Sr. Geraldine Eakes, OP, 94, passed away June 28, 2025, at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse in Great Bend, Kansas. She was born on December 17, 1930, in Plains, Kansas. She entered Consecrated life in 1946 and professed final vows in 1948.
Sr. Geraldine received a Bachelor’s of Education from St. Mary’s College in Leavenworth, Kansas and a MA in Theology from St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. For more than 10 years she taught in Kansas schools. Upon receiving her master’s degree in theology, Sr.Geraldine shifted her focus to pastoral care, working in Great Bend and Wichita, as well as St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City where she comforted and prayed with many who experienced pain and trauma. She also contributed to Congregational formation - helping new women entering the Congregation and young novices.
Sr. Geraldine spent seven years at the Heartland Center for Spirituality as a hospitality coordinator. She was greatly loved by those who came to the Center and appreciated her care for their comfort. She developed a policy and procedure manual for Heartland Center and created a safety plan for the Great Bend Motherhouse. After her retirement, she continued to serve by helping coordinate Motherhouse receptionists.
A Mass of Resurrection was held on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Motherhouse Chapel in Great Bend. In Sr. Pat Twohill’s letter to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, she wrote,” …after she (Sr. Geraldine) read the book, From Ageing- to Sage-ing, our Sister commented she was going to approach growing older be becoming an Elder and what an exemplary Elder Sr. Geraldine was…we can honor her memory by following her example of serving God and others in whatever ways we can.”
During the preaching at her funeral, the priest presider noted a quote from St. Francis de Sales, “Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. That quote goes along with the life of Sr. Geraldine, and my memory of her is of a very gentle lady and a very good teacher.”
Sr. Geraldine’s survivors include sisters Mary Friesen and Frances McCreedy. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Jerome and Sylvester Eakes, and sisters Regina Walters, Cecilia Chinn, and Josephine Blacksten.
Sr. Geraldine was interred at the Resurrection Cemetery. Memorials in honor of Sister Geraldine may be sent to Dominican Sisters of Peace, 2320 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH 43219-2098.
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