Geraldine Tiemann

Geraldine C. "Geri" Tiemann, age 84, of Melrose, died Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at Pine Haven Care Center in Melrose, Minnesota.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, February 1 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Ken Thielman officiating. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary will pray at 6:30 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Geraldine Faye Cumming was born August 26, 1925 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota to William and Amy (Holmberg) Cumming. During her school years, Geri was a member of the Congregational Church and sang in the church choir. Geri graduated from Sauk Centre High School in May of 1943. After graduation, she worked for Rydholm Portrait Studio in Sauk Centre, MN. During World War II, Geri and her sister, Virginia, worked at Honeywell where she inspected aircraft valves and then went into shipping. When the war ended, she moved back to Sauk Centre where she worked at Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. Geri met Edmund Tiemann in January of 1946; they were married on October 31, 1946 and moved to Sauk Centre. They moved to Melrose and in April of 1957 Geri began working for the Melrose Telephone Company. She retired in 1990 as the company bookkeeper.Geri was active in the Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary. She served as Color Bearer, Junior and Senior Vice President, Treasurer and President. Geri was also active in the Catholic Order of Foresters and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 101. Geri loved her husband, daughters and grandchildren; had numerous friends and was a quiet woman who loved life. She liked to read, walk, bowl and dance. Geri was much loved and will be missed very much by her family and friends.

Survivors include her children, Marilyn Larson of Beaver Dam, WI, Susan (Michael) Shay of Naperville, IL, Barb (Russ) Vogel of Sauk Centre, Pat (Don) Ostendorf of Albany, Gini (Dick) Walsh of Lino Lakes, and Lisa (Jason) Fletcher of Alexandria; 11 grandchildren, Alicia Larson, Andrew, Patrick and K.C. Shay, Amanda Vogel, Ryan (Kristal) Ostendorf, Thomas Ostendorf, Pamela (Garrett) McKelvey, Bridget Walsh, Megan and Kelsey Fletcher; one great-granddaughter, Evelyn Hawkinsen-Vogel; and sister, Vonnie (Dick) Pederson of Sauk Rapids.

Geraldine was preceded in death by her husband, Edmund C. Tiemann on August 23, 2009; parents, William and Amy (Holmberg) Cumming; and sisters, Thelma Strong, Melvina Jackson, Virginia Alsaker and Billie Elliott.

Serving as casket bearers will be Alicia Larson, Ryan Ostendorf, Andrew Shay, Thomas Ostendorf, Patrick Shay, and K.C. Shay. Cross bearer will be Barb Vogel and scripture bearer will be Susan Shay.