Margaret and Jerome Nerman were married on Aug. 8, 1941, at Beth Shalom Synagogue by Rabbi Gershon Hadas in his study. Jerry enlisted in the Army in 1942 after Pearl Harbor and served in Europe for three years and was discharged in 1946 as a staff sergeant. They have one son, Lewis Nerman, and a grandson, Greg Nerman.
In 1950, Jerry and Melvin Spitcaufsky went into business selling trucks and started Arrow Truck Sales. Arrow was sold 50 years later as the largest independent pre-owned truck business in North America with 20 locations. Jerry’s son, Lewis, served as president of Arrow Truck sales.
Jerry and Margaret have been avid art collectors and supporters of the arts in Kansas City. Art and Antiques Magazine named them as one of the top 100 collectors in America. Margaret served as a trustee at the Kansas City Art Institute and Jerry served on the collection committee at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. They have supported the Truman Library, Science City, Kansas City Art Institute and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
In 2007, they opened the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art on the campus of Johnson County Community College. Jerry has been chairman of Central Bank for more than 25 years. He is still working with his son and grandson in the pre-owned truck business.
