Geraldine “Gerry” Rose Scanlan came from a large, German, Catholic family and a farm near Humphrey, NE. Gerry was number 5 in the long line of Greisens that came both before and after her. She grew up on the farm and was there until she was 24. When asked what her childhood or early adulthood was like she would generally respond with “ha! I was on the farm!” She met her husband Leo in Omaha with a funny story following of course. Leo had said he owned a plane which led to a sarcastic comment of sorts from Gerry “sure, you own a plane and I’m a foot model for Neiman Marcus”. While I wish I could say it was love at first sight, she told it a little different. Little did she know Leo was as right as rain and thus their relationship bloomed. Having been engaged a few times prior (Leo was a hot commodity) Leo finally popped the question to Gerry who we all know was the true love of his life. When proposed to Gerry of course she demanded a new ring and not a previously used one; being the stubborn person that we all know and love! One thing that always stood out to me about their relationship was the love for dancing they had and its something I can think happily about now, knowing they are finally able to dance with each other again. Out of their love came three beautiful children; Jeff, Kim, and John. They lived their lives in Plattsmouth, NE with trips to the family farm, fishing adventures in Long Lake, MN, and the traditional escape to Estes Park, CO as their getaways. After the passing of Leo, Gerry showed the example of how resilient and strong she truly was. She learned to drive, worked, and raised those three kids as a single mother; a task which any parent knows is far from easy. She once said that her schooling came from “hard knocks” and I genuinely believe that to be true; but boy did she prove any doubters wrong. Anyone who knows Gerry will have to agree with the fact that she was often too stubborn or proud to accept help and in her later years that she was too stubborn to pass because she was such a fighter.
Speaking as her granddaughter (and speaking for all of her grandchildren) I can tell you that our grandma was honest to a fault. Whether that honesty be about our new hairstyle or clothes she always was the first to have a truly genuine comment or a snarky one that made you laugh. We had to always take her advice on clothes however seeing as she was always dressed to the nines. She was probably the best dressed Scanlan out of all of us and if you saw her closet you’d understand why. She just loved to shop till she dropped, a trait she no doubt passed to her children and grandchildren much to the dismay of everyone’s spouses! Not only was her fashion sense a pinnacle of who she was but also her love for the Lord, something she also passed to her entire family. I would venture a guess to say she prayed for 90% of her day; with EWTN always being a staple at her house. It was always a comfort to know she was always there and always praying for us.
There are so many stories I could tell about Gerry’s signature love for warm Busch Light, her travel stories with her son John, or her incredible sense of cleanliness, but the bottom line is that she was someone who was loved by many and who loved her family even more (even if that meant tough love at times). She defied the odds by being a single mother, a provider, a confidant, and above all a fierce Christian. She will no doubt be missed by many but we know she’ll live on in every rosary prayed, every Bush Light drank, and in every one of us. We’ll see you soon Grandma, tell Grandpa to save us all a dance!
In passing, she follows her husband Leo, infant daughter, Jill, parents, Hilger and Josephine, and her first four siblings; Valeria, Bob, AnnMarie, and Art. She is survived by her sister Genie, and brothers Harry and Norman, her wonderful kids Jeff & Joy, Kim & Chuck, and John & Deb, 9 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
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