SMITH, Geraldine "Gerri" (MILLER)

MILLER, SMITH, JOHNSON, KOTOS, ABUGHAZALEH, BELLI, OKEEFE, GRAVES

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 8/27/2017 at 17:08:02

Obituary ~ Geraldine "Gerri" (Miller) Smith
February 13, 1926 ~ June 29, 2017

Lamoni Chronicle
Lamoni, Decatur County, Iowa

Geraldine “Gerri” Smith, age 91, of Lamoni, Iowa, the daughter of Ira and Martha Jane Miller, was born February 13, 1926, in Pawnee Oklahoma. She passed from this life on June 29, 2017, at the Lamoni Specialty Care Center in Lamoni, Iowa.

As a child Gerri lived in Oklahoma and Washington, then as a young adult in Colorado, and then California. She married James Paul Smith and was blessed with one daughter, Lynn. Gerri began a lifetime relationship with Wayne and Bobbi Johnson when she came into their lives in the 1950’s. Gerri moved into the Johnson household in the 1960's, and was truly part of the family. She helped raise all ten Johnson children and later took care of Bobbi before her death. Gerri’s calling was to be a caregiver to all those she loved.

Gerri had a deep faith and a love for the Lord. She was a physically strong woman who always wanted to help others by waiting on them, giving foot massages and deep back rubs, or playing the piano and singing to them; she would just break out into song. She loved sweets, animals, the ocean, and camping, but she especially loved children and they her. She was known to all of them as Gigi.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Ira and Martha Jane Miller; husband, James Smith; and her dear close friends, Bobbi and Wayne Johnson.

Survivors include her daughter, Lynn Kotos; two grandchildren, Andrea and Krisma; her adopted family, Sandi Johnson and her children, Eileen, Charlene, Becky, and Amy; Steve Johnson and wife, Traci, and their children, Danny, Kenton, and Luke; Debbi Abughazaleh and husband, Jack, and their children, Jakob, Lauren, and Gabbi; Rebbi Belli and husband, Michael; Jeff Johnson; Michael Johnson and daughter, Lexi; Robert Johnson and wife, Maria, children Alex and Indi; Dustin Johnson and wife, Jessie, daughter Scarlett; Jodi Johnson O'keefe and husband, Josh, son Brody; and Juli Johnson Graves and husband, Mike, and daughters Lillianne, Alyssa, and Bella; and special friends/family, Mary Johnson and Johnathan Johnson.

A memorial service will be held Friday, July 7, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at Lamoni Assisted Living in Lamoni, Iowa. Arrangements were through the Slade – O’Donnell Funeral Home in Leon, Iowa.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2017

Decatur Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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