Geraldine "Jerie" Gracie

Geraldine Wanda Gracie was born in St. Louis, Oklahoma, to William Arno Duggan and Sylvia Lena Sims Duggan on August 4, 1929. She was a graduate of Tecumseh High School in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, and attended Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California.

She worked 32 years as secretary and office manager for Richmond Export Services and their affiliated companies in Richmond, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and Montgomery, Alabama. She also worked for Apollo Forwarders in Rodeo, California. In 1988, Geraldine retired, and she and her husband, Wallace Gracie, then moved to Portland, Oregon.

She was an active member of Lifegate Baptist Church in Portland for 22 years and worked as secretary to the pastor 13 of those years. She also served as Church Clerk. Before moving to Oregon, she had been an active member and Bible teacher at First Baptist Church of Pinole in Pinole, California for 26 years.

She was a past member, #801009, of the Portland Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution where she served as National Defense Chairman from 2001 to 2003 and as Chaplain from 2003 to 2005.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 40 years, Wallace Burt Gracie, on August 8, 1997.

Geraldine is survived by one son, Joe Gracie of Benicia, California; a daughter, Cheryl Secomb of Portland, Oregon; and a niece she loved as a daughter, Gwendolyn Plyler of Brandon, Florida. She has six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by one sister, Juanita Butler of Norman, Oklahoma, a cousin, Karen Sims of Beaverton, Oregon, and four other precious nieces and three beloved nephews. She is also survived by two stepsons, Wallace Gracie and Stephen Gracie of Northern California, and their children and grandchildren.

She will be buried with her husband in the Willamette National Cemetery.

Funeral service Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 1:00 pm at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home, 520 W. Powell Blvd. in Gresham, Oregon.