Grace Eva (Geer) Kemp (1906-1948)

GEER, KEMP, NIVER, WRIGHT, SLOTTJE, FOSTER, BYERS

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

From Nevada Evening Journal October 14, 1948 (page 3)

Funeral Services For Mrs. Grace Kemp Held Here Tuesday

Funeral services for Mrs. Grace Eva Kemp, 42, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Osgood B. Geer of this city, who passed away Friday morning, October 8, at Naturita, Colorado, were held Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Ryan Funeral home with Rev. Hugh C. Guy of the Nevada Christian church, officiating at the last rites.

Mrs. A. L. Hale was at the organ playing "Holy City" and "Garden of Prayer."

In charge of flowers were Mrs. Walter Moses and Mrs. Milo Berka.

The pall bearers were the brothers, George, John, Donald, and David Geer and the brothers-in-law, H. E. Wright and Darrell Myers.

Burial was in the Nevada cemetery.

Obituary

Grace Eva Geer was born near Roswell, N. M., on May 28, 1906. Her early years were spent there on land, homesteaded by her parents, Ethelyn M. and Osgood B. Geer. In 1914 the family went by covered wagon to central Texas and the next years to Arkansas, moving to Murray, Iowa, in 1916. In 1918 they moved again to her grandfather's farm near Colo, Iowa, where she finished grade school and entered the Colo High school In Feb,, 1923, she moved with her people to Couderspoint, Penn., where she finished high school in 1925 and that fall enrolled at Pennsylvania General Hospital, Philadelphia, Penn., for nurses training. She graduated with honors and practiced as a Registered Nurse until forced by illness, to give up the profession she so loved.

She married George W. Kemp in 1929 and to this union one son, George W. Kemp, Jr., was born on Oct. 27, 1932.

Most of her married life was spent in Philadelphia except for trips to coast cities to be with her husband who is an officer an the Merchants Marine.

The first part of May, 1944, she came back to Iowa and in June of that year moved to Nevada to live with her sister, Mrs. H. E. Wright, until she gained enough strength to make the trip to Colorado in the hopes of improving her health. She left in Dec., 1947, for the home of her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Will Foster at Naturita in southwestern Colorado. She was very happy there and the end came as a shock to all who knew her.

She passed away early Friday morning, October 8, 1948, at the age of 42 years, 4 months and 10 days.

She is survived by her husband George W. Kemp, one son, George Junior of Philadelphia, Penn., her parents, Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Geer of Nevada, Iowa. Four sisters: Hester (Mrs. Millard Niver) of Gifford, Penn., Irene (Mrs. H. E. Wright) of Nevada, Iowa, Katherine (Mrs. Titus Slottje) of Keating Summit, Penn., and Naomi of Clarinda, and four brothers: George of Hagerstown, Md., Donald of Adel, Iowa, John of Colo, Iowa, and David of Naturita, Colo., two uncles: Will Foster of Naturita, Colorado and Gurdon Geer of Clarinda, Iowa and one aunt, Mrs. Sarah Prince Byers, and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

She will be sadly missed by her family and the friends she made wherever she went.

She was a member of the American Nurse's Association and the Alumnaie Association of Philadelphia General hospital, of Philadelphia, Pa.

She love her profession as a nurse, and loved humanity, sympathizing with other in their sufferings and sorrow. In a certain sense she gave he life for her friends in sickness and suffering.