Hardy Geraldine Winn Hatchett departed this life on March 15, 2020, at the age of 95 years. She was born on November 15, 1924 on a farm in Leon County Texas to Claud and Weta Winn, the 5th of their 8 children, all of whom preceded her in death. When she was 12 years old, her father died and she moved with her mother and two younger siblings to the small town of Marquez where she graduated from high school at the age of 17. She then moved to Corsicana Texas to live with her older sister where, in November 1942 at age 18, she met a soldier, Gerald Hatchett, on convalescent leave from a hospital stay. Two months later he returned to his base near Washington D.C., but soon sent a telegram to Geraldine asking her to join him and wiring her the train fare to Baltimore Maryland where they were married in February 1943. After a few months Gerald’s unit shipped out for England to support the European war effort. Geraldine returned to Corsicana where she gave birth to her first child, Ronald, in November 1943. Upon Gerald’s return to the US in 1945 the family moved to Austin where Gerald was stationed at Bergstrom Field. A second child, Deborah, was born in the Army Hospital in San Antonio in July 1947. The family was completed by the birth of twins, Linda and Brenda, in January 1950 at the Army Hospital at Ft. Hood.
Over the years Geraldine worked to supplement the family income: as a telephone operator in West, a receptionist for Alamo Steel in Waco, a book keeper and administrative assistant for Freddie Miller Autos in Waco, and then as an administrative assistant to the Director of Francis Hospital, a nursing home in Waco. Ever ambitious, Geraldine completed her associate degree in nursing home administration, passed the State licensing board examination, and was hired by owner C.B. Francis to be the Administrator of the home in Waco. Her success in expanding the Francis Home led Mr. Francis to invite her to join with three other executives of his company to purchase all 8 of his nursing homes when he retired. For 15 years Geraldine personally managed the Waco facility, renamed Quality Care, while also serving as a co-owner and supervisor of the other 7 nursing homes in the company. She was loved and respected by all her employees as a fair and generous supervisor.
Despite her heavy work schedule, Geraldine found time to be a nurturing mother. She ensured her children had clean clothes for school, that their home work was done, even finding time to be a “homeroom mother” bringing cookies to the class on special occasions, and serving as President of the La Vega High School band boosters club. She was the one who kept the children’s medical appointments and saw to it that the applications to college were in order. When filling out a family history book a couple of years ago, one of the questions was “What were your greatest accomplishments in life?” Geraldine replied: “Raising my family and accepting Jesus as my savior.”
For these and many other reasons Geraldine Hatchett will be sorely missed by her 4 children, 7 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Services have been canceled due to (COVID-19).
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