Geneva Meis

With these words, we celebrate our beautiful Mother. May her memory be a blessing.

Geneva Sparks Meis, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, was born on October 11, 1931, to Pearl Mae Brackett Sparks and Reuben Almon Sparks in Fannin County, Georgia. Throughout her 94 years, she never ceased to marvel at the extraordinary changes she witnessed in the world. She grew up in an Appalachian farmhouse without electricity or running water, where Depression-era hardships shaped her work ethic, resilience and strength. She cooked on a wood-burning stove, wore dresses lovingly sewed by her mother from printed flour sacks, and—as a teenager—served as her county’s postmaster during her mother’s long illness.

Geneva graduated in 1948 as valedictorian of Fannin County High School in Morganton, Georgia. At just 16, with her characteristic courage and keen curiosity, Geneva boarded a bus to Atlanta to attend Southern Business University. Her adventurous spirit led her to join Southern Airways as a stewardess in the early 1950s, flying commuter routes to cities such as Birmingham, Alabama and Jacksonville, Florida.

In February of 1954, her life’s greatest adventure began when she met her future husband, Lester Arnold (“Les”) Meis, in the Memphis airport. Less than three months later, on May 2, Geneva and Les married at Grace Methodist Church in Atlanta. In June of that year, they were transferred to Corpus Christi, Texas, and a year later, they settled in Victoria, Texas, where they founded Bugmobiles pest control company and built a life centered on family, hard work and community service.

Les and Geneva were proud parents of Douglas, Joanna, Jennifer (Kenny Tyler), Janet (Bodie Valdez) and Laurie (Alan Kaufman). They cherished their grandchildren: Tres Tyler (Larissa), Luke Tyler (Allie), Will Tyler (Hannah), Calder Meis (Payton Massey), Rick Abrams (Dru), Shira Svei (Jason), and Rachel Spinner (Yitzy). Nothing brought Geneva more happiness than spending time with her great-grandchildren: Jackson, Aubrey, Houston, Daphne and Hayes.

Geneva never met a stranger. An avid reader and gifted storyteller, she could captivate a room—or the grocery store check-out line. Her home was a place of open doors and open arms, filled with loving acceptance and the smells of her marvelous cooking. Her comforting presence made it the place where all the neighborhood kids wanted to gather.

Geneva is also survived by her sister Regina Sullivan, nephew Richard Sullivan (Tina); niece Suzanne Willis (Randy) and special friends Joyce Brown, Christy Donoghue and L’Nell Starkey. She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Les; her parents; step-mother Lucy Sparks; sister, brother-in-law and nephew, Virginia, Wayne and Rusty Gilmer; brother-in law and nephew, Dormas and Michael Sullivan; and son-in-law Troy Grove.

At her request, Geneva will be buried beside her husband, Les, in a private family service. Her beloved grandsons, Tres, Luke, Will and Calder, will serve as their Nana’s pallbearers. Friends and family are invited to a celebration-of-life reception at 25 Jade Drive in Victoria on Thursday, March 19, from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Those wishing to honor Geneva may make a memorial contribution to Hospice of South Texas or a meaningful cause of their choice.