A celebration of the life of 99-year old Edith Iola Geary, a life-long resident of Crawford, will take place in the summer of 2021 on one of her favorite holidays, Independence Day.
Online condolences may be made at chamberlainchapel.com.
Edith Iola Geary was the second of eight children born to Raymond and Erva Crile on February 15, 1921, and passed away quietly at her home on September 20, 2020. She.
Edith grew up six miles south of Crawford in a log cabin.
Married twice, she raised seven children on her own and was dedicated to supporting her family, so she worked many jobs. She was a longtime and loyal employee to community member Lloyd Pipher, working at the Frontier Bar and then at his bowling alley.
At these jobs, she may have been known to hustle some pool players. She also stopped an attempted robbery single-handedly, so locals knew not to try anything while she was working.
Edith was active and enjoyed hunting; when she was 55, she took down a bull elk with one shot in Wyoming and proudly displayed the antlers in her home for years.
She also was an avid bowler. Her league team, which included her daughter Vida, even qualified for the state tournament and for National tournaments in Nevada.
Edith was extremely happy volunteering, especially with the VFW Auxiliary, American Legion, and the RSVP. For 44 years she placed a wreath at Crawford Cemetery during the Memorial Day services.
Many hours were spent with her dear friends Opal Hanley and Frances Olbricht at the Hot Springs VA.
Raising seven children on her own, sewing became a necessity. After the children were grown, she utilized those sewing skills making many quilts for her loved ones. She was also skilled in needlepoint embroidering many tea towels and pillow cases.
Edith worked hard in her yard and flower beds, taking considerable pride in her work. She was able to transform her yard from rock and debris into one of the most presentable yards in Crawford. Twice her hard work paid off and she received the Yard Award.
Even into her seventies she wouldn’t slow down and happily worked as a greeter at the Chadron Wal-Mart for over five years.
She was always ready for an adventure and could pack a bag fast if needed. She often enjoyed her son Garry taking her to visit her grandchildren in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and her daughter Billie taking her to Utah.
She was known for her delicious cinnamon rolls, but if you ever stayed overnight with her she would make sure that you were always fed an early hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast.
In her final years, you could always count on her having her nails done and then playing cards at the Senior Center or Ponderosa Villa, but most importantly, she loved showing off her Christmas tree which stayed decorated year-round.
Edith was preceded in death by her parents Raymond and Erva, siblings, John, Ethel, Dora, Thelma, and George, her husbands Warren Riggs and PFC William Geary, children Vida (Riggs) Anderson, Garry Riggs, and Frank Riggs, grandchildren Terry O’Donnell, Shawn Riggs, and Cindy Kubo and great grandchildren Shandi Cuttlers, and Angelica Cuttlers.
Left to celebrate her life are her sisters Alice (Crile) Richardson and Eva (Crile) Dickman, children Billie Hamar, Betty Calder, Danniece Stull, and Mary Sample, 14 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren, and 22 great-great grandchildren.
Edith was a small lady who left a big imprint on the world. She was a woman who loved her children and grandchildren more than anything.