Obituary of Geraldine Kernodle

Geraldine (Toot) Kernodle departed this life on October 1, 2019. She was 90 years of age. She was born to the late Bedford and Ida King Kernodle on April 30, 1929. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Gus, and sister-in=law, Dorothy, and a baby sister, Imogene. Geraldine is survived by brothers, Dempsey (Elza) of Dearborn, Michigan and Jackson (Betty) of Gatewood, Missouri. She is also survived by three nieces and two nephews, as well as grand-nieces and nephews.

Geraldine dedicated her life to the teaching profession. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Arkansas State College in 1961. She later earned a Master of Arts Degree from Webster College in St, Louis in 1973. Geraldine started teaching in the small one-room schools of Ripley County, Handy, Little Barren, Union, Logan Creek, and Towles. When Towles closed, she transferred to Doniphan. Later, Geraldine taught school for the United States Air Force in New Mexico, England, Germany, and the Philippines. After five years abroad, she returned to St. Louis and finished her teaching career there.

Geraldine moved to Doniphan after retirement in 2004. For the first time in her life, she bought a house. She even bought a lawn mower and weed eater. She was determined to be a Ripley Countian in every respect. She soon decided mowing lawns in 90-degree heat wasn’t so much fun so she gave her lawn mower away in exchange for some free mowings. Geraldine missed the Finch’s Drug Store of by-gone days where she once went to gather the latest news. Instead, she began visiting the West Y, and on a summer day you might find her on a bench in front of Town and Country Supermarket swapping stories with the locals and smoking a cigarette. To keep family members from confronting her about her smoking habit, she would leave her cigarettes with the clerks at the store. Go figure!

Geraldine kept up on all the latest world news. She loved talking politics. If you were a Democrat, she’d be a Republican. If you were a Republican, she’d be a Democrat. She could debate with the best of them. She once wrote President Bill Clinton a letter expressing her views. She got a response too. We don’t know what she told him, but his response was, “We still have much to do.” She always kept an interest in world events. Geraldine loved her family, her country, and the military who served it. She will be missed!

Visitation will begin on Friday, October 4, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. in the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel with the funeral service following at 2:00. Burial will be at Tucker Cemetery near Gatewood. Brother Jared Baker will be officiating.