Stella Suzanne Geranen-Tusing

Funeral service for Stella Suzanne Geranen-Tusing, 97, of Frederick will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, November 5, 2011 at Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, Aberdeen with Pastor Galen Sylvester and Pastor Reino Maunu officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Aberdeen.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Friday, November 4, 2011 and one hour prior to the service Saturday all at the mortuary. Friends may sign her online guest book at the bottom of the page.

Stella passed away Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at the Bethesda Home of Aberdeen.

Stella Suzanne Anderson was born on July 9, 1914, to John T. and Ida (Mauna) Anderson on a farm Southeast of Frederick, SD. She was the oldest of eight children. Stella was baptized Lutheran and attended church in Frederick at the Methodist Church until St. Paul's Lutheran Church was built. Her elementary and secondary school education years were spent at the Senn Country School and in the Frederick School System. In her senior year, Stella was named Class President of the Class of 1932 and graduated third in her class of twenty-four students. Stella delivered milk in Frederick from her father's dairy farm near town. She also worked at Kurle Drugstore during the summer months, was a reporter for the Dickey County Leader and worked in Frederick's telephone office.

Stella was united in marriage to Eddie H. Geranen on September 6, 1932 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Aberdeen. Their marriage was blessed with five children: Joan, Dayton, James, Dennis and Russell. In addition to helping on the family farm by working in the barn and fields and driving truck and tractors, Stella was also an accomplished baker, earning a prize in the Pillsbury Bake-Off for her Finnish Flat Bread. She also won the Co-op Consumer contest for an essay she wrote.

Stella volunteered much of her time helping on the USO program, the Township School Board and Land Use Planning Committee. She was instrumental in establishing the Hot Lunch Program in the Frederick School System.

When she visited her parents in Portland in the 1930s, she helped sort apples in Hood River and picked prunes nearby. In 1943, she worked as a welder in the Swan Island Shipyards on the nightshift with her brother Erwin and brother-in-law Charles Stricker. It was the most money she had seen since the 1920s.

At the age of 39, Stella began college at Northern State Teacher's College, earning a one-year Rural Certificate, which enabled her to begin teaching the following autumn at Liberty Township School. She taught a total of nine years in South Dakota while obtaining her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Northern State. In 1964, they sold the family farm to their son, James, and moved to Stockton, California. Stella taught for an additional 29 years in Stockton. She was also able to take Language Arts Classes in Guadalajara, Mexico and Travel Courses in China, Japan, Singapore, Manila and Taiwan. In 1967, Stella and Eddie flew to Europe with the Stockton Teachers Association. They traveled to Halsua, Finland where Eddie's uncle lived. They also traveled to Sweden, Norway, Copenhagen, Denmark and Gmundt, Germany. It was a wonderful six weeks! Stella and Eddie stayed faithful to the Lord and the church, sharing 42 years of marriage before he passed away in 1974.

Stella married Earl J. Tusing at Zion Lutheran Church in Stockton, California. They resided there until 1993, when she retired to Rapid City, South Dakota, where she was a member of South Canyon Lutheran Church, the Elizabeth Circle and the Canyon Lake Senior Center. Stella valued and enjoyed her many friendships found in Rapid City.

Walking with the Lord was an important part of Stella's life, as well as was her family, friends, sunrises, sunsets and full moons. She liked hunting, fishing and especially enjoyed painting landscapes. Being a mother was the priority in Stella's life. Blessed be her memory.

Stella is survived by one daughter, Joan (Manuel) Saroff of San Mateo, CA; four sons, Dayton (Connie) Geranen of Lafayette, CA, James Geranen and Dennis Geranen, both of Frederick, SD and Russell (Cynthia) Geranen of Rapid City, SD; 13 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; four step-great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren and one step great great grandson.

Preceding Stella in death are her husband, Eddie; her parents; three sisters, Virginia, Vivian and Linda; four brothers, Verni, Erwin, Marvin and Henry; daughters-in-law, Darlene (James) and Karen (Dennis) Geranen; one grandson and one great-grandson.

 

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