Obituary of Geraldine Rose Penrod Duncan

Geraldine Rose Penrod Duncan Geraldine (Gerry) Rose Penrod Duncan passed away on Saturday, September 17, 2016 at the age of 86. She was born in Lehi, Utah to LeGrande Wells Penrod and Daisy Powell Penrod on August 30, 1930. She was a “blue baby” weighing under 3 pounds and was not expected to live through the night. She was put in a shoe box and placed in the oven of the old coal burning stove and lived (thanks to Aunt Ollie) to tell her story. She was the oldest of seven children born to LeGrande and Daisy. Her siblings are JoAnn (deceased), Carol (deceased), Joyce (Boyd) Wathen (Lehi, Utah), William (Bill) Penrod (deceased), Ilean (William) Despain (St. George, Utah), and Debbie Warnick (Lehi, Utah). She is reunited with her parents, husband, two sisters, brother and two grandchildren (Philip and Macae) who preceded her in passing. Gerry was raised in American Fork, Utah and attended Harrington Elementary School, American Fork Junior High School and the old American Fork High School on “the hill.” She was an American Fork Caveman and had cherished memories of the LDS Church, the American Fork/Lehi communities and school activities she participated in (especially theatrical productions, AF marching band/orchestra). She enjoyed her many good and true friends (and wonderful family) from the American Fork area that she considered a blessing in her life. On April 19, 1951, she married William (Bill) Thomas Duncan (on leave from the Navy during the Korean War) in the Salt Lake Temple. To this union were added three sons, Scott Thomas (Springville), William Bradley (Loretta) (Sandy, Utah), and James Corey (Charlene) (Sandy, Utah). She also loved and adored her eleven grandchildren and twenty-five great-grandchildren. Bill and Gerry eventually settled in Springville, Utah. After her three sons were in school, she went to work part-time as a clerk and accountant, then a full-time secretary to the Principal of Springville High School (just long enough to make sure her sons graduated), then she went to work as a medical secretary for Doctor Douglas Smith (a doctor of internal medicine). Again, she had many wonderful friends and family in the Springville area. Gerry loved the LDS Church and had a wonderful testimony. She served as Cub Scout Den Mother, Ward and Stake Drama Director (15 years), Sunday School Teacher, Homemaking Leader, Cultural Refinement Teacher, Ward and Stake Relief Society President and worked in the LDS German Extraction Program for over 10 years. She served as the Director of the Springville Utah Stake Family Record Extraction Program. She also served a part-time family history mission for one year in FamilySearch and a full-time mission in Family Records Extraction Support in Salt Lake. She extracted over 400 thousand names before her death. Funeral arrangements are as follows: There will be a viewing at Anderson and Sons Mortuary (49 East 100 North, American Fork, Utah) on Wednesday, September 21, 2016 from 6-8 pm. Funeral services will be held the next day, Thursday, September 22, 2016 beginning at 11:00 am. There will be a viewing the same day at the same location from 9:45 to 10:45 am. Internment will be at the Springville Evergreen Cemetery following the services.