In the early 1950s, Jerman became one of millions of African Americans who migrated north to major cities in hopes of better work, pay and living conditions. The work was mostly field labor on farms, requiring Jerman to leave school. That's when he truly retired.īorn in Seaboard, North Carolina, in 1929, Jerman began working at 12-years-old to help support his family, Garrett said. Jerman stopped working a second time in 2012. “His services to others - his willingness to go above and beyond for the country he loved and all those whose lives he touched - is a legacy worthy of his generous spirit,” Obama said.
Michelle Obama, in a statement provided to NBC News, said Jerman 'helped make the White House a home for decades of first families, including ours.'
