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Geraldine Rogers
Geraldine Rogers, 88, of Free Soil went home to be with Jesus on January 22, 2025, with her daughter Francine and son in law, John, by her side.
Geraldine was born on May 28, 1936 in Detroit to Homer Ora Massey and Beatrice Smith Massey, the oldest of five siblings. She attended grade school up to 8th grade in Plymouth. She and her family then moved to Remsen, NY where she completed her high school education, graduating class salutatorian in 1954. She enjoyed cheerleading all four years, as well as participating in drama class, and was president of her class one year.
After graduating high school, she was employed as a waitress in Barneveld Diner where she met Francis “Bud” Beachley. They married in November 1955 and had four children.
She enjoyed part-time waitressing, clerking, sewing clothes for herself, children, and others, gardening, taking general ed college classes, along with raising her children.
Geri and her children moved to Plymouth where she later met and married Charles Rogers in June 1974. They and the two youngest children moved to southern California for better employment opportunities, found both by Geri and Charles as state employees. Geri was employed from 1976-1998, having achieved the distinction of hydroelectric plant operator, journeyman, in 1986, and continued to work in that field until her retirement.
Geri came to know the Lord in the mid ’70s and had an enduring relationship for the rest of her life with Him, helping to lead others to Christ. She and Charles were active members of Assembly of God churches, and they would take suitcases of shoes to the “dump people” while vacationing in Mexico, as part of their church mission outreach. They also enjoyed vacationing in the Bahamas, Florida, Alaska, and Hawaii.
In 2006, she and Charles moved to Missouri upon retirement. In 2015, Charles died, and in 2016, her family moved her to Free Soil, to live across the street from daughter Francine and son-in-law John, where she lived until her health necessitated placement in a memory care unit. She attended Free Soil United Methodist Church while living there, enjoying the singing and scripture reading.
Her hobbies and passions included listening to music, playing piano, organ, and accordion, quilting, playing games of which she was a proficient player of Rummikube (she may have cheated, just a little, with her overnight aides) playing Mahjong and Candy Crush on her computer, and in her last years she especially loved seeing her grands and great-grands. Lastly, she was one to tell a naughty joke before Alzheimer’s robbed her of her memory. She could still shock the memory care unit staff with some of her antics and statements, however!
She will be greatly missed by her children, daughter, Francine (John) Holcombe; son, Jeffrey (Gloria) Beachley; and daughter, Michelle (Brian) Phillips; sister, Sharon (Russ) Drayton; brothers, Barry (Lana) Massey, and Randy (Sharon) Massey; grandchildren, Lisa (Vance) Van Oordt, Amanda (Drew) Bramhill, Rebecca (Mike) VanGelderen, and Melanie (Matt Rueger) Beachley; great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Bramhill, Ivan, Lillian and Elaine Ann Van Gelderen, and Carina Rueger; stepson, Brad; and step-grandsons, Alex and Austin Larson.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Charles, brother, Frank; stepdaughter, Karol Larson; and son, Greg.
A special heartfelt thank you to the staff of Green Acres and Elara Caring Hospice for the love and care they showed our Geri during her last months.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Oak Grove Funeral Home, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial Contributions may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Arrangements were entrusted to Oak Grove Funeral Home of Ludington, www.OakGroveLudington.com.
