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Jerry Wattenbarger Obituary
March 29, 1942 – January 17, 2026
Jerry Wattenbarger was born in Bakersfield, California, to James T. and Lillian "Babe" Wattenbarger. He attended Beardsley Elementary and Junior High and graduated from North High School in 1960.
Jerry spent his working life in construction. Outside of work, his greatest passions were fishing and hunting, interests he loved deeply and shared with family and friends. Whether planning fishing trips or deer hunting adventures, Jerry found as much joy in the meticulous preparation as he did in the trip itself.
Above all, Jerry was a devoted husband, father, and papa. His love for his family was steady, generous, and unwavering.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Judy Secrist; and his brother, James L. Wattenbarger. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Jan; his daughter, Jayna and son-in-law, Ronnie Chapman; his cherished grandchildren, Chase (Arabella) and Hallee Chapman; his brother, John (Vickie) Stewart; his sister, Rosalie (Cliff) Faith; his brother-in-law, Frank Secrist; his sisters-in-law, Gloria Wattenbarger, Carol Dokolas, and Kathy (Bart) Freer; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Jerry will be remembered for his love of the outdoors, his dedication to family, and the many memories he created with those he loved.
A Celebration of Life for Jerry will be held on Saturday, February 21st at Hodel's Country Dining, Liberty Hall, at 11:00 a.m.
www.bakersfield.com/obits
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3 Entries
Janette Stevenson
February 16, 2026
I am so sorry to hear this. Much love to the family!
My dad, Joe, sends his love as well!
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Karen Stevenson Willman
February 16, 2026
Oh Jerry Wattenbarger!! What an indelible impression you as a teenager made upon my life. You were my brother Joe Stevenson´s best friend. Shenanigans buddy. Party fool. Jokester. Teaser cousin. Fun fun memories of you I´ll never forget. Big hugs to your lovely wife Jan.
Tim and Kathy Holloway
February 13, 2026
Again we have to say goodbye to a wonderful person. I've known Jerry for the last 46 years when I got together with his cousin Tim Holloway. We used to fish at Lake Success and him and I would always compete as to who caught the first, the biggest fish. I usually won. Many times cleaning thousands of crawdads in the garage on Olympic. Frog legs were the favorite too. Putting in turkeys and hams for Thangsgiving in his deep pit. He was always fun to be with and we will miss him so.
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