Genevieve Vernier

Genevieve P. Vernier January 18, 1931 - August 19, 2013 Genevieve Pearl Vernier was the epitome of a "good and faithful servant"to her parents and siblings, to her husband and children, to her church and local communities, to her friends and neighbors, and to anyone she met along the way who needed a helping hand. Genevieve gave freely of her time and her many talents. She cared for the sick and the elderly, and drove others to church, the doctor, the grocery store or to visit a friend. She sang in the church choir, participated in many areas of church ministry, made delicious food to share, and simply offered a smile and encouragement to all she encountered. She reluctantly retired from her lifetime of service on Monday, August 19, 2013 following a brief battle with leukemia. Genevieve Pearl was born on January 18, 1931 in Detroit, Mich., the youngest of four children of Harold Jones and Mildred Grant. Gennie, as she was known to most, met and married Roger R. Vernier in Detroit in 1952 and moved to Flint, and later to Alba, Mich., where the couple operated The Village Grocer. With six children to feed, Genevieve supplemented the family income by delivering newspapers and dry cleaning, in addition to helping her husband at the grocery store. Genevieve was industrious and resilient. When the couple closed the store, she became a household assistant to an elderly couple, then a cook in a children's home in Evart, Mich. When health issues prevented her from standing all day, she took up housekeeping. A 1988 visit in Zion, Ill. led to a position as a sales clerk in a nearby men's shoe store. She and her husband then relocated to Zion, where the two lived out the rest of their lives. Gennie loved cooking and baking, tending her garden and houseplants, and watching the birds and squirrels in her backyard. She will be remembered by many for her impressive collection of frog figurines of all shapes, sizes and styles. Genevieve was preceded in death by her husband, Roger, Sr.; her parents; brothers Tom and Harry; and sister Laura. She is survived by her children, Jane (Don) Freda of Ft. Myers, Flo., Marta (David) Tucker of Beach Park, Ill., Roger, Jr. of Howell, Mich., Adrienne Harvey of Mancelona, Mich., Pierre (Karen) of Bellevue, Neb., Lonah (Rory) Rice of Skokie, Ill., and Gabrielle Vernier of Munich, Germany; 14 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great grandchild; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and other extended family and friends. A celebration of Gennie's life will take place on Friday, August 30, at 1:00 p.m. at Memorial United Methodist Church in Zion, with Pastor Kwadwo Ntim officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be directed to Memorial United Methodist Church, 2935 Sheridan Road, Zion, IL 60099, or to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org).