The mother of childhood friends. I was so upset when I heard of her death. I still think of her often.
Her obituary from the September 17, 1964 Republican:
Services for Mrs. Shirley Marie Geiger will be this afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Christ Church in Plainfield. The Rev Aude McKee will officiate, with the Weaver Funeral Home of Danville in charge of the arrangements. She died Tuesday morning, at the age of 39. Survivors include five children, Mary Lou [a freshman at Indiana University], Linda Ann [a senior at Avon Community High School], Stephen Paul [12-year-old], Barbara Diane [11-year-old], and Brenda Carol [5-year-old] Geiger, all at home; her father, Alvin Floyd, Greenfield; two brothers, Archie Floyd, of Washington, D.C., and Cecil, also of Greenfield; and a sister, Mrs. Marjorie¹ Ballard of Indianapolis.
The Kentucky Birth Index on ancestry.com shows that she was born in Kenton County and erroneously indicates her mother's name as Nell Gilpin. Two of her siblings also are listed in the Kentucky Birth Index but for Casey County: Cecil E. born in 1914 with their mother's name listed as Dora Gilpin and Mary M. born in 1913 with their mother listed as Vell Gilpin. Their mother's name was actually Veldora. The recording as Nell is probably a transcription error while Dora and Vell might be abbreviations entered on the original documents.²
Mrs. Geiger went by her middle name all of her life. In 1930, at almost 5-years-old, she was recorded in the census record as Marie. Her family was from Kentucky and was living in Middleburg, Casey County, when the census was taken. Her parents were listed as Alvin and Dora and were both recorded as 40 years old at the time. They had been married for 20 years. The other children were recorded as: Homer, age 18; Mary, age 16; Cecil, age 15; and Archie, age 1 year and 4 months. The census was taken on April 10.
Mrs. Geiger was to have started a new job at the drugstore on Monday, September 21. She had enrolled in night courses at Washington High School planning to get her diploma. She was a divorced mother taking care of her 5 children. She was murdered in the early hours of September 15 in front of her own home.
Footnotes:
¹ Shirley Marie Geiger's sister was indicated in the obituary as Marjorie Ballard but Mrs. Ballard's granddaughter wishes that to be clarified as family and friends always called her Margie and have no record of her being called Marjorie. Additionally she is listed as Margie in the obituaries of other siblings and Margie is on her own gravestone. It is only listed as Marjorie in the transcription of the obituary here because that is how it was published.
² I included the information about the first name of Shirley Marie Geiger's mother being recorded in the Kentucky Burth Index three different ways in hopes to clarify it and narrow the search for other people searching for information. Margie's granddaughter said I made her look like three different people so apparently I caused the opposite effect. She asked that I add this note. "Nell, Dora, Vell and VelDora are all the same person. I know my great grandmothers name as VelDora. Please specify this in or as a note. Aunt Marie and her siblings all had the same parents."
Her obituary from the September 17, 1964 Republican:
Services for Mrs. Shirley Marie Geiger will be this afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Christ Church in Plainfield. The Rev Aude McKee will officiate, with the Weaver Funeral Home of Danville in charge of the arrangements. She died Tuesday morning, at the age of 39. Survivors include five children, Mary Lou [a freshman at Indiana University], Linda Ann [a senior at Avon Community High School], Stephen Paul [12-year-old], Barbara Diane [11-year-old], and Brenda Carol [5-year-old] Geiger, all at home; her father, Alvin Floyd, Greenfield; two brothers, Archie Floyd, of Washington, D.C., and Cecil, also of Greenfield; and a sister, Mrs. Marjorie¹ Ballard of Indianapolis.
The Kentucky Birth Index on ancestry.com shows that she was born in Kenton County and erroneously indicates her mother's name as Nell Gilpin. Two of her siblings also are listed in the Kentucky Birth Index but for Casey County: Cecil E. born in 1914 with their mother's name listed as Dora Gilpin and Mary M. born in 1913 with their mother listed as Vell Gilpin. Their mother's name was actually Veldora. The recording as Nell is probably a transcription error while Dora and Vell might be abbreviations entered on the original documents.²
Mrs. Geiger went by her middle name all of her life. In 1930, at almost 5-years-old, she was recorded in the census record as Marie. Her family was from Kentucky and was living in Middleburg, Casey County, when the census was taken. Her parents were listed as Alvin and Dora and were both recorded as 40 years old at the time. They had been married for 20 years. The other children were recorded as: Homer, age 18; Mary, age 16; Cecil, age 15; and Archie, age 1 year and 4 months. The census was taken on April 10.
Mrs. Geiger was to have started a new job at the drugstore on Monday, September 21. She had enrolled in night courses at Washington High School planning to get her diploma. She was a divorced mother taking care of her 5 children. She was murdered in the early hours of September 15 in front of her own home.
Footnotes:
¹ Shirley Marie Geiger's sister was indicated in the obituary as Marjorie Ballard but Mrs. Ballard's granddaughter wishes that to be clarified as family and friends always called her Margie and have no record of her being called Marjorie. Additionally she is listed as Margie in the obituaries of other siblings and Margie is on her own gravestone. It is only listed as Marjorie in the transcription of the obituary here because that is how it was published.
² I included the information about the first name of Shirley Marie Geiger's mother being recorded in the Kentucky Burth Index three different ways in hopes to clarify it and narrow the search for other people searching for information. Margie's granddaughter said I made her look like three different people so apparently I caused the opposite effect. She asked that I add this note. "Nell, Dora, Vell and VelDora are all the same person. I know my great grandmothers name as VelDora. Please specify this in or as a note. Aunt Marie and her siblings all had the same parents."
