Mary Marie Geiger

Mary was born on August 25, 1920 in Lewis, Indiana, the fifth of eleven children of Joe Taylor and Tessa Sharpe. She had humble beginnings, raised with her brothers and sisters during the Great Depression. In the years that followed, she witnessed great changes in her life and in the world. After two decades as a housewife, Mary entered the work force. In her forties she attended classes to learn secretarial skills and took a job at the Veterans Administration hospital in Chicago. Never having driven a car, she took lessons and learned to navigate the Chicago traffic. She moved to Florida in the 1960s with the opening of the VA hospital in Gainesville and stayed there until retiring in 1989. Not one to slow down, Mary transitioned into the real estate business and obtained a real estate license in her seventies. With that knowledge, she built a beach house and moved to Palm Coast when she was 85 years young. She lived on her own near the ocean she loved until she was 99.

Mary was a woman of uncommon grace, devoutness, strength, and independence. She loved her Lord, her family, her friends, and her caregivers. Mary was a wonderful conversationalist and had an uncanny ability to connect with complete strangers through her buoyant personality. She had an infectious sense of humor and enjoyed playing cards, often saying with a twinkle in her eye when she won a hand, “Oh, beginner’s luck!” She was utterly fearless and felt age was just a number, as she proved when she travelled to Assisi, Italy with her church group at age 91. Mary’s vibrant longevity and positive attitude served as an inspiration to many.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Tessa Taylor; her husband, William Geiger; and her ten siblings, Monclova Doss, Mildred Richardson, Leo Taylor, Margaret Taylor, Maxine Poole, Marcella Taylor, Thomas Taylor, Melvin Taylor, Marlene Vickers, and Milna Wunker.

Mary is survived by her four children: William Geiger, Margaret Hogan (John), Loretta Ramsey (Glenn), and Mary Branyon (Steve); six grandchildren: Kristina Kaufman (Marten), Jessica Grabowski (Luke), Jay Hogan, Michael Ramsey (Lolita), Taylor Ramsey (Natasha), Geoffrey Ramsey (Raquel): and seven great-grandchildren: Ethan Kaufman, Aaron Kaufman, Gus Ramsey, Dakota Ramsey, Wyatt Ramsey, John Grabowski, and Aleksander Grabowski.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

A funeral service will be held on January 4, 2025 at noon in the chapel at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, Winter Park, Florida, followed by a reception in the church fellowship hall.

Mary will be interred at a later date following a graveside service at Mount Olive Cemetery in Pimento, Indiana. DeBaun Funeral Home will be handling arrangements in Indiana.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Mount Olive Cemetery are welcome.

Donations can be sent to 14465 South Dickens Street Pimento, Ind 47866 Care of: Darla Gordon, Mount Olive Cemetery