Geraldine L Wilkerson

Geraldine Leona Wilkerson, known as Gerri to her friends and family and Mom to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, peacefully passed away on September 11, 2021 at Methodist Hospital Baytown Texas.

She was born on November 15, 1931, in Deridder, Louisiana to James and Francis Crow. She had an older sister Josephine and an older brother James. Shortly after she was born they moved to Texarkana, Texas where her younger sister Barbara was born. She graduated from Texarkana high school in 1948, this is about the time she started dating Dewey Wilkerson Jr. (Dad or Poppa). She met Dewey through her older brother James that was Dewey’s best friend. Dewey had gotten his private pilot license and when they went on a date, a lot of the time they would be flying around Texarkana and in the country. They liked to fly over her aunt Ida’s farm low and slow hanging halfway out the window hollering at her aunt Ida. They said it scared the daylights out of her and the chickens didn't lay eggs for a solid week.

Geraldine and Dewey were married on June 5, 1948. Shortly after they were married, he was called back to serve in the Army. They were sent to White Sands proving grounds in New Mexico, where he worked on the V2 rocket program.

On July the 22nd, 1949 she had her first son, me! Gary Lloyd Wilkerson at Fort Bliss Army Post El Paso, Texas. We lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico for the next two years while dad worked on the V2 rocket project. Life was good in Las Cruces mom got to see Carlsbad caverns, the lava fields in New Mexico and play in the white sands of the desert. She loved traveling and seeing all the sites. And then life changed as dad was transferred to Korea. We moved back to Texarkana to live with her parents. This is when she developed her “in charge attitude” she knew if it had to be done, she had to do it, because dad was in Korea. Dad came back from Korea and life was good again. He was transferred to Yokohama, Japan. Mom and I crossed the Pacific Ocean on the ocean liner SS United States to Yokohama Japan. Mom loved living in Japan. We had Mount Fuji in our backyard, cherry blossoms blooming everywhere in the spring, and she had a Japanese maid. Mom again got to see all of the sights, the temples, the museums, the markets and anything and everything else of interest in Japan. Time to move again this time it was Fort Lee Virginia. We flew from Japan to Hawaii and had a two day lay over. Remember this was 1954 and flying from Japan to the United States was almost unheard of especially direct flights. We flew because mom was pregnant with my brother guessing they wanted to get Mom back to the U.S. so he would not be born in Japan. January 15,1954 my brother Don Allan Wilkerson was born at Fort Lee Virginia.

Dad got out of the Army and we moved back to Texarkana, Texas. Mom and Dad started their business in Texarkana, D&G refrigeration and A/C service. Mom took care of the book work and answered the phone while Dad did the repair work. Dad was in the Air Force Reserve and the Air Force decided he needed to go to Germany because the Russians were acting stupid in Berlin. The Air Force had the same rockets as the Army and they wanted him to take care of the Rockets cooling systems for their computers. Mom’s fortitude was tested again, we could not go with him to Germany they deemed it too dangerous for dependents. Dad was out of the picture again, mom with her” take charge attitude” had to raise two boys for 18 months while dad was in Germany. She had no problem collecting the outstanding money owed to their business. In the 1950’s a woman taking charge like this was unheard of. She was a strong woman.

Dad came home from Germany in 1957 and was transferred immediately to San Antonio, Texas where we lived for five years. Then we were transferred to Anchorage, Alaska in 1962 to 1965. Mom was tested again on March 27,1964, Good Friday, it was not a good Friday, the great Alaskan earthquake took place at 5:36 PM It was a 9.3 on the Richter scale the most powerful earthquake to ever hit North America. Mom had to take charge again. Dad was gone for about a week taking care of the super-heated steam systems of the entire Elmendorf Air Force Base. It was a job that was extremely dangerous, a pinpoint leak of super-heated steam could cut you in half. He received the Air Force Commendation Medal for his actions. Mom did not get a medal, but she should have. She dealt with two boys and continuous earthquake tremors for weeks. We were then transferred from Alaska to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for three years. Then transferred to New Orleans, LA in 1967 to 1968. They were going to send dad to Viet Nam, and this is when mom put her foot down. She said you are going to retire and no argument. He did retire with 24 years in the military. We all moved to Pasadena, Texas and have lived here ever since. Mom and Dad did not stop traveling, they have been to every state in the U.S. and to China, Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, Mexico the Bahamas and probably places I don’t remember.

Preceded in death by her parents James and Francis Z Crow, husband of 67 years Dewey Wilkerson Jr. two sisters Josephine Moseley and Barbra Norton and one brother James E Crow Jr. She is survived by Son Gary L Wilkerson and his wife Cynthia and Son Don A Wilkerson Sr. and his wife Jennie, 2 grandsons Greg L Wilkerson and wife Robin, Don A Wilkerson Jr., three granddaughters Cheryl A Patrick and husband Kai, Krystal L Winhoven and husband Herb, Kayla L Wilkerson and four great grandchildren Austin Patrick, Tyler Patrick, Haley Wilkerson and Brady Wilkerson also numerous nieces and nephews.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.grandviewfunerals.com for the Wilkerson family.