Delbert Jury

Delbert Jury, 88, of Miller, passed away Sunday, December 5, 2021, at the Alcester Care and Rehab Center in Alcester, S.D.

Funeral service with military honors will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 10, 2021, at the First United Methodist Church, Miller with Pastor Teresa Whetsel, officiating.  Burial will be at 2:00 p.m. at Riverside Cemetery, Huron.  Visitation will be at 5:00 p.m., Thursday, December 9, 2021, followed by a prayer service at 7:00 p.m., all at Reck Funeral Home, Miller. 

He was born June 24, 1933, in Dickey County, North Dakota, the son of Herbert E. “Bertie” Jury , Jr. and Florence (Linnell) Jury.  He graduated in 1951 from Ellendale High School. He then enrolled in North Dakota State Normal Industrial School, known as “N&I”. Shortly after starting, he was stricken with polio, and hospitalized.  Following his recovery, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Paratroopers in February 1953 and was stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky for three years.  Always the joker, he’d laugh and say that jumpers didn’t yell “Geronimo” as they exited, instead it was “I don’t want to go!”.

While still in the Army, he met Doris Sue (McElvain), daughter of Baxter A. and Maggie Mae (Simmons) McElvain.  They were married on November 1, 1954, in Robertson County, Tennessee, less than two months following the marriage of Delbert’s Army buddy, Stanley Williams, to Donna Mae McElvin, sister of Doris.

Following his discharge in 1956, he and Doris moved to Ellendale, ND, where their daughter, Deborah, was born in June. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Miller, South Dakota where Delbert was employed as Service Manager for Hand County Implement, the agency for John Deere, Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury autos. A son, Donald L., was born in March 1960.  In 1961, Delbert and partner Wilbur Johnson opened J&J Auto Service, an auto and truck repair shop.  Together they formed the well-known J&J Racing Team.  They built and raced their own race cars, as well as building and selling to others. Delbert was proud to have won two SD State Championships and one ND Invitational Championship and had built and owned two more cars which won SD State Championship races. Delbert suffered a broken back and was laid up for six months from a horrific racing accident in Huron at the SD State Fair Races in 1968.

In 1977, Delbert sold his interest in J&J Auto and became Service Manager for Scherr Ford in Miller until 1986, when he went to work as Service Manager for Chuck Porter Ford in Huron for a year.  In 1987, he opened Jury’s Car Care at his home in Miller, saying “Now I’ll do just what it takes to stay busy and no more!” -- putting new meaning to the title “Independent Businessman!”

Delbert was a member of the VFW and American Legion, Miller Lions, and member of the Miller First United Methodist Church.

Delbert is survived by his wife, Doris, Alcester, SD; daughter, Deb (Henry) Moser of Canton, SD; grandchildren: Dustin and Kyle Moser, and Darcie and Justin Jury; and seven great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Herbert and Florence Jury; sister, Nadine (Jury); husband, Verlin Zinter; and son, Donald L. Jury

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Del's arrangements.