Jerry Glenn

1938 - 2025

Jerry was born in a log cabin in Rigby, Idaho, to parents Thelma Bagley and Newbern Isaac Glenn. A few months after his birth, the family moved to a farm in Nyssa, Oregon, where they lived until he completed junior high. The family then moved to Montpelier, Idaho, where he began working at the Monsanto chemical plant in Soda Springs. In 1956, after a near-fatal car crash that left him with impaired vision, Jerry graduated from Montpelier High School and joined the U.S. Army Reserve, and spent six months on active duty in California. He served an LDS mission in the Gulf States, and then came home and worked several jobs, including with the U.S. Forest Service, to save money for college. During this time, he helped construct many of the campgrounds around the Palisades Reservoir.

In 1963, he enrolled in Ricks College, and two years later, shortly after graduating with his associate's degree, he married Julie Rose Fluckiger in the Salt Lake Temple on June 10, 1965. They lived in Pocatello, where Jerry earned a bachelor's degree from Idaho State University. He later completed a master's degree in Library Science at Brigham Young University. In 1968, he joined the faculty of Ricks College at the David O. McKay Library. After surviving the Teton Dam Flood in 1976, the family moved to a new home off of 5th West. In 1985, Jerry moved to the Department of Religion, teaching Church History, Genealogy, and gospel subjects. He retired at the end of 2002. He and Julie moved to Laie, Hawaii, where he taught at BYU-Hawaii, and they both served as volunteers at the Polynesian Cultural Center for four years. They were then called to serve a family history mission in Salt Lake City until 2008. In 2009, they returned to Hawaii for an additional year. Following his retirement from BYU-Hawaii, Jerry and Julie returned to Rexburg, where they continued to serve in various church callings and capacities.

Jerry was instrumental in helping to secure funding to rebuild the Madison County Library and to save the Rexburg Tabernacle from being torn down after the Teton Dam flood. He helped establish the Teton Flood Museum in the basement of the tabernacle which has only recently closed its doors. During the early '70's he led a project to microfilm most of the major newspapers in Southeastern Idaho, a project that proved of exceptional value when the historical archives of those papers were destroyed by the flood. He remained a strong supporter of libraries and historical projects throughout Idaho and Utah, earning a number of awards and citations for his work and serving in a number of leadership roles. His greatest joys were his family, meeting new people and teaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jerry was known around town for his early morning walks where he made many friends and picked up hundreds of dollars in pennies which he used to buy turkeys for people at Thanksgiving. He will be remembered for his sense of humor and his ability to chat with anyone.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Roger and Kay Dee, and his wife Julie. He is survived by his brothers Garth and Ron Glenn, sister Judy Bassett, his four children: daughter Lori Chapman, son Dale (Kerri), son Jay, and daughter Karen Bancroft (James), and ten grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at the Rexburg Park Street Chapel. Viewing precedes at 9:00 a.m. Service at 10:00, Burial to follow at 11:30 at Sugar City Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to BYU Idaho, BYU Hawaii, or the LDS Church Humanitarian fund.