Jerry and Jean Logosz
Bob Neuman
Even though they lived in the same neighborhood, it took a date-arranged in 1962 by a friend to begin the journey to the altar.
When asked how he met her, Jerry replied, “I just picked her up on a corner.” Jean added, “When I saw him, I said ‘no way’.” Something must have clicked because Jerry and Jean Logosz have been married 51 years, have a son and daughter and three grandchildren.
Jerry’s ancestors lived in the Ukraine. Many years ago, his grandfather came to North America and walked across part of Canada to homestead and live in a sod house on the North Dakota plains. During the Great Depression, the family moved to Oregon.
Jerry and Jean lived and attended school in Portland. Afterwards he served in the army infantry (1960-1962) in Alaska during the Berlin Crisis.
After marriage in 1963, Jerry became manager of Safeway Grocery stores in Oregon for 25 years while Jean remained home until the children were grown. The two then bought their own meat market and operated it for 17 years. Jean was the bookkeeper and helped with many other duties. Jerry became a proficient meat cutter, a skill he still uses working at Sprouts.
The VA hospitals have drawn much negative publicity recently. Comments of fraud, inaptitude, cover ups, etc have filled the media. But Jerry, who has used them since his army discharge, has no complaints. He has found those in Oregon and Arizona very good. They keep his diabetes under control and were involved with his hip replacement on September 2 of this year. After six weeks, with Jean’s assistance and his determination, he has completely recovered and is back at Sprouts. In regard to the VA criticism, he comments, “I think we are going to see a big change for the better.”
In October 2009, Jerry had the distinction of breaking the Oregon state record for catching Kokanee. The fish was 27-1/4 inches long and weighed 7.085 lbs. “The fish hit the lure like a stick of dynamite,” said Jerry.
“We briefly vacationed with friends who ‘snowbirded’ here. We soon decided that SunBird was where we wanted to live in our retirement because of the harsh Oregon winters,” Jean recalled. They became full-time residents in 2006 except for some summer months back home in Oregon with the family.
Jerry’s hobbies and preferences include being an “old time meat cutter” and fishing at Wallowa Lake in Oregon. “I love shuffleboard, baseball games and golfing with my friends.”
Jean enjoys singing with the SunBird Singers twice a year. She is also a dedicated garage and estate sale lady and she is proud to point out all the treasures in her home from these endeavors.
“We do not have the urge to travel, but we have been to Hawaii several times, the Cayman Islands and short trips to Laughlin and Las Vegas,” she remarked.
Being with this comfortable couple and hearing their story was a treat for this writer. Perhaps you are fortunate enough to know them, too.