MeMaw Geraldine Lois “Jerry, Rathbone

Rathbone, Geraldine Lois “Jerry, MeMaw, Pearl” Lansdowne, 95, passed away Tuesday, March 23, 2011 at Larksfield Health Center. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 28, at Downing Lahey Mortuary East. Jerry, or MeMaw as she was most commonly known, was the beloved matriarch of her family. Jerry was born at home in Wichita, KS on September 24, 1915. Her parents were Sophie and J. E. Lansdowne (both deceased). Jerry married Jack H. Rathbone on August 15, 1937. Jerry and Jack spent most of their lives in Wichita and Sterling, KS. Jerry loved life. She was always organizing fun events for family and friends. As one of her grandchildren said, “I am proud to have a great grandmother who is 95, but I am especially proud to have that great grandmother be somebody as exuberant and wonderful as you, whether playing dress up in your pink flamingo hat, watching the bunnies in your back yard, eating your famous chocolate birthday cake, or spending holiday get-togethers with you. You were always the life of the party.” Another grandchild thanked MeMaw and Papaw for being such great role models for their children and grandchildren. Jerry attended school at Irving, Horace Mann, Wichita North High and graduated from Wichita State with a degree in Education. She taught in Anthony, KS and substitute taught in Ponca City, OK. Her junior year she attended Stanford, where she pledged Gamma Phi Beta. At Wichita State, she was Parnassus Queen. Jerry was very active in the community as Brownie leader in Sterling, Sunday school teacher at Plymouth Congregational Church, Wichita, volunteering at Adams school in Wichita for their children after school reading program, Pink lady at Wesley Hospital and President of Wichita Southeast PTA. Playing bridge, golf, painting and book club with her friends were all very important to her. Jerry was a member of the Fairmount Society and endowed the Geraldine L. Rathbone Scholarship Fund in the College of Education and the Jack H. Rathbone Scholarship in the W. Frank Barton School of Business at WSU. Of all her possessions, her family and friends were the most important to her. Jerry leaves behind her children, daughter, Kay Rathbone Johnson and her husband, Monte and son, Michael E. Rathbone and wife, Sharon; grandchildren, Jackie Johnson Ferguson and Jeffrey Johnson and his wife, Corey, Molly Rathbone Maxwell, her husband, Peter, Joel E. Rathbone and wife Amy, Susanna Rathbone Thornhill and her husband, Greg, Jared Rathbone, Tim Miller and his wife, Elizabeth, Chris Miller and wife, Nancy; great-grandchildren, Jordan Ferguson Lisher and husband, Carl, Hilary Ferguson, Jackson Ferguson, Eley, Price and Carly Johnson, Quinten Maxwell, Maggie, Nathan, Nick, Ella and Ava Miller; sister, Kathryn Lansdowne Culbertson; nieces, Pat Wiggins and Kathy Frieze. Jerry felt very blessed to have her sister throughout her life. Many thanks to her caregivers, Dana Arnold, Carol Mitchell, and Michelle Scherer and especially to Violet Whiteside and also to Larksfield Health Center and Dr. Anne Walling. What a wonderful life! Great friends, great family!!! Jerry will be truly missed, but wonderful memories will remain. Memorials have been established with the Geraldine L. Rathbone Educational Fund, c/o WSU, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS, 67260 and Plymouth Congregational Church, 202 N. Clifton, Wichita, KS, 67208.