Stiles, Geraldine

29 Apr Stiles, Geraldine

Mrs. Geraldine Louise Johnson Stiles ‘Mom Pete’, 62, a longtime resident of Damascus, Md., died Friday, April 8, 2011, at Frederick Memorial Hospital. She is survived by Marty Stiles, her husband of 46 years.

Born July 13, 1948, in Purdum, she was a daughter of the late Guy N. and M. Virginia Johnson. She was raised on the family dairy farm where she was involved with 4-H, showing dairy cattle at the local and state levels. She remained an active 4-H leader and volunteer during her lifetime.

Geraldine graduated from Damascus High School. Upon graduation, she married and began raising her family on the Stiles farm in Poplar Springs, MD. Dairy farming was an integral part of her life and she was involved in many local and state agricultural organizations. She was a lifetime member of the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, serving as co-chairperson of the dairy promotion program; the founder and leader of the Damascus 4-H Dairy Club; a member of the Damascus Community Fair and superintendent of the dairy department; an honorary member of the Maryland Dairy Shrine; and a Maryland 4-H All Star. She was also a member of the Montgomery County Farm Bureau, the Maryland Jersey Cattle Club, the Maryland Delaware Ayrshire Association, and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Damascus Volunteer Fire Department. She was a lifetime member of Mountain View United Methodist Church at Purdum.

The farming lifestyle was an important part of Geraldine’s life and she enjoyed working with and organizing fundraisers benefiting 4-H youth. She also enjoyed collecting dairy memorabilia.

Besides her husband, she is survived by five children, Duean M. Stiles and his wife Dawn D., of Fairplay; Kris L. Stiles and Kevin L. Stiles, both of Damascus; Alex Ennis, of Frederick; and Amy M. Lawrence and husband Sean D., of Mount Airy; and five grandchildren, Sully N. Kavanaugh of New Jersey; Emily D. Stiles and Brandon D. Stiles, both of Fairplay; Kristen L. Stiles of Hagerstown; and J.D. Lawrence of Mount Airy. She is also survived by her sisters, Betty Linthicum of West Virginia and Linda Watkins and her husband Ronald, of Hagerstown, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.