Gerald “Jerry” Illerbrun, 81, of Mission, TX, former Williston oilfield company owner, passed away Tuesday morning, December 25, 2018 after a long battle with Cancer in Mission, Texas. Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home of Williston is assisting the family with arrangements.

Jerry was born in Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada on April 11, 1937, the son of James and Anna Marie (Hershberger) Illerbrun. He was raised and educated in the Illerbrun District near Gull Lake and helped his dad on the farm. He started his life-long career in the oilfield at the age of 15. He worked in the Estevan , Saskatchewan area of the oilfield on oil rigs, driving trucks, working on pipelines and production.
Jerry was united in marriage to Vivian Burns on July 17, 1957; the couple celebrated their 61st anniversary last year. To this union they had two sons, Bryan Lynn and Wyatt Justin.
They established Rocket Sales in Estevan, Saskatchewan in 1967. Rocket Sales supplied oil field rental products for drilling and production of oil wells. Jerry and Vivian moved to Williston in 1977 and established a branch of Rocket Sales there. They owned and operated their business until 1999 when they sold it and retired.
Jerry and Vivian lived in the Bahamas in the winter months and lived in Williston during the summer months until 2009, when they moved to Mission, Texas. In 2011 they would build a home in Mission and live there permanently.
Jerry enjoyed curling, golfing, working out at the fitness center and playing the stock market. He was an avid fan of the Minnesota Twins baseball team.
He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Williston and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mission. He was active in the API, a lifelong member of the Petroleum Club Moose and Eagles.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his son, Bryan Illerbrun; sister, Bernadette Illerbrun; brothers, Donald, Robert and William Illerbrun; sisters-in-law, Marjorie Illerbrun and Marjorie Ann Illerbrun and brother-in-law, Lloyd Palecek.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Vivian; son, Wyatt Illerbrun, brother, Jack (Marilyn) Illerbrun; sister, Laverne Palecek, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.