Jerald Marvin Estis was born in Jane, Missouri, on October 18, 1934, to Erma Aline Reed Estis and Cleo Warner Estis. He was their firstborn son. In the spring of 1936, Jerry and his parents moved from Joplin, Missouri, to the Estis Ranch on Waugh Mountain, which is 16 miles north of Cotopaxi. He lived on the ranch with his parents and brother Tom until 1949, when the family moved to Cotopaxi into the home they had built close to town so he and his brother could attend Cotopaxi School. He attended Cotopaxi school from first through 12th grade, and as a sophomore in high school, he became a board member for the Cotopaxi Church, where he served as a deacon from 1950 to 2010.…