Geneva Irene Cather

Geneva Irene Cather, 91, of Toledo, IL., passed away at 6:25pm on April 8, 2023, at Heartland Nursing and Rehabilitation in Casey, Illinois.

Funeral service will be at 11:00 am on Friday April 14, 2023, at the Calvary Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church, in Toledo, IL. Visitation will be from 10:00 am until service time. The burial will be in the Toledo Cemetery. The Barkley Funeral Chapel in Toledo is assisting the family.

Geneva was born on October 5, 1931, in Ash Grove Township, IL, the daughter of Jesse and Bertha (Wheat) Lear. She married Alvin O. Cather on October 29, 1949, and he preceded her in 1994. Survivors include her son, Lowell (Cathy) Cather of Newman, IL; daughters, June (Jim) Hayden of Greenup, and Vickie Cather of Casey; grandchildren, Denise (Chris) Childress, Darci Cather (Jim Whittier), Daniel (Amy) Cather, and Carissa Hayden (Jason Chapa); great-grandchildren, Elijah, Ruby, and Israel Whittier, Claire and Clark Childress, Ella and Caleb Cather, and Avacyn Chapa; brother, Lester Lear; and sister Alberta Hinckle. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother Franklin Lear, and sister Dorothy Crow.

Geneva was a homemaker and was a member of the Calvary Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church. A loving mother and a doting grandmother, Geneva was also a devoted caregiver to her daughter, Vickie. For many years, she and Vickie were a fixture around Toledo, and you rarely saw one without the other. Geneva loved to cook and especially enjoyed preparing meals for birthdays and family gatherings. She was famous among family and friends for her delicious hot rolls that were unequaled in taste and texture. Crocheting was Geneva’s other passion. She loved to make doilies for friends and family and, for several years, many babies were brought home from the hospital in soft blankets Geneva had lovingly crocheted for them. But even more than her cooking and crocheting, Geneva was best known for her sweet smile—a smile that she lavishly shared and that is cherished by all who knew her.

Memorials can be made to the Calvary Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church or to the Heartland Nursing and Rehabilitation in Casey, IL. Online condolences can be expressed at www.barkleyfuneralchapels.com

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