Helen Geiger-Geren

Geiger-Geren, Helen
Formerly of Portage Helen Geiger-Geren, age 79, formerly of Portage died on April 6, 2011 at Tendercare of Portage. She had struggled with Alzheimer's disease for many years. Helen was born on October 21, 1931 to Otis and Effie Boyer in Salem, MO. She grew up in Elkhart, Indiana. On June 19, 1949 she married Kenneth L. Geiger of Kalamazoo, MI. They resided in Portage MI for over 40 years, raising a family and making many good friends. She was preceded in death by Kenneth who passed away on August 14, 1991. Helen later met and married Beryl Geren on August 22, 1998. Soon after their marriage, Helen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Beryl was her loving husband and main caregiver for several years. He passed away on March 11, 2008. Helen is survived by two daughters, Brenda Ray Springhetti of Sheboygan WI and Lori Paul Tulgetske of Portage MI; five grandchildren, Michael Springhetti of Waterloo IA, Angela Matt Wedemeier of Winfield MO, Daniel Amy Springhetti of Grafton WI, Emily Tulgetske and Andrew Tulgetske, both of Portage; one sister, Lily J.C. York of Elkhart IN; 2 brothers, John Joyce Boyer of Elkhart, Ralph Sally Boyer of Avon Park, FL; two sisters-in-law, Ginny Boyer and Shirley Boyer both of Elkhart. She is further survived by many nieces and nephews. Helen was preceded in death by two brothers, Melvin and Harold. Helen had been a member of Grace Baptist Church prior to her illness. She had a deep faith, which helped sustain her through the trying times of her life. She had been employed at Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance and, later, at Brown, Coleman and DeMent as a receptionist until the time of her retirement in 1985. Helen will be most remembered for her warmth, caring spirit toward others, and love of laughter. As the Alzheimer's progressed and took so much away from her, it never could entirely rob her of the ability to laugh. Until recently, she maintained that occasional giggle and twinkle in her eye that she shared with visitors. Helen had always enjoyed playing cards and games with friends and especially treasured time spent with her family. Whenever any family member or friend was in need, Helen was always there to lend a helping hand. She will be sadly missed by those who loved her. The family would like to thank the staff at Clare Bridge where Helen resided for 5 years and most recently, Tendercare of Portage for the loving care given to our mom and grandma. A funeral service will be held on Saturday April 9th at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Portage Chapel, 411 E. Centre Ave. at 1 p.m. A visitation will be held from 12 p.m. until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Alzheimer's Association and Alzheimer's Research would be greatly appreciated. Please visit www.langelands.com for the online obituary, leave a condolence to the family and view the video tribute.