In Memoriam

Jerry R. McAuliffe Jr., December 14, 2024

Klamath Tribal member Jerry R. McAuliffe Jr. passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.

His family held a graveside service on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Merrill IOOF Cemetery in Merrill, Oregon.

Jerry was an extremely hard worker who lived and grew up in the Klamath basin, logging and ranching his entire life. There wasn’t a truck, machine, or tractor he couldn’t run or fix. He was living his dream of ranching, being outdoors, and trucking.

He was best known for his hard work ethic, his crazy laughter, and the teasing of his mother (to the point he’d have to get to ‘safety’). He was funny, and his joking nature could put others at ease quickly. Jerry was the type of guy that people liked right away, and his willingness to help anyone in need made him a favorite of many, including his nephews, sisters, children, friends, and co-workers. If he saw you in public, you’d get his big smile, a hug, and almost always… a good gut laugh.

He was dedicated to his mom (up until the moment of her passing), his sisters, children, loved ones, family, and friends.

We thank the Lord for his time here. It was not wasted, and he will never be forgotten. We will continue.

His family loved laughing and being around him. He was the ‘little’ brother of three children, with two sisters who he liked to tease and argue with. But since he was a child, he took his role as a brother seriously and always did his best to work and provide for his family. His pride and joy were his children and family. He was also extremely proud of his sobriety of 28 years. You could always find him at his workshop working into the morning until it was time to go for the first log run at 4 a.m. 

He is missed, and we will remember him always. We look forward to the day when we will see him again on the other side. 

Ooncha – See you later. In our language, we have no word for goodbye. Moo ams ni stinta c’osni – Love you forever.