Geraldine M. Lawhon, 95, St. Joseph, Missouri, died Tuesday, December 7, 2021, at the home.
Born in St. Joseph on June 1, 1926, she was a lifelong resident of St. Joseph. She was valedictorian of the 1944 graduating class of the Convent of the Sacred Heart and graduated from Duchesne College in Omaha, Nebraska with a B.A. degree in English.
Following graduation from college, she returned to St. Joseph and joined her parents and aunt in the operation of the Jerre Anne Cafeteria and Bakery, the family business founded in 1930. She succeeded her parents as the owner and president of Jerre Anne for several decades, working alongside her youngest sister, Jean Curry, until selling the business and retiring in 1995.
On April 18, 1949, she married Carl A. Lawhon in St. Joseph. Mrs. Lawhon was preceded in death by her husband, Carl, and her mother and father, Marie Frances Carolus and Gerald Carolus.
Mrs. Lawhon’s first love was music. She was volunteer director and accompanist for the Convent Glee Club and the Christian Brothers High School Choraliers from 1958 to 1970, when Christian Brothers High School closed and Bishop LeBlond High School became coeducational. She developed a lifelong relationship and close friendship with the members of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the official name of the religious order that administered Christian Brothers High School and numerous other schools and universities around the world. In recognition of her service to Christian Brothers, Mrs. Lawhon was inducted as a lay affiliate of the Christian Brothers (A.F.S.C.) in 1995, an honor bestowed by the Brother Superior General of the Institute in Rome. Following her retirement from the Jerre Anne, Mrs. Lawhon continued her service with the Christian Brothers by becoming the United States representative and fundraiser for Bethlehem University in the Holy Land, a papal university administered by the Christian Brothers.
She was a lifelong member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, and was involved in the musical life of the parish for 73 years, including regular organ accompaniment for Sunday and weekday Mass, weddings and funerals. She was past president of the St. Francis Altar Society and chair of the Stewardship Committee.
Mrs. Lawhon was co-founder and president of the Ladies of Charity of St. Joseph and past president of Catholic Charities of St. Joseph, Alumnae of the Sacred Heart, Children of Mary Sodality, and the Phillipine Duchesne Study Club. She and her husband Carl were members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
In addition, Mrs. Lawhon served several terms as the president of Interfaith Community Services (InterServ) and was a former president, board member, or board chair of the Performing Arts Association, St. Joseph Symphony, Allied Arts, the Arts Fund, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, Twin Spires Museum, Ladies Union Benevolent Association (Noyes Home), Bishop LeBlond School Board, Heartland Medical Center (now Mosaic Medical Center), St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, Buchanan County Tourism Board, and UMB Bank of St. Joseph.
She is survived by two daughters, Mary Jean Miljavac, St. Joseph, and Charla A. Lawhon, New York City; a son, Gregory C. Lawhon (Jina), Kansas City; five grandchildren, Adam Miljavac (Amy), Remi Gramlich (Brian), Mackenzie Beach (Noah), Carl E. Lawhon and Patrick J. Lawhon; ten great grandchildren; three sisters, Anne Benitz, Charlotte Hartigan (William) and Jean Curry (R. Edward); and numerous nieces and nephews. The family offers special thanks to Cathy Isgrigg and her husband, Jim.
A private Mass of Christian Burial for family members was held at St. Francis Xavier Church on December 13, 2021, followed by graveside services at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, St. Joseph.
Memorial gifts may be made to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, St. Joseph, or Christian Brothers of the Midwest, 7650 S. County Line Rd., Suite B, Burr Ridge, IL 60527.
