Jerome Fagerland, 75 of Atkinson, NE passed away July 4, 2024 at his home in Atkinson. Visitation was held on Tuesday July 9, 2024 from 6 to 8pm at Seger Funeral Home in Atkinson with a 7pm Prayer service. Memorial Services will be held on Wednesday July 10, 2024 at 11 am at the Presbyterian Church in Atkinson, NE. A private burial for family will be held at Rosehill cemetery near Langford, SD.
In Loving Memory of Jerome Fagerland born on June 20th, 1949, in Britton, South Dakota to Adrian and Ethel Fagerland. He grew up on their family farm alongside his siblings Larry, Connie, Kathy, and Betty. He graduated high school in Langford, SD where he met his wife, Cheryl Liknes. Jerome and Cheryl married on October 28 th , 1967 in Aberdeen, SD while attending Northern State College. They were blessed with three children: Jade, Kelly, and Carin.
After graduating with a B.A. in Business and Economics, Jerome purchased and operated a dairy farm in Day County South Dakota. Realizing that farming wasn’t his calling, he transitioned into a career in banking. Jerome and his family moved more than a dozen times before landing in Atkinson, Nebraska where he and Cheryl lived for more than 30 years. He was a proud Nebraska State Highway Commissioner, appointed in 2002. Jerome’s strong work ethic and a knack for giving great advice made him the go-to for guidance for his wife, kids, grandchildren, farmers, and all his fishing buddies.
Known by many as a yearround outdoorsman, his two biggest passions were family and fishing. Despite the distance from his grandchildren, he never missed any of their school programs, sports games, or recitals. Jerome’s love for fishing ranged from professional tournaments to teaching his grandchildren how to catch bluegills on the Goeke family fishing pond. His fishing adventures were always filled with laughter, camaraderie, and the shared excitement of reeling in a big one. Jerome thrived in the summertime, where he and Cheryl sat on the porch in the evenings, hosted family and friends at their home in Atkinson, and made trips to the river with whomever he was taking that weekend. He will always be remembered as the ultimate host, greeting everyone who walked in with a smile and a beer.
He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Fagerland; three children, Jade Fagerland, Kelly (Leslie) Agerland, Carin (Rick) Bush; 9 grandchildren, Jordre (Blake) Eisenbeisz; Paige (Jake) Rysdon; Gage, Kennedy, Katelyn, and Kooper Bush;Ally, Tommy, and Kady Agerland; and 2 great- grandchildren, Miley and Lane Eisenbeisz.
Jerome was preceded in death by his parents, Adrian and Ethel Fagerland; father-in law, Marvin Liknes and brotherin-law Jesse Liknes. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Nebraska Walleye Association Kids Fishing Clinics Charity, Inc.
