Jerry Borg

Jerry Borg of Watson died on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at Luther Haven Nursing Home at the age of 83.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at Watson Lutheran Church in Watson.

Visitation with the family will be held one hour prior to the services at the church on Tuesday.

Gerald (Jerry) Julius Borg was born on July 20, 1942 at home in Wegdahl, MN to Julius and Myrtle (Milbeck) Borg. He was baptized as an infant in the Lutheran faith. He was confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church. He grew up with his four sisters in Wegdahl. Jerry attended and graduated from Montevideo High School in 1961. On June 23, 1962, he was united in marriage to Darlene Molden. They made their home in Montevideo until 1973 when they moved to Watson. They had 3 children; Brad, Wendy, and Stacy.

Gerald Julius…or possibly Julius Gerald depending on whether you’re looking at his birth certificate or Social Security card, always went by Jerry. His family never resolved this mystery, and frankly, he seemed just fine with that. He was a mechanic his entire life and started turning wrenches and working alongside his father-in-law, Harris. Jerry eventually opened his own shop, Borg’s Garage, where he excelled at tinkering with all kinds of cars, fixing engines, keeping his kids’ and grandkids’ cars running and solving problems (with some creative language peppered in). The grandkids would “help out” in the garage, rolling around on the creeper, playing with the cash register, sitting at his desk and playing with the air hose. As the grandkids grew, they would have coffee with Grandma Darlene while he fixed their cars. He lost his eye in a work accident 40 years ago but never lost his grit or humor.

Although he spent his days fixing other people’s problems, he was happiest at home with Dar and has missed her greatly since her death in 2018. That was where he truly relaxed, especially if there was a dog nearby. He was such a dog lover that Grandma Myrtle, who was not a dog lover, agreed to get him not one, but two dogs, as a consolation for being the only boy in a family with four sisters. Jerry was also an avid reader who always had a stack of books or comics sitting next to his favorite chair. He loved Louis Lamour western books and the local newspaper.

Jerry was very proud to serve 30 dedicated years on the Watson Fire Department. He showed up no matter what when his pager went off. Wendy remembers when he received the call that the Watson Church was on fire. The entire family was in Raymond, so he and Dar tossed the kids in the car and drove “about a hundred miles an hour” to go help fight the fire. He always showed up and helped in any way he could without fanfare, illustrating some of his lifelong traits: reliability and dependability.

Jerry is survived by his children, Wendy (Tim) Lindemann of Montevideo; Stacy Borg of Watson; grandchildren, Tarah (Darrin) Rasmussen; Leah (Nik) Lines, both of rural Montevideo; Samantha (Daniel Simeone) Lindemann of Minneapolis; Tanner (Chelsi) Lindemann of Granite Falls; great- grandchildren, Brayden, Lillyanne, Sawyer, Camden, Tucker, Angele, Martina, Charlotte; sisters, Audrey Tjosaas of Montevideo; Marilyn Dahl of Burnsville; brother-in-law, Darrol Olsen of Granite Falls; sisters-in-law, Phyllis (Stanley) Baldwin, Barb (Larry) Christenson and Lynn Molden all of Montevideo; many nieces and nephews and extended family.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Darlene; son, Bradley Borg; sisters, Delores Rhode and LaVonne Olsen; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Harris and Harriet Molden; brothers-in-law, Derrold Dahl, Bruce Molden, Curtis Tjosaas and Earl Rhode.

Jerry Borg of Watson died peacefully on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at Luther Haven Nursing Home at the age of 83. Jerry leaves behind family, friends, countless fixed vehicles, and a legacy of hard work, quiet loyalty, and a name that will keep future genealogists guessing.

May his memory be blessed.