Service: Memorial services will be held on Saturday, November 29th at 10:00 a.m. at Grand Valley Lutheran Church, 28529 SD Hwy 11, Canton, SD 57013.
Service: Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Saron Lutheran Church, 1656 Main St., Strasburg, CO 80136
Jerome “Jerry” Harry Gustafson was born on December 6th, 1946, to Harry and Thyra (Olson) Gustafson in Clear Lake, South Dakota. He grew up on a farm/ranch operation helping his dad raise purebred Hereford cattle. During high school, he was the official school photographer and also helped out the Sheriff Department when they needed a photographer.
In 1964, Jerry started college at Brookings, SD and was also the bass player and back up signer for a Rock and Roll band, “Danny and the Diamonds”. In 1965, the band played at a party where Emily “Emmy” Torberson was going to school. It was at this party that Jerry and Emmy met; they later married in September of 1966. Jerry decided that college was not for him. He worked for a short time for Terrace Park Dairy in Marshall, MN, and from there, he went to St. Paul, MN where he worked for 3M Company in their photo lab. By 1969, Jerry was freelancing, taking pictures of weddings, horse shows and portraits, but knew that wasn’t his niche. Rodeo was calling his name, so he and Emmy bought a pickup, a travel trailer, a couple of cameras and lenses, and hit the road full time.
Jerry started out shooting college, high school and Little Britches rodeos, but soon included PRCA rodeos where the cowboys and the stock were the world’s best, providing Jerry with the opportunity to get better action pictures. The couple traveled to every state west of the Mississippi, loving the larger winter rodeos like Denver, Ft. Worth, San Antonio and Houston where they could stay in one place for up to two weeks at a time.
On April 1, 1972, their first baby arrived, a boy named Shawn, who traveled every mile on the rodeo trail with his parents. On March 1, 1976, their second baby arrived, another boy named Scott, and by this time they decided to settle down and enroll Shawn in school. Jerry got a job in Aurora, CO managing a camera store, but by 1982, rodeo was calling his name again, and he went back on the road full time.
One item on Jerry’s bucket list was to publish a coffee table style book of his pictures. He ended up having enough photos to fill two books: “Through the Lens of Jerry Gustafson – Rodeo Photography 1970 – 1976: and “Through the Lens of Jerry Gustafson – Bares, Broncs and Bulls 1982 – 1988”. These books were a labor of love, with both his sons helping bring them to life.
In 2019, Jerry was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in the Legend Category. In 2020, the Bull Riders Hall of Fame again honored Jerry when he was the Legacy Award recipient. In 2024 he was inducted into the Bull Fights of Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in the Legend Category. Being recognized in this capacity meant so much to Jerry. As well, Jerry took great pleasure in posting rodeo action pictures of cowboys on their birthdays on Facebook and the cowboys loved the recognition, too.
Having re-entered the rodeo world, Jerry felt the photography bug again. He began shooting high school rodeos and futurity bucking events. In early 2025, Jerry decided to hang his camera up for good. His body was telling him he had to slow down. This was one of the hardest decisions he made.
Jerry will be remembered as a kind, humble, generous and faithful man. He was a devoted husband of 59 years, a loving father and an adoring grandpa and trusted friend.
Jerry is missed by his wife, Emmy Gustafson, his son, Shawn Gustafson, and his wife, Meg Kendel, his son, Scott Gustafson, and his wife, Crystal Smith, his granddaughter, Conner Gustafson, his 4-year-old great grandson, Teddy, his sister-in-law, Peg (Torberson) Steinfadt, his sister- and brother-in-law, Dorothy (Torberson) and David Fossum, his nieces and nephew, a host of cousins, and many, many friends in the rodeo arena of life. Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Thyra (Olson) Gustafson, and his father and mother-in-law, Lester and Eunice (Chaon) Torberson, sister-in-law, LaVonne (Torberson) Hook, and brother-in-law, Doug Steinfadt.
Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Saron Lutheran Church, 1656 Main St., Strasburg, CO 80136 and on Saturday, November 29th at 10:00 a.m. at Grand Valley Lutheran Church, 28529 SD Hwy 11, Canton, SD 57013.
What a whirlwind! Jerry certainly knew how to ride the rodeo – both literally for the cameras and figuratively with that impressive career path. From dairy dude to 3M whiz to full-time photo nomad, he really captured the essence of the trail. Though his body finally said slow down in 2025 (poor thing!), his spirit clearly kept racing. And those books – Through the Lens – talk about a bucket list item checked off with style! P.S. wonder if the pickup and trailer had a name, like The Hustle? Rodeo legend, family man, camera king – Jerry hit the bulls eye on all counts.
Emily I am so sorry to hear of Jerry’s passing. Carrol mentioned you had lost your husband at our reunion. He sounded like a real man of purpose which I read he was. My heart goes out to you and the rest of the family. Hope your well and think of the great times you two had with him and with the boys along for the ride.