Jerome Jerry Eischens

Jerome M. (Jerry) Eischens passed away on March 13, 2017, in his home in Los Gatos, CA. He leaves behind 2 children, Shauna and Paul, and 6 grandchildren - all of whom fondly remember Grandpa's famous pancake breakfasts and exciting (bordering on harrowing) mountain rides with him on his ATVs. Jerry was born May 6, 1935, one of a dozen Eischens children born in Park Rapids, MN. He met and married Carolyn Gee in 1960, and they moved to Sunnyvale, California where they soon became parents and started their careers. Jerry worked for Westinghouse Electric where he became a master welder. After 17 years there, Jerry and a coworker started their own welding and fabrication business, EMWELD, based in the Los Gatos mountains. He built his family's dream house right next door to the business shop, facilitating Jerry's constant work ethic and love of the mountains. Even after Jerry and Carolyn split in the late '80s, and through Jerry's second marriage to Jean Arnold (who passed away 2 years later), Jerry remained at his mountain bachelor pad. There was always a constant stream of friends and family that would stop in to visit Jerry, have a beer, get an earful on his current welding project, and fix whatever mechanical ailment they might have had. Over the years, Jerry had a pack-rat –like collection of tools, trucks, tractors and metal so anything was possible, and there was always something going on in the shop. Jerry's very infrequent vacations away from his work were mostly spent with his brothers hunting or fishing, with just a few tourist trips to Europe, Vegas, the Far East, and Mexico. Whenever he was away from home, though, he was always anxious to return home and sit next to a big, roaring fire made from mountain timber he gathered and split himself. Jerry's memory will live in our hearts forever as we re-imagine the night stars as a giant spray of sparks from his arc welder in the heavens.