DAVIS, Geraldine (Jeri)

The Payson Roundup, Payson, Arizona, Friday, January 31, 2014 Geraldine “Jeri” Evans Davis August 24, 1920 - January 12, 2014 Geraldine “Jeri” Evans Davis, 93, longtime Payson resident, passed away peacefully Jan. 12, 2014. Born on Aug. 24, 1920 in Halifax, Ky., Jeri was preceded in death by siblings Kenneth Evans, Dorothy Mildred Evans, Helen-Louise Cox, Doris Henson, Claude Evans, Yvonne Jackson and John Evans. Jeri was the beloved mother of Sandra Jo Herring (deceased), Michael Shawn Herring and Roma Davis of Payson and Holly Gail Sopko of Yoder, Colo. She was a grandmother to five, great-grandmother to 19 and great-great-grandmother to six. Jeri was a 1943 graduate of Martha Berry College in Rome, Ga. majoring in home economics and science. Becoming a Navy wife in 1944, she lived on many Navy bases throughout the U.S., finally settling in Huntington Beach, Calif. Moving to Payson in 1969, Jeri spent long hours working full- and part-time while raising Holly Gail and Michael Shawn. She obtained a master’s degree in education from ASU, Flagstaff and became an educator within the Payson school district, she also worked in the Payson town hall, retiring at last in 1987. Jeri’s hobbies included china painting, oil painting, rosemaling and writing (poetry, short stories, plays for church and community theater) one of her poems was entitled “Pony Express – Hashknife Style” and was published in the Payson Roundup Jan. 21, 1981. Jeri’s first love was china painting and anyone lucky enough to receive one of her pieces should feel blessed as she kept most of them close to home. Jeri was admired for her strength of character (some might have called her stubborn), her humor (joining the Payson Clown Club. She enjoyed walking her invisible dog in Payson parades) and her devotion to God (becoming active in the Star Valley Southern Baptist Church). A celebration of her life was held Jan. 14 at the Davis home by family members. Passing around very, very old pictures of her life there was laughter, tears and indeed a celebration of her life.