sleep early Saturday morning, July 8, 2017, after a courageous year
long battle with lung cancer.
Monika Magdalena Elisabeth was born to Erich and Gertrud Geissler in
Erfurt on the 28th of August, 1940. She grew up in Erfurt, Germany until
she moved to Amberg in 1955, where she met the love of her life, Jerry
Lane Cates of Central Falls, North Carolina in 1960. They married on
February 2, 1962.
She was a loving wife and mother of four daughters. She supported her
husband throughout his active duty military and civil service careers.
She was proud to become an American citizen, and serve her country
and troops as a civil servant of the Central Issue Facility until she
retired in 1994.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Lane Cates, of
Harker Heights,TX, her youngest daughter, Helen Lenora Briggs, of
Salado, TX, mother, Gertrud Kummer Geissler, of Germany, father, Erich
Richard Geissler, of Germany, brothers Klaus and Wolfgang Geissler of
Erfurt, Germany.
She is survived by daughters Deborah Tanner of Lawton, OK, Diane
(and Michael) Sawyer of Colorado Springs, CO, Geraldine Jackson of
Temple, TX. One brother Erich (and Traudl) Geissler of Heilsbronn,
Germany. Half-brother Peter Geissler of Germany. Seven grandchildren
Carolyn (and Stephen) Graham, Christopher Cates, Brian (and Lorraine)
Sawyer, Brianna Tanner, Monika Tanner, Bernie Briggs (and Ashley),
and Beau Briggs. Seven great-children Elijah, Josiah, Alexandra,
Miccah, Derek, Victoria, and Sarriah and her loving dogs.
She loved her family, life, Texas, music, gardening and cooking. She
never knew a stranger and always left an impression on everyone she
met. She will be dearly missed.
Services will be at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home of Killeen, visitation
will be Thursday, July 13, 2017 from 6-8pm, memorial service will be
Friday, July 14, 2017 at 12:30pm followed by inurnment at Central Texas
State Veterans Cemetery 2pm.
In lieu of flowers you may make memorial contributions to Wounded
Warriors Project, American Cancer Society for Lung Cancer and
American Diabetes Association.
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