Ruth Sellers Geyer

Born: 4/9/1912 Died: 8/21/2012 Mrs. Ruth Anna Sellers Geyer, age 100, formerly of Johnstown, PA, passed away on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, at Churchman Village in Newark, DE. Born in Juniata, PA, on April 9, 1912, Ruth was the daughter of Anna Leta Kaiser Shaffer and Arthur Shaffer, both of whom perished in the flu epidemic of 1918. She was raised by her grandparents, Edista and Adam Shaffer in Bedford, PA. In 1928, she married Orville E. Sellers, with whom she had two children; the family lived in Johnstown for many years before Orville died in a car accident in 1957. In 1959, Ruth married Walter A. Geyer and together the couple became foster parents to thirteen children. Walter passed away in 1968. A professional nurse for over 50 years, Ruth was a graduate of the Johnstown Technical School of Practical Nursing. During her career, she was employed with Mercy Hospital, the Hiram G. Andrews Rehabilitation Center, and the Community Action Council, all in the Johnstown area. She would go on to become a daycare mother to eleven children, and, in 1985, was honored as “Daycare Mother of the Year” by the State of Pennsylvania. In 1986, Ruth moved to Seaford, DE, and began working as a companion to the elderly with the Senior Companion program in Georgetown, DE, retiring at the age of 88 in 2000. Among her many hobbies, Ruth enjoyed reading, the theater, sports, cooking, canning, flowers, gardening, puzzles, and shopping. In addition to Walter and Orville, Ruth was preceded in death by her son, Donald O. Sellers, and three grandchildren, Amy Leta Ruth, Timothy J. Ruth, and Deborah Podruchny. She is survived by her daughter, Leta D. Ruth of Newark, with whom she resided for many of her later years before moving to Churchman Village; daughter-in-law, Sharon Sellers of Riverview, FL; 11 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; and 6 great great grandchildren. Services and interment will be held privately and at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Ruth’s memory may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.