Geraldine Virginia Latimer

She was born at home in Rapatee, Illinois to Stephen and Clara Douse Hadsall on May 17, 1916. She is survived by her children, Lesta Latimer Kelly, (Richard), Stephen Latimer (Sandy Sprinkle) and Jeri Lynn Latimer, 9 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 24 great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

She attended high school in Fairview Illinois where she played clarinet in the band. Later in life she would enjoy sitting at her organ playing it by ear.

She married Lester W. Latimer on February 21st, 1934 in Galesburg, Illinois and they lived in Rapatee. In 1939 she obtained her beautician’s license and enjoyed working in the salon her husband built for her in their home for 8 years. In 1946 the two of them, with Lesta and Stephen, traveled in a Studebaker coupe on vacation to visit her brother in Monrovia, California. They liked it so well that Lester got a job and built a home there where they lived until 1953 when the moved to Lancaster, California. In 1958 they purchased a full service laundromat in Lancaster from her parents. Being excellent at what she did and with a loyal clientele she actually had a doctor who moved to Hawaii send his laundry back to her to be perfected. She retired in 1980.

Her life was filled with serving the Lord at Grace Chapel in Lancaster where she attended for 65 years.

She was a wonderful cook, especially prime rib. She loved crab legs, coconut shrimp, Cheetos and ice cream. Being very artistic she enjoyed china painting as well as oil or watercolor, sketching, sewing, quilting, crocheting and knitting, having made over 70 afghans for her family. They knew how much she loved them as she had the ability to make each one feel like her favorite.

Travel was a favorite as she often would take off on her own to the coast and to see her daughter and son in Washington or her sisters in Arizona and South Dakota.

Being an avid follower of the Dodgers and the Lakers, she even kept her own stats on the Dodgers.

She is preceded in death by her husband Lester and a precious baby girl, her siblings Marilea Morton, Stephen Hadsall and Carol Humphrey.

To quote one of her great-grandaughters, “She was witty and funny. An amazing light and joy in everyone’s life she impacted. One thing that was so prominent in her life and who she was was her love for God and her family.”

A Celebration of Life will be held Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Grace Chapel, 44648 15th Street West, Lancaster, California 93534.