Every year, Run in the Sun honors a local family while raising money for Hospice Serenity House. In 2026, the family of Jerry Staton is inviting the community to join in celebrating his life and legacy of care by participating in the event.
Jerry’s wife, Sharon Staton, and their adult children, Jeff Staton, Wendy DeWaard, and Stacey Sytsma, reflected on Jerry’s life during a recent interview. They shared that stepping into Jerry’s shoes is to help others.
Putting Others First
“If he were here and somebody asked him to participate in Run in the Sun, he would say, ‘Of course we’re going to do that, and we’re going to get as many people to do it as we can,’” shared Stacey.
“He’d say, ‘Make it the best it’s ever been.’”
As a lifelong coach, Jerry inspired many athletes to be and do their best. He saw the good in players and trained his teams to win with good sportsmanship. Still, it was not only his love for the game that made him a positive force in people’s lives. It was his posture as a leader who put others first, treated everyone like they mattered, and practiced what he preached.
“I ran across a lot of coaches that would say, ‘Act this way, do this, be this,’” shared Jerry’s son, Jeff. “And some of them would live that way…but many of them did not. That’s one of the things I was always most proud of, with my dad.”
Sharon Staton, Jerry’s wife, added, “He didn’t ask his boys that played for him to do anything that he would refrain from doing.”
Living the Values He Taught
Jerry was someone who effectively modeled the values he taught. When he passed, his children discovered that their dad’s impact far surpassed what they knew. “We kept on learning,” shared Stacey, Jerry’s daughter, “not just football players, but all these other people came up to us and said, ‘Your dad helped me.’”
“In addition to his coaching,” his obituary reads, “he had a strong entrepreneurial spirit. He had many business ventures over the years. None of them turned into Fortune 500 companies but they did help pay for their children’s college degrees.”
“You’d have to understand this guy to know how hard he worked to make sure he provided for us,” shared Jeff.
“I can recall when I was a young kid in Oskaloosa, and I was looking around Dad’s closet.
I got Dad’s dress shoes out…and both shoes had holes in the bottom of them. He just kept wearing them because we didn’t have a lot of money.
He sacrificed so that us kids could have things.”
Care at the Serenity House
Jerry served his family through the years, and they did everything they could to care for him while his health declined. “I was bound and determined that he wasn’t going to go into a nursing home,” said Sharon. “I could manage taking care of him until he couldn’t walk. When Jeff had to carry him to get him to bed, we knew it was time to contact Mahaska Health Hospice Serenity House for support with his care.”
“During Jerry’s days at the Serenity House,” Stacey shared, “Dad was the patient, but we were too.”
When reflecting on their experience through the duration of their stay, Wendy shared a story of her encounters with care team members.
“One night I stayed. I sat, held his hand, talked to him…two separate times people came in; they didn’t know I was still there. They saw me, and said, ‘Stay as long as you want. We’re just checking on him.’ He passed that night. When I came back, one said, ‘I’m so glad you stayed.’ They were just…very caring.”
Contrasting with their experience in similar environments, they noted the exceptional facilities and home-like rooms. “Oskaloosa is very fortunate to have such a high-caliber facility located in its town.”
Continuing Jerry’s Legacy
When asked what participating in the Run in the Sun event as a featured family meant to them, Stacey shared, “It’s a way to honor him, but also, try and do our best to help Serenity House, and in that, help the community. That’s what dad did…for individuals, with business, in coaching.”
Jerry Staton wore out his shoes walking the talk of what it means to be “a servant warrior,” as he’d put it. The Run in the Sun 5K is an opportunity for those who were enriched by his life or inspired by his story to tangibly express their own values or salute his character by participating in the event.
Run in the Sun brings the community together to honor loved ones who have passed and raise money for Hospice Serenity House. Proceeds support compassionate end-of-life care centered on comfort and kindness.
This year, the event will take place Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Statesmen Community Stadium in Oskaloosa, IA. To learn more, register, or donate, visit mahaskahealth.org/run2026.
Thank you to the Staton family for sharing Jerry’s story and helping honor his legacy.
About Mahaska Health:
Mahaska Health is a physician and nurse-led hospital, providing compassionate, patient-centered care, state-of-the-art facilities, and outstanding healthcare to Oskaloosa and surrounding communities. Serving patients from more than 35 counties, Mahaska Health offers specialized care through collaboration, clinical expertise, and community-focused support. Mahaska Health is dedicated to the health and well-being of the communities they serve with kindness and empathy.
