Jerry A. Hemphill, DMV
90 years old
Jerry Allen Hemphill was born on November 27, 1935 in Herrington Kansas. Jerry passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 14, 2026 in the home he has lived in for 63 years. He was reunited with his beloved wife, Marka, who died in 2022. Jerry and his family came to Lassen County in 1938 arriving by train in Reno with his parents, Otho and Millie, and three older brothers to begin ranching and a dairy business. He remembers riding a horse to the one room Missouri Bend Elementary School and when their house got indoor plumbing. The road to the ranch is named Hemphill Road after his family.
From a young age he worked very hard. He milked cows, hauled hay, and drove the school bus while a high school student. He was able to earn enough to pay his own way through school. He was an outstanding student and varsity athlete, playing football and running track while still being responsible for many farm chores.. He was a Lassen County 4-H All Star and a California FFA state farmer. Jerry graduated from Lassen Union High School in 1953 followed by two years at Lassen Junior College. He then decided he wanted to be a veterinarian and transferred to U.C. Davis.
As a teenager, he was smitten by Marka Marie Davis and their first date was going to the Lassen County Fair. They wrote letters almost every day when Marka was sent to boarding school. After a long distance romance for many years they married August 29, 1959, in Susanville. The newlyweds enjoyed living in Aggie Villa while Jerry finished veterinary school at U.C. Davis in 1960. Jerry then served two years (1960-62) in the U.S. Army as a Captain. They traveled around the country including a year in Madison, WI where he inspected meat and cheese factories.
Marka and Jerry returned to Lassen County to visit family with plans to go open a practice in Fremont, CA. They were always happy they stayed to manage the Lassen 7-D Ranch, build a Veterinary Clinic and raise children. Every morning they started their day together with a cup of coffee while enjoying the view of Thompson Peak. Jerry was an early adopter of AI (artificial insemination) and introduced the Charolais breed into the registered Hereford herd he was managing. He ran his own solo small animal veterinary business for almost 50 years.
In his lifetime he went from driving a derek cart with a team of horses to proudly buying a tractor with air conditioning and a radio that could manage one ton hay bales.
Jerry loved Lassen County and rarely left it. He liked to drive around Honey Lake Valley remembering the people and places he knew. The last time Jerry was hospitalized was in 1964 after falling from a horse. He spent several weeks in a coma before making a full recovery. In 1965, his children Eric and Audrey were born followed by Sonja and Craig in 1967. Eric passed away in 2015.
Jerry is survived by his brothers Bob, in Janesville and Jack, in Sacramento. His daughter Sonja, son Craig and his partner Natalie Moody, and Audrey and her husband Garry Gold. He had four grandchildren, Robert Hemphill and Evan, Allison and Rachael Gold as well as many nieces and nephews.
Donations in Jerry’s memory may be made to the Lassen High School Alumni Association P.O. Box 471, Susanville CA 96130.
