Richard 'Joe' Jedele Retired from the Washtenaw Road Commission, Enjoyed a Life-Long Love of Farming

Richard “Joe” Jedele, age 62, passed away suddenly on December 17, 2020 at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI, following a very brief illness. He was born June 13, 1958 in Ann Arbor, MI, the son of LeRoy H. and Irene S. (Kruger) Jedele. On November 11, 2006, he married Dona (Hertler) Vershum; and she survives.

Joe had a life-long love of farming, starting on his Jedele grandparents’ farm at a very young age. This experience got him started on tractor pulling, and he proudly pulled the “Smokin’ Joe” Massey Ferguson in Pro Stock pulls across Michigan and northern Ohio for many years. He gave up tractor pulling when he had the opportunity to buy his Kruger grandparents’ farm and happily worked the land full-time upon retiring from the Washtenaw County Road Commission in 2018 after more than 20 years of service. Joe had also worked for Gross Farm Equipment and Niethammer Trucking earlier in his career.

Surviving, in addition to his wife Dona, are her children, Kevin (Carrie) Vershum and Kelli (Todd) Pollard; their treasured grandchildren, Noah, Jonah, Addyson, Henry and Grace; his mother, Irene Jedele; two sisters, Karen (Rob) Mills and Marie (Doug) Bowker; three brothers, Roger (JoAnn) Jedele, Keith Jedele, and Gary (Judy) Jedele; and many nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Joe was preceded in death by his father, LeRoy Jedele, in 1997.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Joe’s name may be made to Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church 7474 Scio Church Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 or to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate. Funeral services will be held privately. A service will be viewable via livestream on Monday, December 21, 2020. You can watch the service starting at 10:50 A.M. by visiting the Church’s Facebook page by clicking https://www.facebook.com/events/437063374126704/ or on YouTube by clicking https://youtu.be/Hm7Xu9Ea1_k To sign Joe’s guestbook or to leave a memory please visit www.rbfhsaline.com.

More News from Saline

• Assessment Recommends Fire Authority for Saline Fire and EMS service Saline City Council could soon take a step towards recommending a new governance model for fire and EMS services.
• Many Helped Make the Saline Community Fair Successful The 2025 Saline Community Fair was one of the best thanks to dedicated volunteers and the community.