Geraldine Rose "Gerry" Colclazier, 86, Aberdeen, formerly of Garden City, the widow of Lloyd "Bud" Colclazier, died June 8, 2013, in Aberdeen.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 13, 2013, at 2 p.m. in the Garden City United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Jen Tyler officiating. Visitation will begin at noon at the church on Thursday. Burial will follow in the Garden City Cemetery. Dorothy Fuller will be the organist with special music by David and Carol Finstad. The staff of the Avera Retirement Center, especially Mother Joseph Manor, should consider themselves as honorary casketbearers. The active casketbearers will be: Bruce, Donald and Douglas Trebil, Daryl Anderson, Matt Krucker and Nicholas Colclazier.
She was born Geraldine Rose Bonfoey on April 18, 1927, at Garden City, the daughter of Edwin and Rose (Schaefer) Bonfoey. She attended school at Garden City and graduated from Garden City High School in 1945. Following high school, she attended Northern Normal Teacher's College at Aberdeen and obtained her certificate and taught country school for a short time. Gerry studied nursing training at the Bartron Hospital in Watertown until her marriage.
On March 10, 1948, she was united in marriage to Lloyd Ellsworth "Bud" Colclazier at the Good Tidings Chapel, later called the Wesleyan Church, at Garden City. They lived in town for a short time before moving to a farm 1 miles south of Garden City. In 1961, they moved to a dairy/poultry farm east of Tulare, which they operated until 1970, at which time they moved into Redfield. In October 1989, they returned to Garden City living there until the summer of 2001. Bud died in 2001. Gerry continued making Redfield her home until health issues forced her to move to Aberdeen in 2006.
Gerry will long be remembered for her warm soul and kind and caring ways, working for over 22 years as a dorm parent supervisor at the South Dakota Developmental Center. She never was afraid of working on the farm either, or riding the potato harvester.
Many will also remember her love of baking, always having something fresh baked, along with a cup of coffee and a good visit. She also enjoyed crocheting, traveling, spending winters in Texas, having a keen sense of humor, with a big smile and second to none was her love of family, tending to many of their needs over the years. Her God and church family played a very important role in her life as well, currently holding her membership in the Wesleyan Church at Redfield.
Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Bud; son-in-law, Robert Geramita; siblings: Byrl and James Bonfoey; and brother-in-law, Lester McGillivary.
Grateful for having shared in her life are her children: Nancy (Kervin) Simonson of Aberdeen, Robert (Roberta) Colclazier of Redfield, Debora Geramita of Aberdeen and Randy Colclazier of Redfield; six grandchildren: Sharon, Matthew, Jennifer, Angela, Sara and Nicholas; four great-grandchildren: Zachary, Jacob, Riley and Addison; siblings: Lois McGillivary of Clark, Paul (Pat) Bonfoey of Sioux Falls, John (Jane) Bonfoey of Loveland, Colo.; sister-in-law, Joyce Bonfoey of North Pole, Alaska; and two grand-dogs, Izzy and Skeeter of Aberdeen.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Avera Mother Joseph Manor, 1002 N. Jay St., Aberdeen, SD 57401, Attn: Chapel Renovation."
Funeral arrangements are by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an online registry at furnessfuneralhome.com.