Chad David Jahr

Chad David Jahr passed away on July 13, 2015. Chad loved his daughter, Gabrielle, red meat and cheesy potatos, banana cake with peanut butter frosting, Reeses Cups, Busch Light, deer hunting, U of M football, four wheeling, snowmobiling and spending time at his cabin with family and friends. He hated vegetables and liars. Chad was the type of person who would give you the shirt off his back and never ask for anything in return. Chad grew up in a very small town, Bach, MI, went to a small high school, Owen-Gage High School in Owendale, MI, with a graduating class of 20 students. Chad's lifelong goal was to become a Conservation Officer with the Michigan DNR. After graduating high school, Chad moved to Houghton Lake and attended Kirtland Community College in Roscommon, MI. Chad spent two years in college only to get his heart broken in May of 1998, finding out that he was partially color blind and they would not accept him into the Police Academy. While in college, Chad made some lifelong friends and some good memories. After leaving college he moved back to his home town of Sebewaing, MI, and found a job working as a security guard and handyman at a local resort in Caseville, MI. A couple years after moving back home and trying to figure out what he was going to do with his life, he had the opportunity to get a part time job with the Huron County Sheriff's Office working in the jail and taking out the weekend work crew. Shortly after being hired at the Sheriff's Office, they offered him the job as a Marine Deputy which he gladly accepted. Chad enjoyed helping the community and wanted to help out even more so after moving into a house in Bay Port, MI, with a friend he decided to join the local Fire Department (Fairhaven Township Fire Department) with. Chad enjoyed helping the community so much and the opportunity came up to take classes to get his Emergency Medical Technician License, so he did. After getting licensed he got an on-call job with Scheurer Hospital Ambulance Service as an EMT, all while working part time at the resort in Caseville, working for the Sheriff's Office, and volunteering with the Fire Department. Chad was living the life doing what he loved to do which was to help people in need. In December of 2003, Chad got married. In the spring of 2004 his wife found a job in Southwest Michigan which forced them to move to Decatur, MI, Chad was lucky enough to get hired as a temporary full time Marine Deputy with the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office in May, 2004. Chad joined the Decatur-Hamilton Quick Response Team in the summer of 2004 to help in his new community. While working for the Marine Division at the Sheriff's Office Chad also found a job working as a security guard at the Edward Lowe Foundation in Cassopolis, MI. Chad enjoyed staying busy and was a very hard worker. After summer of 2004 was over, Chad needed another job and luckily he was hired at the Sheriff's Office as a temporary full time 911 Dispatcher. Chad extremely enjoyed his job as a 911 Dispatcher and was hired full time in March of 2005. Chad enjoyed working with the Fire Department "back home" so much he decided to join the Decatur-Hamilton Fire Department. Chad worked very hard and was very good at what he did in all of his career/volunteer choices. Chad had made a promise to his dad years prior that he would get them their own place someday to hunt, so in July 2007, Chad made his and his dads dream come true by purchasing 30 acres of hunting land in northern Michigan. Later that year Chad and his then wife got a divorce. Chad spent a lot of his off time going up north to his property to make it better for hunting and possibly in the future building a cabin up there. Chad, his dad and uncles put a lot of sweat and hard work into the property to make it what it is today. In March 2008 Chad was promoted to Sergeant in charge of the Marine Division for the Sheriff's Office. Chad continued to work as a 911 Dispatcher, Firefighter, EMT, Marine Sergeant, Sheriff's Office Dive Team member and Security Guard for many years. He spent a total of 9 years of his life as an EMT. Chad met his Girlfriend, Amy, in October 2011 and in September 2012 they were blessed with their amazing and beautiful daughter, Gabrielle. Unfortunately in August of 2013, Chad was diagnosed with stage 4 Colon Cancer that had metastasized to his liver. Chad started chemotherapy treatments and had to stop working. Chad did treatments for a year and the tumors stopped growing so Chad was able to return to work which made him very happy that he could return to work and help the public.

Chad is survived by his daughter, Gabrielle Jahr of Decatur, MI, his girlfriend, Amy Shuck of Decatur, father and mother, David and Ann (Krauss) Jahr of Sebewaing, MI, grandmother, Janet Jahr (Kuhl) of Sebewaing, MI, along with numerous aunts and uncles. Chad was preceded in death by his grandfather, Raymond Krauss, grandmother, Eldine "Tootie" Krauss, grandfather, Clarence "Sprizz" Jr., uncle, Gerald "Smiley" Stefanski and best friend, Trevor R. "Duck Whistler" Bailey.

Friends are invited to visit with the family on Thursday, July 16, 2015, from 2-8 PM, at the Evangelical Mennonite Church, 425 S. Nursery Street, Lawton, MI. Funeral services will be held Friday, July 18, 2015, at 11:00 AM, at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the educational fund for his daughter, Gabrielle, at the Honor Credit Union, Paw Paw, or to the Lt. Harold Curtis Jr. Foundation, 68630 52nd St. Lawrence, MI 49064

Funeral services will be held Friday, July 17, 2015 at 11:00 AM, at the church.