conditioner. Jerry designed all his own commercial ads, and his wit, humor and laughter were lively additions to the hair industry, with many calling him “Mr. Hollywood”. Jerry was memorable generous, frequently reaching into his pocket, pulling out a wad of bills and giving them to down-and-outers he met, nieces and nephews; and for relaxation he baked bread and gardened Aunt Agatha’s entire Greenfield property.

“After twenty years of standing on my feet from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., six days per week, I closed my salon in 1988, attended Southwestern College and then the University of Iowa, planning on a degree in computers,” Jerry told. But the chromosomal for late-onset schizophrenia from sixth-generation grandfather George William Schultz (1819-1900), Jerry’s health began failing in 1994. Over the next thirty years his out-going personality, fun-loving nature, successful accomplishments and plans for a second career in computers were destroyed by what his family referenced as “The Schulz Curse”. But Jerry inherited favorable chromosomes too: Christian ethics from his parents; bravery and courage from seventh-generation grandfather Johann Daniel Heflebower (1755-1834), who served in America’s Revolutionary War, intellect to innovate and to create from seventh-generation grandfather Dr. Daniel Huntington (1744-1817), who served in America’s Revolutionary War and was its chief pharmacist and sixth-generation grandfather Dr. Daniel Huntington (1772-1837), who was the first doctor and druggist in New York’s Onodaga Valley and provided the land for the city of Syracuse; social justice for all from seventh-generation forebear Sam Huntington (1731-1796), longest-serving president of The Continental Congress and singer of the 1776 Declaration of Independence and America’s first governing document, the 1777 Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union; determined courage from seventh-generation grandfather Daniel David Dovenbarger (1826-1900), who served in America’s Civil War and fourth-generation grandfather Edwin Huntington (1841-1916), who served in the America’s Civil War and greatly advanced the Midwest’s Shorthorn cattle industry; and creative innovation from forebear Henry Huntington (1850-1927), whose former home in The Huntington in San Marino, California, with the world’s largest collection of priceless books and paintings.

Jerry moved to Osage, Iowa in September 2010, enjoyed contributing to the community, was a pro-active member in its First United Methodist Church, spent summers with his twin who came from New Zealand and organized May-through-October extended visits that included holidays in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts and historical sites that Jerry especially enjoyed, as well as “Summertime Christmas like you have in New Zealand,” Jerry told and relished as the highlight of every 4th of July, with Jerry ringing his Grandfater Feick’s sleigh bells to awaken everyone, just as Grandpa Huntington had done in the first two decades of the 1900’s. As of December 2022 Jerry was in hospital or nursing home care, bedridden and totally paralyzed due to “drug-induced secondary Parkinsonism”, the result of an Iowa doctor’s “lack of due diligence” and who is now under investigation and “the nursing home has been found guilty of numerous Federal and State of Iowa violations, has been sanctioned and fined,” according to State of Iowa officials.

Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Edwin and Heln (Huntington) Feick, all the above-mentioned with whom he enjoyed close friendships and who celebrated his uniqueness, and is survived by his twin Cary, of Auckland, New Zealand and many cousins in Germany. “I don’t want a funeral, just internment at Fontanelle Cemetery, with Todd Lamb, my Southwestern College Speech class buddy, in charge,” he told. 

Graveside Services were held at the Fontanelle Cemetery.