• Born: September 23, 1923, Wyandotte, Michigan

• Married: March 25, 1944, Tallahassee, Florida

• Died: November 23, 2001 in Lake Wales, Florida

Marriage Information:

Gerald married Viola KENDALL, daughter of Orin KENDALL and Beatrice HESS. (Viola was born on March 7, 1924 and died on November 14, 1998 in Lake Wales, Polk, FL.)

Gerald was born on September 23, 1923 at 3830 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte, Michigan in a large white house near the Atomic Battery Company on the south side of town..

While growing up as a child Gerald lived with his parents, Merrill and Rose at 2340 8th Street, Wyandotte, Michigan. It was an old yellow store front building. Gerald attended school at Washington Elementary, the first Lincoln Junior High, and Roosevelt High School. 

Gerald joined the Wyandotte police department in the late 1940's and remained there, with a brief departure to attend college, until the early 1960's. After the police department, Gerald went to work for General Motors Corporation at the Chevrolet Gear & Axle Plant, Security Division, in Warren, Michigan.

In the early 1950's Gerald left the Wyandotte Police Department and moved his family to Kankakee, Illinois where he attended Olivet Nazarene College. There he studied music and trained his voice under the direction of Dr. Larson. Gerald was also a member of the Orpheus Choir. 

After two years at Olivet [c.1952-54] Gerald returned to Wyandotte with his family, wife Viola, and three children, Jerry Jr., Brian, and Anita. He returned to the police department where he remained until the early '60's.

During the 1950's and early 1960's when Gerald and his family lived in Wyandotte he served on the Wyandotte police department and was involved in school safety programs. Gerald would sing safety songs and other favorites while in uniform before teachers and students throughout the Wyandotte school district. This went on for several years. From this experience Gerald became known as  "The Singing Policeman". It was a title that would stay with him his entire life.

During his life Gerald spent much of his free time traveling, singing in churches, making television appearances, performing on radio and doing private engagements such as concerts, weddings and funeral services. In the 1960's Gerald made his first (and only) long play record album - Favorite Sacred Selections by the Singing Policeman. While working to earn a living Gerald's real passion for life was his music, being able to perform and sing before and audience. I think the family will agree that music was his whole life. Gerald continued to sing in public until shortly before his death in 2001. He was 78 years old. One of his last performances was a duet with his daughter, Anita, in Lake Wales, Florida. The family is most fortunate to have this event on video tape.