Jerry Stamp

Jerry Stamp, 82 years old of Manchester, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, November 27,2022. A cowboy at heart, Jerry realized his dream when he moved from Cincinnati to Manchester and bought a farm. Prior to making the move to country life, Jerry managed several large retail stores including Kroger, Rinks, and Gold Circle. His dedication to new store openings was extraordinary, staying at the store six to eight weeks before the grand opening, often working 24 hours a day while sleeping on the checkout counters and using rolls of paper towels as his pillows. He was an entrepreneur who took a chance on what many thought was a fad and opened Delhi Grocery Warehouse, a prologue to current major discount & supermarket stores. His management style won over his employees and customers, treating everyone with respect and expecting mistakes and teachable moments that would only benefit his employees in the long run. When the time came for a move to Indiana, Jerry bought St. Leon Superette in 1989 and managed it until 1994. Many will remember Jerry in this role as he got to know everyone in town. The ladies at People’s Bank & Trust knew Jerry by the ruckus he always caused when he was in there, laughing and carrying on in that booming voice of his. The bank is where Jerry met his wife, Darlene, on a wintery day when her car ran off the road and she needed a ride home. They were soon married at Chateau Pomije Winery in New Alsace. Back at the farm, at one time they had eight horses, 53 cattle and 30 outdoor cats. The sign on their porch actually says Cat & Cattle Ranch to clearly define the area. But horses were  his love and he enjoyed spending time riding them on the farm. Jerry also took his friends and cousins on horseback riding trips to Versailles, Brown County, and Spring Mills. Now that Jerry was in Indiana and didn’t have to wear a suit, it was rare that you would find him without his cowboy hat. He had at least 10 cowboy hats, always having the perfect hat for each special occasion. Jerry revered John Wayne as noted by the numerous pictures and memorabilia of him throughout the house. He even told his grandchildren that John Wayne was his dad and boy, were they excited to see their Great Grandpa on TV!
Jerry loved family above all else. He adoringly picked bouquets of flowers from the fields for Darlene, spoiled his dogs, two boxers Susie & Peggy Sue, and was wrapped around the fingers of his grandchildren. When the opportunity arose for Jerry & Darlene to take guardianship of three of their grandchildren, he didn’t think twice and immediately jumped through the hoops to make this happen. He may have been loud and at times harsh, but on the inside he was as sweet as could be.
Jerry will be dearly missed by his wife of 29 years, Darlene, and their children Lisa (Joe) Hoffman, Andrew (Amy) Stamp, Heather Bedunah, and Brian (Terri) Flynn; grandchildren they raised as their own
Tanesha Addison and Paige Kirkey; grandchildren Zack Hoffman, Jacob Stamp, Ryan Stamp, Faith Stamp, Delaney Flynn, and Adrienne Barge; and great grandchildren Sam, Cain, Ryleigh, Liam, Talon, Theodore.
Jerry is preceded in death by his daughter Shannon Andrea Stamp, granddaughter, Jade Addison, whom he raised as his own; granddaughter Taylor Hoffman; sisters Margie Hertzler, Carol Fischback; twin sister
Joyce Dearborn; first wife Imogene Taylor; and parents Jessie and Marvin Stamp.
A memorial service honoring Jerry will be held on Saturday, December 3 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm at Community United Methodist Church in Aurora. Memorials can be made to PAWS of Dearborn County
and Loving Hearts Hospice and Palliative Care. Donations will be accepted at the memorial service or can be mailed to Andres-Wuestefeld Funeral Home. Family and friends are encouraged to leave condolences at www.andres-wuestefeldfh.com