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Judith Jerde grew up in Minnesota, where she obtained an M.A. degree in Art History and Costume Design. She then joined the Theatre Department of a local private college. After 6 years, Judith left theatre to pursue her interest in authentic historic clothing.

She traveled extensively, visiting major clothing collections in Europe and the U. S. In particular, Judith studied the extensive collection at the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute.

After a year as a Special Consultant at the Minnesota Historical Society. Judith’s article, “Mary Molloy: St. Paul’s Extraordinary Dressmaker,” was published by the MHS, then subsequently in "Dress", the annual publication of the Costume Institute, which gave the article international exposure.

In 1981 the Costume Institute invited Judith to fill the position of Associate Conservator. In that position, she was in charge of the preparation and mounting of clothing for the Costume Institute’s annual exhibits at the Metropolitan under the direction of Diana Vreeland.

While at the Met, Judith successfully developed a technique of using ultra-sound to clean textiles effectively and safely, and delivered an address on this process at the National Archives, in Washington D.C.

As a continuing backdrop to all these activities, Judith had a lifelong passion for the outdoors, particularly fishing. Every year she and her family (husband David and sons Eric and Alex) would spend time in the boundary waters on the border of Minnesota and Canada.

After returning to Minnesota in 1990, Judith wrote The Encyclopedia of Textiles. She then wrote We are Our Dreams, but could not fully complete it, suffering a severe stroke in 1996. Judith passed from this life in 2015.