The mother of childhood friends. I was so upset when I heard of her death. I still think of her often.
Her obituary from the September 17, 1964 Republican:
Services for Mrs. Shirley Marie Geiger will be this afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Christ Church in Plainfield. The Rev Aude McKee will officiate, with the Weaver Funeral Home of Danville in charge of the arrangements. She died Tuesday morning, at the age of 39. Survivors include five children, Mary Lou [a freshman at Indiana University], Linda Ann [a senior at Avon Community High School], Stephen Paul [12-year-old], Barbara Diane [11-year-old], and Brenda Carol [5-year-old] Geiger, all at home; her father, Alvin Floyd, Greenfield; two brothers, Archie Floyd, of Washington, D.C., and Cecil, also of Greenfield; and a sister, Mrs. Marjorie¹ Ballard of Indianapolis.
The Kentucky Birth Index on ancestry.com shows that she was born in Kenton County and erroneously indicates her mother's name as Nell Gilpin. Two of her siblings also are listed in the Kentucky Birth Index but for Casey County: Cecil E. born in 1914 with their mother's name listed as Dora Gilpin and Mary M. born in 1913 with their mother listed as Vell Gilpin. Their mother's name was actually Veldora. The recording as Nell is probably a transcription error while Dora and Vell might be abbreviations entered on the original documents.²
Mrs. Geiger went by her middle name all of her life. In 1930, at almost 5-years-old, she was recorded in the census record as Marie. Her family was from Kentucky and was living in Middleburg, Casey County, when the census was taken. Her parents were listed as Alvin and Dora and were both recorded as 40 years old at the time. They had been married for 20 years. The other children were recorded as: Homer, age 18; Mary, age 16; Cecil, age 15; and Archie, age 1 year and 4 months. The census was taken on April 10.
Mrs. Geiger was to have started a new job at the drugstore on Monday, September 21. She had enrolled in night courses at Washington High School planning to get her diploma. She was a divorced mother taking care of her 5 children. She was murdered in the early hours of September 15 in front of her own home.
Footnotes:
¹ Shirley Marie Geiger's sister was indicated in the obituary as Marjorie Ballard but Mrs. Ballard's granddaughter wishes that to be clarified as family and friends always called her Margie and have no record of her being called Marjorie. Additionally she is listed as Margie in the obituaries of other siblings and Margie is on her own gravestone. It is only listed as Marjorie in the transcription of the obituary here because that is how it was published.
² I included the information about the first name of Shirley Marie Geiger's mother being recorded in the Kentucky Burth Index three different ways in hopes to clarify it and narrow the search for other people searching for information. Margie's granddaughter said I made her look like three different people so apparently I caused the opposite effect. She asked that I add this note. "Nell, Dora, Vell and VelDora are all the same person. I know my great grandmothers name as VelDora. Please specify this in or as a note. Aunt Marie and her siblings all had the same parents."
Her obituary from the September 17, 1964 Republican:
Services for Mrs. Shirley Marie Geiger will be this afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Christ Church in Plainfield. The Rev Aude McKee will officiate, with the Weaver Funeral Home of Danville in charge of the arrangements. She died Tuesday morning, at the age of 39. Survivors include five children, Mary Lou [a freshman at Indiana University], Linda Ann [a senior at Avon Community High School], Stephen Paul [12-year-old], Barbara Diane [11-year-old], and Brenda Carol [5-year-old] Geiger, all at home; her father, Alvin Floyd, Greenfield; two brothers, Archie Floyd, of Washington, D.C., and Cecil, also of Greenfield; and a sister, Mrs. Marjorie¹ Ballard of Indianapolis.
The Kentucky Birth Index on ancestry.com shows that she was born in Kenton County and erroneously indicates her mother's name as Nell Gilpin. Two of her siblings also are listed in the Kentucky Birth Index but for Casey County: Cecil E. born in 1914 with their mother's name listed as Dora Gilpin and Mary M. born in 1913 with their mother listed as Vell Gilpin. Their mother's name was actually Veldora. The recording as Nell is probably a transcription error while Dora and Vell might be abbreviations entered on the original documents.²
Mrs. Geiger went by her middle name all of her life. In 1930, at almost 5-years-old, she was recorded in the census record as Marie. Her family was from Kentucky and was living in Middleburg, Casey County, when the census was taken. Her parents were listed as Alvin and Dora and were both recorded as 40 years old at the time. They had been married for 20 years. The other children were recorded as: Homer, age 18; Mary, age 16; Cecil, age 15; and Archie, age 1 year and 4 months. The census was taken on April 10.
Mrs. Geiger was to have started a new job at the drugstore on Monday, September 21. She had enrolled in night courses at Washington High School planning to get her diploma. She was a divorced mother taking care of her 5 children. She was murdered in the early hours of September 15 in front of her own home.
Footnotes:
¹ Shirley Marie Geiger's sister was indicated in the obituary as Marjorie Ballard but Mrs. Ballard's granddaughter wishes that to be clarified as family and friends always called her Margie and have no record of her being called Marjorie. Additionally she is listed as Margie in the obituaries of other siblings and Margie is on her own gravestone. It is only listed as Marjorie in the transcription of the obituary here because that is how it was published.
² I included the information about the first name of Shirley Marie Geiger's mother being recorded in the Kentucky Burth Index three different ways in hopes to clarify it and narrow the search for other people searching for information. Margie's granddaughter said I made her look like three different people so apparently I caused the opposite effect. She asked that I add this note. "Nell, Dora, Vell and VelDora are all the same person. I know my great grandmothers name as VelDora. Please specify this in or as a note. Aunt Marie and her siblings all had the same parents."
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