Jerry Marvin Middendorp

Jerry’s service will be viewable below:

Jerry Marvin Middendorp, 71, of Fargo North Dakota, passed away at his home after an eighteen-month long battle with cancer, on June 15th 2023, with his loving spouse and youngest daughter by his side.

Jerry was born on July 21st 1951 to William (Bill) and Nellie (Van Beek) Middendorp, along with his twin brother, Marvin Jerry Middendorp. Jerry and Marvin were the first set of twins born to the new hospital in Sioux Center, Iowa. Jerry completed his high school education at Boyden-Hull High in 1969, where he proceeded to graduate from Dunwoody College in Minneapolis, MN.

Post college, he purchased his first bakery in Hull Iowa and then moved to become the Owner and Operator of the Dutch Oven Bakery in Orange City Iowa. After moving to O’Neil Nebraska, he purchased the M&M bakery, café, and catering services, which is where he met his wife Pattie. Once Jerry began working for Nash Finch Company, he supported operational openings in their bakeries which included re-locations within Nebraska, Wisconsin and then landing in Fargo, ND in 1996. He retired after 30 years with Nash Finch in 2019. After his retirement in 2019, he enjoyed driving school bus for West Fargo Public Schools.

Jerry enjoyed being on bowling league, shooting blue rock, hunting, fishing for muskies, bike riding, and time with his family. In his retirement years, he spent his time driving his boat, taking golf cart rides, feeding, and training the fish off the dock. His most avid pastime was riding his bicycle to discover new parks and paths, always choosing the longest route while making new friends to anyone he met along the way. Jerry was a man of many talents and passions, a true entrepreneur through and through. He was always tinkering on new ideas and inventions. Although he enjoyed “resting his eyes”, he was never one to be sitting still. Jerry could always be found with a coffee cup in hand, ready to share his opinion on buttons, coins, current news events and the latest community happenings.

Jerry loved and adored his wife, Pattie; his sons Matt (Lorayne) and Mike (Heidi)- both of Clinton, Iowa; and his daughters: Michelle, of Clinton, Iowa, Jerri (Katie) of Los Gatos, California, and Kayla (Kenny) of Fargo, ND. He was a loving and involved Papa to his 12 grandchildren: Ethan, Isaac, Ashton, Amelia, Emily, Isabella, Abigail, Olivia, Wrennyn, Arlo, Ava Grace and Elijah. Jerry is also survived by many brother and sister in laws, an aunt, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents Bill and Nellie Middendorp, twin brother Marvin Jerry Middendorp, younger brother Wilmer Middendorp, his mother-in-law, father-in-law, a sister-in-law, paternal grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

The family would like to thank Essentia Health Oncology and Ethos Hospice for their kindness, care, and support throughout Jerry’s journey.