Jerome “Jerry” Osterhout, 86, of Culbertson, MT passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at the Roosevelt Medical Center in Culbertson, MT.

Jerome “Jerry” was born to Ernest and Violet (Waldahl) Osterhout in Beach, ND. Jerry and his sister, Joan were raised by his aunt and uncle, Bill and Muriel Waldahl in Sentinel Butte, ND. He graduated from Sentinel Butte High School with the Class of 1956.

Jerry’s passion for the rodeo began early in his life by riding cows and he would start competing in amateur rodeos in 1954. Jerry qualified for the 1956 National High School Rodeo in Reno, NV competing in bareback riding and bull riding. Jerry won the second go-round in the bareback riding event. One of Jerry’s proudest moments was winning the state high school bull riding championship on a spinning bull. Today, his grandson wears that buckle.

He also competed in bareback riding at Harrison, NE. Jerry would say his bull ride at Harrison, was “just short”. Amid Jerry’s rodeo memorabilia is a $6.34 check dated July 25, 1955 from the Sioux National Bank in Harrison. At that time, one-fourth of the gross gate receipts were set aside and paid to contestants as mileage for travel expenses.

While continuing to compete in amateur rodeos, Jerry would take over his father’s ranch. He rode Jim Barnhart’s Whiz Bang in Medora and recalled it was pretty tough, but nonetheless, Jerry won first place in 1959. Along with a high school buckle from the state rodeo, Jerry won bull riding buckles at Killdeer’s RA rodeo and at an amateur rodeo in Richey, MT. In 1961 he won bull ridings at New Salem, ND, Sidney and Helena, MT. He then decided to retire from rodeo competition that year.

Jerry would marry Judy Myers and have four children, Jesse, Jack, Jerald and Jodi.

He went on to work at various ranches in western North Dakota and eastern Montana. Jerry’s love for horses and Herford cattle would forever be his calling. Since retirement, he lived on his ranch west of Medora, ND. Jerry later moved to Culbertson, MT to be closer to his family and form strong bonds with his grandchildren.

Jerry lived a full and adventurous life, but his family and friends will also remember him for how gentle and kind he was.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Violet Osterhout; aunt and uncle Bill and Muriel Waldahl; sons, Jesse and Jerald Osterhout; sister, Joan Barkland; and nieces, Sandra and Linda Barkland.

Jerry is survived by his son, Jack Osterhout; daughter, Jodi (Dale) Nelson; grandchildren, Paydon, Cordel, Nolan Nelson; great-grandchildren, Miles and Briggs; and nephews and nieces.

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