Gerald "Gerry" Edward Beauchaine

Uncle Gerald was one of the world’s friendliest people. He always had a smile, a hello, and if you were lucky enough, he would tell you a joke or prank you. My father would say: “Gerald doesn’t know a stranger!” A favorite memory from a few years ago was a trip we took with his brother, Gene, his sister, Jeanette, and my sister, Jan. We drove to Minneapolis to see their brother Jim and wife, Peg. On the way, we stopped to visit June (Hansen) Stangl (who used to lived down the hill from the farm where they grew up). Gerald was his usual warm and congenial self with the adults. But he spent most of the visit with a cute girl of about 8 years, teaching her the song and hand motions for: Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old; Some like it hot, some like it cold, Some like it in the pot, nine days old. That’s the memory. Him sitting in the dining room, knee to knee, with a smiling 8 year old who he had just met, teaching “Pease porridage hot…” To me, that memory epitomizes his ability to connect with people. Anyone. Everyone. His love of connection. His warmth. A niece, Kathy B.

I have many good memories of Uncle Ger, or "Unca Bush" as we called him when we were young. I remember Uncle Ger's love of fireworks, or maybe it was just blowing things up. I remember attending my first auto race with Cousin Roger and Uncle Ger. I remember Uncle Ger's love of polka music. I can see him bent over the transistor radio in the corner of the kitchen while the rest of us are hooting and hollering over a game of cards, the omnipresent smile on his face. And I remember him smiling as he showed us kids his latest magic trick, and we all laughed together. - Our condolences to Uncle Ger's children and grandchildren and all who feel his loss from Margie & Rich Wendt, Cindi & John Livingston.