Geraldine Parson

Geraldine “Jerri” Parson (née Francis) was born on August 21st, 1932, in Princeton, Kentucky, to Vergil Morris Francis and Robbie Mae Francis (née Kennedy). 

Jerri moved to Evansville, Indiana where she graduated from Benjamin Bosse High School in 1950. She met Wilbert Parson while he was working as an usher at the Washington Theatre. They courted, relying on his bicycle for transportation. After graduating high school she married Wilbert on December 28th, 1950. 

Living in Indiana, during Wilbert’s enlistment in the National Guard, their son, Scott, was born in 1953 and her daughter, Brenda, was born in 1957. When Wilbert went on active duty in 1959 and was transferred to Korea, Jerri moved with her children to Cottonwood, Arizona, where her parents lived while her father worked construction on the Glen Canyon dam. When Wilbert finished his tour of duty in Korea and was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he and Jerri lived in Fayetteville where their third child, Kelly, was born in 1961. When Wilbert was transferred to Germany, Jerri and the children moved back to Arizona, settling in Chandler. 

She and her children moved back to Fayetteville when Wilbert was again stationed at Fort Bragg. When Wilbert went off active duty, she and Wilbert moved the family back to Chandler. During the years that followed Jerri worked for Penn-Mor Manufacturing, Rogers Corporation, Chandler Cotton Gin, Sundown Ranches, and Trinity Community Fellowship. She was active in her church, loved to bowl, sing in the church choir, cook for family and friends, work in her gardens, ride horses, and do a variety of arts and crafts projects. 

Jerri is survived by her children, Scott (Lisa Graham Parson), Brenda (Jerry Sanniec), and Kelly (Lisa Tyson), her grandchildren, Kyle, Clinton, Vergil, Margaret, and Colin, and her great grandchildren, Luke, Paul, Charles, and Jace. 

Visitation is 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Sunday, January 18th at Whitney & Murphy Bueler Mortuary, 14 W. Hulet Drive, Chandler. Burial is 9:00am on Monday, January 19th at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Road, followed by a 3:00pm memorial service at Trinity Christian Fellowship, 50 S. McQueen in Chandler. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to Army Emergency Relief organization are suggested. Jerri was dearly loved and will be sorely missed.