DeKalb County Board member Jerry Osland dies at 70

SANDWICH – DeKalb County Board member Jerry D. Osland, 70, of Sandwich, has died, multiple sources confirmed with Shaw Local News Network.

Born on Aug. 24, 1954, Osland, a Republican from District 12, was elected to the DeKalb County Board in 2016 and maintained the position until he died Feb. 2, according to his obituary.

DeKalb County Board Chair John Frieders said Wednesday that Osland was among the most dedicated members of the board.

“He was willing to put in his time on the County Board and be educated on what the issues were, and share his opinions with us,” Freiders said. “He always had the best interest of his Sandwich district and the county at heart.”

When he wasn’t voting on local policy, Osland enjoyed scuba diving, The Beatles and caring for his three dogs, Fred, Ace and Charlie, according to his obituary.

Osland was a passionate member of the County Board who brought his own expertise to a variety of topics handled by the governing body.

His comments often centered on knowledge he gained over a quarter-century of running an excavation company based out of Sandwich.

Osland was vocal about a variety of topics during DeKalb County Board meetings, but perhaps most recently none more than the DeKalb County Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

When the county-owned nursing center was more than $7 million in debt and two private businesses had submitted bids to purchase the facility in the summer of 2022, Osland was one of two Republicans who broke from their colleagues in otherwise party-line votes. He, along with Republican County Board member Patrick Deutsch, joined with Democrats by voting in favor of a referendum regarding the nursing center on an election ballot.

That vote failed 11-11, and county officials opted to sell the facility to one of the bidders. More than a year later, after the purchase had fallen through, Osland became a member of the DCRNC oversight board, which was created to better keep county officials in the know about the center’s happenings.

Frieders said he thought Osland’s efforts to support the nursing center were among his top achievements while serving on the County Board.

“I think Jerry was very proud of his work with the county nursing home,” Frieders said. “He put a lot of time in working with the oversight board on the nursing home, and I think he was very proud of what’s been accomplished there.”

Before County Board meetings, Osland often could be found talking with members of the public who’d chosen to attend.

“It’s a loss to Sandwich and a loss to the county,” Frieders said. “It’s just quite a shock, when this happened, to everyone. And he will be missed.”