Geraldine Schuver

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville.  Burial will follow at the church cemetery.  Visitation with family present will be 4 - 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, including a parish rosary and vigil prayer service at 5 p.m., all at the church.  Visitation will resume at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday at the church.  Services have been entrusted to Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen.

Geraldine Rose (Croat) Schuver was born March 20, 1933, the oldest child of Clarence and Regina (Hunt) Croat of Granville. She grew up on the family farm south of Granville and attended St. Joseph Catholic Schools of Granville through high school. Following graduation, she worked as a nurse’s aide for some time before marrying Walter Schuver on Jan. 26, 1954, at St. Joseph’s. 

She and Walt farmed southwest of Granville for the next 60 years. They were active members of St. Joseph’s all of their lives, both with the church and its Spalding High and St. Joseph’s Grade schools. They raised their family of five children on the family’s farm before retiring to an apartment in Remsen in 2009. “Gerry” moved into the Happy Siesta Care Center in Remsen in 2011. Walt passed away on May 21, 2014.

Geraldine was a talented cook and baker. She loved to garden and cook for her family and for church events. She spent most of her life as a housewife but after their children grew up, she took a position in the school lunchroom, a job she really enjoyed for many years in Granville.

She was involved in many Catholic women’s organizations at St. Joseph Church and also sang in the women’s choir there for many years. She enjoyed reading, playing cards, praying the Rosary and listening to Broadway musical recordings. Gerry also loved to listen and sing along when her husband Walt sang and played guitar. They enjoyed traveling together to old-time music festivals.

Despite her failing health over the years, Gerry enjoyed her years at Happy Siesta and appreciated the excellent care she received there. She enjoyed listening to Walt singing for the residents there and, after his passing, she enjoyed listening to her recorded CDs of Walt singing and playing guitar.

Survivors include four of their five children; Joseph and life partner Wil Mills of San Francisco, CA.; Michael (Dianne) of Gulfport, MS; Mary (Jeff) Watkins of Louisville, KY; Jennifer (Tom) Kittler of Northbrook, IL; nine grandchildren, Justin Schuver of Bogalosa, LA; Nathan Schuver of Gulfport; Allison (Brett) Schuver Frost of Birmingham, AL; Elizabeth and Gregory Watkins of Louisville; Jessica Kittler of St. Louis, MO; Rebecca Kittler of Northbrook; Zachary St. Clair of Overland Park, KS; and Madelyn St. Clair of Denver, CO; one sister Clarice Jean (Marvin) Dahlberg of Warroad, MN; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, their daughter Kathy St. Clair, son-in-law Shane St. Clair; her parents, her brother Francis (Georgia) Croat of St. Cloud, MN and her sister Margie (Bob) Schroeder of Le Mars; and her in-laws Joseph and Eleanor (Oberbroeckling) Schuver of Alton.

Pallbearers will be Wil Mills, Jeff Watkins, Tom Kittler, Marvin Dahlberg, Bob Schroeder and Zach St. Clair.