Gerald "Jerry" Lee Hendrix, age 83 of Manistee, passed away peacefully on July 16, 2015, following complications of lymphoma, at West Shore Medical Center in Manistee, with his wife and children by his side. Jerry was born at home on the corner of Franklin and Eighth Streets in Traverse City, Michigan, on June 12, 1932, the only son of Oma Mae (Burdette) and Lawrence Edgar Hendrix. By the time Doctor Thirlby made the house call, Oma and Jerry were sitting up waiting for him. He was known for a time as Jerry Dutton when his mother married Ernie Dutton, a wonderful stepfather to Jerry. Mr. Dutton owned a number of bakeries during the 1940's and 50s, notably the Sugar Plum Shop on River Street in Manistee where Jerry met the love of his life, Sally Ellen Jacobs. If he wasn't working at one of his dad's bakeries, you could find him at the music stores looking over guitars or listening to country music at Wally's Record Shop. Jerry and Sally were married right after high school on September 24, 1950, in "the little house" at the home of his Aunt Lorane and Uncle Harry Groesser in Traverse City. Jerry served our country during the Korean War as an Airman First Class in the United States Air Force, 508th Air Refueling Squadron, as a boom operator on a KB-29. Planes remained a great source of interest to him and he built his kids the best model airplanes in the neighborhood. Later in life, he was pleased to fly recreationally as co-pilot with his son and talk mechanics with a grandson working in the aeronautical field. In 1957, the family moved to Tulare County, California, so Jerry could get a college education on the GI Bill, studying engineering. Bakersfield was becoming a hot bed of new country music at the time, and because he could play pedal steel guitar so well, Jerry was highly saught after to play for various musicians at clubs like The Lucky Spot, The Blackboard and the Fresno Barn, where he played with such greats as Wynn Stewart, Bobby Austin, Pee Wee King & Redd Stewart, and Bonnie Owens. When Buck Owens heard him play, Buck made it a point to sing every week with the band Jerry had established with Jack Collier, and the roots of what would be known as "The Bakersfield Sound" were firmly planted. As Buck’s fame and notoriety grew, there was growing pressure for Jerry to go on the road. A true family man and not one swayed by ego, Jerry chose to stay put with Sally and be there for his four young kids. However, on his 80th birthday, Jerry was made an Honorary Buckaroo by all the surviving members of Buck's band. Returning to Manistee in 1961, Jerry found employment with the Morton Salt Company as an engineering draftsman. He enjoyed working at Morton for 33 years and was very fond of those he worked with. He continued to pick on the weekends for many years with a number of bands. Jerry mastered a signature style all his own and his kids were always in awe of how superbly their dad could play. A favorite memory was the night Charlie Pride walked into The Wild Cherry Lounge in Traverse City because he "heard some great steel guitar sounds pouring out of the place" as Jerry was picking with a local band. Charlie sang and Jerry picked every song they both knew until 2 o'clock in the morning, just having a ball. On more than one occasion, country stars performing in the area would turn to Jerry and thank him for saving their hide on stage He was proud to appear on recordings with Lonesome Fugitive, The Moonshadow Band and Song of the Lakes. In truth, it made little difference if he was playing to a big name crowd, alone in the basement figuring out a new lick, or in the backyard picking dobro with family and friends, Jerry found enormous joy in playing music with the men and women he held in such high regard and absolutely treasured. He was a musician’s musician, skillful and accomplished, forever humble and gentle, never taking more than he needed of anything, and always in good cheer. In 2004 Jerry was inducted into the Michigan Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. Without a doubt, Jerry's proudest accomplishment was walking through this world with his wife, Sally, so happily at his side for nearly 65 years. If you knew Jerry, then you knew he was rarely without "his Sally", who was his best pal, second set of musical ears, and constant source of strength and inspiration. His children feel so fortunate to have grown up in a home built on a solid foundation of love with a father who instilled in them a passion for really listening and who taught them to hold on tight to what is honest and true in this life. He was a wonderful dad who lovingly provided for his family. If lean times were ever suffered, the true riches that have come back to the family because of Jerry have been tenfold. To take a line from "Above and Beyond" one of the early songs he played with Buck Owens, "Love Is Something Money Can't Buy". Jerry was a member of the United States Steel Guitar Players Association. He enjoyed reading, taking walks through pretty woods or along the Manistee pier, feeding the birds, running into Sonny or Bobby Jacobs in town, having a laugh with the girls at Kelly's Hallmark, watching Sally and her sister, Betty, rip it up on the dance floor at The Hayloft, picking with his good buddies Butch Broad and George Broad for so many years, having coffee and pie with Sherry and Larry, rooting for the Detroit Lions no matter what, and extending incredible kindness to animals, veterans, kids, and all he encountered. His hobbies included model railroading and his grandchildren delighted in having detailed HO scale buildings built and named after them to inhabit the model train town of Salsville. He recently enjoyed a ride on the steam locomotive Pere Marquette 1225. The sound of a train whistle blowing down the tracks will always bring Jerry to mind. In addition to his parents, Jerry was sadly preceded in death by his eldest son, Allen Lee; cherished brothers and sisters-in-law, Gene and Bonnie Snyder, Dave and Colleen Adamski, Rae and Ollie Hansen and Bob Hellem; grandparents James T. and Lorena Burdette; niece Teri Lynn Siebert; nephew Wayne Hansen; cousin Mike Groesser; aunt Nona and uncles Earl, Jim and Harry, all of whom he loved dearly. He is survived by his devoted wife, Sally Hendrix, son Mark (Carol) Hendrix of Manistee, son Kim (Candy) Hendrix of Cheboygan, daughter Toni Jan Hendrix of Traverse City, his Aunt Lorane Groesser of Traverse City, 12 spectacular grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, loving nieces and nephews, cousins, and some really good friends, each and every one adored and with whom he wished he could have spent more time. The Hendrix family will never forget every kindness offered during our time of profound and earthly loss. The response to Jerry's passing has made our hearts burst with pride and incredible humility. Burial took place at a private service on July 21, 2015, at Oak Grove Cemetery in Manistee. Arrangements were entrusted to Oak Grove Funeral Home. www.oakgrovefh.com