Geraldine “Geri” Devon Pickering, 67, of Oakdale, died Tuesday, Aug. 20.
She was a strong and determined woman who fought a valiant and record-setting battle with two forms of Leukemia for 25 years.
She was born to the late Dean Hall and Mary Dungan in San Lorenzo. Due to the death of her mother at the age of three, she was raised by her Aunt Geraldine and Uncle “Wardy” Robinson of Alameda. She attended San Lorenzo High School, class of 1964.
She was a devoted mother to two daughters, Laura Crouse Schmidt and Kimmy Jo Crouse Wellman, whom she raised in the Newark/Fremont area until they moved to Oakdale in 1980. It was in Oakdale where she met and married George Pickering of Escalon. They wed Oct. 4, 1986 and began their wonderful life together, enjoying their expanding family of grandchildren.
Although she had many talents, her primary lifelong vocation was as a seamstress.
Mrs. Pickering possessed striking physical beauty even through years of illness, and was an inspiration to all who knew her. She was deeply spiritual and was an ordained minister, who married many people in the Oakdale area. She had an immense capacity for love and forgiveness, and never lost sight of what was truly important in life.
Her life was rich and she had incredible intuition and insight into human nature. She looked beyond her own troubles to help others with theirs, particularly people with strained family relationships, because in her view there was nothing more important than family. She never hesitated to share her pearls of wisdom, always delivered with her incredibly funny quips, often over a fireside chat and a cup of coffee.
She was also a talented crafter and she enjoyed sharing her gifts with family and friends. She was an avid resale hunter and created a beautiful home for her family adorned with Victorian artifacts. Her beloved dog Tiki Lulu was her companion.
She is survived by her loving husband, George Pickering; daughters, Laura Crouse Schmidt of Mountain Home, Idaho, Kimmy Jo Crouse Wellman of Modesto; stepdaughters, Melissa Floyd and Amy Pickering of Modesto; grandchildren, Justin ‘JT’ Schmidt of Mountain Home, Idaho, Alaura Crouse of Stockton, Brayton Ide and Georgia Lynch of Oakdale, Xander Mann of Riverbank; great-grandson Kayden ‘Peanut’ Sparks of Modesto.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Mary Lou Porter of Oakdale.
Services are to be held at Oakdale Memorial Chapel on Friday Aug. 30, 2013 at 10 a.m., 830 W. F St., Oakdale. The family requests friends and relatives to unite next door after services for food, refreshments and a celebration of Geri’s life.
The Riverbank (Calif.) News
Aug. 28, 2013