Born in Spooner, Wisconsin, Jerome's family were poor, and he learned to work on the farm at an early age.
In 1935, he attended the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, where he joined Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity - Lambda chapter.
He received an Honorary State Farmer Award from the Wisconsin Vocational Agriculture FFA Program in 1973.
He retired in 1980 from his company when his son took over as chairman of the board, but remained involved in the turkey industry.
Along with his wife, he donated land and financial support to help with numerous community projects in the Barron, Wisconsin area.