Gerald Dean Ragland

Gerald Dean “Jerry” Ragland, of Billings and formerly of Hardin, passed away Aug. 19, 2022, at RiverStone Hospice House in Billings. He was 91.

Jerry was born July 24, 1931, in Hardin. He was the second of five children born to Sam Ragland Sr. and his wife, Mildred (nee Melville).

Jerry grew up on the family farm and ranch near Hardin, and graduated from Hardin High School in 1949. He was an accomplished athlete for the Bulldogs, competing in football and basketball. Jerry played for the 1948-’49 Bulldog basketball teams that won back-to-back state championships.

After high school, Jerry attended Montana State College in Bozeman, where he played fullback for the Bobcat football team and earned a degree in range management. He made frequent trips back to Hardin to visit his high school sweetheart, Joan Kronmiller (known to friends and family as “Bibs”).

Jerry and Bibs married in 1951, and remained together for more than 70 years. They had three daughters: Jan, Jill and Pam.

During his time in Bozeman, Jerry joined the United States Air Force ROTC. Following his graduation, he attended flight training at Marana Air Base near Tucson, Arizona. He completed jet training at nearby Williams Air Force Base in Chandler, Arizona.

Jerry then spent 18 months stationed at Geiger Field in Spokane, Washington, where he played basketball and baseball for the base’s teams and piloted an F-86D Sabre fighter-interceptor. He retired from the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant and remained in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for several years.

Following his Air Force service, Jerry worked for Holly Sugar in Torrington, Wyoming, and taught pilots to fly as a side job. He and his family moved to Carbondale, Illinois, in the early 1960s, where he worked in the peach growing industry.

Beginning in the mid-1960s, Jerry worked for Stauffer Chemical in Millard, Nebraska (now part of Omaha) as a pesticide and herbicide sales representative. The Raglands returned to Montana in the early 1970s, settling in the then-burgeoning Billings Heights.

After their youngest daughter, Pam, finished high school, Bibs and Jerry moved to a ranch near Absarokee in the early 1980s, where Jerry raised sheep and cattle. In 1990, Bibs and Jerry returned to their home in Billings, where they lived together for nearly 32 years.

Jerry continued to make frequent trips to help out on the Ragland family’s ranch in Hardin for years before retiring from farming and ranching. The farmer’s spirit never left him, though, and he continued to grow vegetables and fruits in his garden into his 90s. For years, neighbors along Barrett Road were treated to beets, squash, potatoes, onions, corn and more from Jerry’s garden. Jerry’s knack for growing and harvesting was a blessing to family, friends and strangers alike.

Jerry was a committed servant of the Lord. He was an integral presence for Gideons International in Billings, making countless trips across Montana in both sun and snow to hand out testaments and speak to congregations. He visited La Paz, Bolivia with the Gideons in the 2000s on a mission trip. Jerry was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Billings in his final years.

To grandchildren, Jerry was known for his loving demeanor, joy and patience. Though often soft-spoken, he loved to see family, and his face would light up every time someone walked through the door.

In the end, Jerry would have said life should not be about credits or position. Instead, what truly matters is seeking a relationship with Jesus and fostering a love of all people. Jerry leaves behind a legacy of that simple truth, and because of it, all who knew him will miss him deeply.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred Fern (Melville) Ragland and Samuel Francis Ragland; older brother, Sam; younger sister, Wilma “Billie” Redding (Don); and brothers-in-law Bert and Patrick Kronmiller. He is survived by his wife of nearly 71 years, Joan Marie “Bibs” Kronmiller; younger brothers Dick (Sharon) and Don Ragland; daughters Jan Doak of Billings, Jill Kavanaugh of Janesville, Wisconsin, and Pam Carpenter (Joe) of Squaw Gap, North Dakota; grandchildren Lindsey Sahami (Sina), Griffin Doak (Natalie), Justin Kavanaugh (Rachel), Bryce Doak (Kami), Cassie Carpenter, Chase Doak, Ryan Kavanaugh (Tamera), Colin Kavanaugh (Felicia), Cole Carpenter (Kellene), Carlie Carpenter and Clay Carpenter; and many nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life and reception will be held at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 328 S. Shiloh Road in Billings at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 26, 2022. Burial will be 2 p.m. also Friday in Yellowstone National Cemetery.

Donations in his name may be made to Gideons International, PO Box 1984, Billings, MT 59103, or RiverStone hospice.