Geraldine "Jerry" Lindquist

Geraldine (Jerry) Taylor Lindquist

August 9, 1932 ~ October 14, 2016

On the evening of October 14, Geraldine (Jerry) Taylor Lindquist passed away peacefully in her North Ogden home at age 84 of Alzheimer's, surrounded by family and caretakers.

Jerry was born August 9, 1932, the second of four daughters to Blanche Nelson and Lawrence Taylor.

A remarkable woman of talent and passion, Jerry was a doer that enriched her community and family. Jerry graduated from Ogden High School, then began a lifelong pursuit of education and educating. Jerry worked to put herself through college, earning a B.A. in elementary education starting at Weber State College and graduating from Brigham Young University, then began teaching first grade.

She married Charles Lindquist on October 18, 1956, in Kaiserslautern, Germany while Charles served in the army. Two days later they were sealed in the Bern, Switzerland LDS Temple.

While living in Germany, Jerry taught Kindergarten and second grade and the couple had many opportunities to travel around Europe. After returning to the United States in 1958, Charles and Jerry raised and nurtured two sons, two daughters, and a foster son in their North Ogden, Utah home.

Passionate about education, Jerry taught Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade in Salt Lake, Ogden, and Weber school districts. Seeing problems with early childhood education, Jerry devoted much of her professional life to researching new curriculum strategies and helping children succeed in reading. This research spurred her dissertation and thesis for her master’s degree in elementary education and a doctorate degree in curriculum development and learning disabilities from Utah State University. She worked with the PTA to help parents identify and engage in early intervention with their children to help them succeed in school and wrote a small book entitled “How To Prepare Your Child For School”. Jerry served as the Reading Coordinator for Weber School District and one of her greatest accomplishments was setting up the Governor’s Summer Reading Program, an award for elementary school children that was presented by Governor Matheson and is still practiced in elementary schools today. Jerry has also been a faculty member and instructor at Weber State University and Utah State University.

Jerry was very active in the community, serving as a member of the North Ogden planning commission, president of the Ogden Symphony Ballet Association, president of The Junior League of Ogden, president of the Weber Council PTA, an honorary board member of The Treehouse Museum, and as a member of the Weber School District Foundation Board of Directors. Jerry was also president of the Homeowner’s Association at Ideal Beach Resort in Bear Lake. An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jerry also served in various callings there. In addition to her service in education and the community, Jerry was foremost a treasured wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Jerry was devoted to her family and enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren at their cabins on Hebgen Lake and Bear Lake. Birthdays were special affairs and no birthday was complete without a phone call and happy birthday song from Jerry. She helped create a magical childhood for her grandchildren with lazy summer days spent picking raspberries and peas, swimming in her backyard pool, and eating Creamies. Jerry was a joy to be around because of her intellect and sense of humor. She firmly believed that everyone was born left handed and remained so until they committed their first sin—she died left handed. Along with spending time at the cabins, Jerry’s life was filled with opportunities to travel. She was also devoted to continuing to learn and she and Charles spent 50 years in a study group and a dinner group with their friends.

Jerry is survived by her husband of 60 years, Charles; their four children: David Lindquist of North Ogden, Leslie (Randy) Edmunds of North Ogden, Bruce (Mahany) Lindquist of Honolulu, Hawaii, Karen (Ryan) Packard of Bountiful; foster son Tom (Sharon) Sandman of Sheep Springs, New Mexico; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and her brother-in-law Ron Parker. She is preceded in death by her parents, Blanche and Lawrence, and her three sisters, Joanne Blackburn, Shirley Harbertson, and Madge Parker.

The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 20, 2016 at the Lindquist’s North Ogden Mortuary, 2140 N Washington Blvd. in North Ogden. A viewing will be held Wednesday evening from 6-8 p.m and Thursday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the mortuary.

Graveside services and interment will be at Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd.

The Lindquist family would like to thank Joanna, Melissa and Marcie for such wonderful, kind care.