Rose, Gerald "Jerry" Wayne

Was Lifelong Missionary And Pilot

  • Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Gerald "Jerry" Wayne Rose died on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2004, in a local Chattanooga nursing home.

He was born on July 5, 1923, in Gainesville, FL. From an early age, he was fascinated with flying and spent much of his younger years around the pioneer pilots of the new aviation age.

Sensing the call to missions in the service of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, he entered Bob Jones College in the early 1940s. Upon graduation, he became affiliated with the dedicated missionaries of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

From there God directed him to choose the jungles of New Guinea for his ministry, giving him the love of his life, Darlene Deibler Rose, to co-labor with him in a pioneering work in the central Baliem Valley of New Guinea. Jerry once trekked over 500 miles to the Wissel Lakes, opening that area to the Gospel and other missionaries.

Jerry and his beloved Darlene ministered there, raising two sons, through 1961 and then in Papua, New Guinea, until 1978. Because of the political climate after the country became independent, they moved to Australia and continued their mission work.

By 1993, their health necessitated semi-retirement in Creighton, NE. In 2001, Jerry and Darlene moved to Chattanooga, because of their health, where two churches (Faith Bible Church and Woodland Park Baptist Church) combined their efforts to care for these two dear warriors of the faith.

On August 10, 2004, Jerry died in the evening, slipping quietly out of this world into heaven, first seeing the face of our blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, and then receiving a glorious welcome from his precious wife who preceded him six months earlier.

Together, Jerry and Darlene were used of God to bring hundreds of aborigines to the Lord and then discipling them to Christ. Further, they were instrumental in beginning several indigenous churches that are now pastored by natives.

Jerry was best known for his amazing feats with flying and building airstrips. He once disassembled a caterpillar tractor, flew it into a small airstrip in the jungle piece by piece and reassembled it so that the strip could be greatly improved.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene.

He is survived by his two sons, Brian Rose and wife, Gayle, of Australia, and Bruce Rose and wife, Gabriele, of Austria, and six grandchildren, Sarah, David, Rebekah, Katja, Michael and Lauren.

A special thank you is given to the Martin-Boyd Retirement Center, Hospice of Chattanooga and National Healthcare Corp. of Chattanooga and also to Mr. and Mrs. Donald Caskey of Orchard, NE, for their sacrificial love over the years.

Graveside services will be at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, at Chattanooga Memorial Park, with Dr. Bill Henry, Dr. J.R. Faulkner and the Rev. Larry Frick officiating.

Interment will be in Chattanooga Memorial Park Cemetery beside his wife.

The family will receive friends from 2-3 p.m. on Sunday, at the Valley View Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Faith Bible Church for The Rose "Evidence Not Seen" Docu/Movie Fund, 5652 Old Hunter Road, Ooltewah, TN 37363. The memorial fund is used to produce and distribute a documentary and a movie version of the book, "Evidence Not Seen," a story of God’s incredible grace to Darlene during her horrific internment in a World War II Japanese prisoner of war camp on the Island of the Celebes in Indonesia.

Arrangements are by Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist, Valley View Chapel.

Share your thoughts and memories online at www.mem.com.

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