Jack George Perrin

Jack was born July 3, 1920, in Freeport, Illinois to Delbert D. Perrin and Mary Goodwin Perrin. He grew up in Cherokee, he attended I.C. Catholic School until 11th grade, graduating from Wilson High School in 1938. He attended Iowa State Teachers College, now U.N.I., for 3 1/2 years, leaving to enlist in the Air Force after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He married his high school sweetheart, June Andersen, on February 28, 1943 in Alpine, Texas, where Jack was in training. He was assigned to a B-17 air crew, as a Tail-Gunner, with the 8th Air Force, 390th Bomber Group and deployed to Farmlingham, England. Jack's plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Belgium on his first combat mission; however, the plane with the crew returned to England to fly 24 more combat missions. He served with distinction and was awarded the "Air" medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and 3 Battle Stars. When he was honorably discharged and returned home, he and June used his G.I. loan to start a family business, Perrin's Fur Farm. This modest beginning grew into present day Perrin and Son's Fur Farm Inc.; one of the well known Mutation Mink Farms in the United States. Jack held offices in Great Lakes Mink Association and EMBA, the Northwest Iowa Mink Breeders Assoc. and the Hawkeye Mink Marketing Group. He was active in them until health issues forced his retirement. Jack was a lifetime member of Immaculate Conception Parrish. He loved hunting, trapping and fishing and playing cards. He especially enjoyed his summers fishing at the family cabin in Canada. He was renowned for his ready wit and many stories shared with family and friends. He is survived by June, his wife of 67 years; four children, John (Donese) Perrin of Neosho, Mo., Tim (Pat) Johnson of Forest Lake, MN, Patty (Buck) Miller of North Sioux City, S.D., Jim (Brenda) Perrin of Cherokee and Diane (Chuck) Schmillen of Marcus; brothers Chuck (Dorothy) and Bud (Barb) of Cherokee and sisters Mary Fran Gates of Boynton Beach, Fl., Kathi McGowan of Destin, Fl. Sister-in-law Lavonne "Tootie" Perrin of Grenada Mississippi; 12 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren: Michelle (Eric) Danielson and Caitlin, Conner, and Callie, Lt. Col. Jack D. (Shannon) Perrin and John, Todd, Samantha, and Thomas, Dr. Luke (Kristie) Perrin and Alexis and Teagan, Jim (Amy) Johnson and Carter, LS3 Beau (Michelle) Rose and Alexis, Jacob and Bailee, Judd Rose, Christopher (Melissa) Perrin and Blake, Tate, and Chase, Lyndsay (Brent) Wolfswinkel and Laney and Addison, Jamie Perrin, Nancy Perrin, Matthew (Tonia) Schmillen and Michael, John, and Cody, Steve Schmillen; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Nancy Johnson in 1988; a grandson, Michael Schmillen; two brothers, Junebug (Delbert) and Dana, and a sister, Rosemary Roepke; sisters-in-law, Joyce Perrin and Rita Perrin; brothers-in-law, Bob McGowan and Wayne Roepke.

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