A Memorial Service will be held at the Chapel at First Presbyterian Church in Wichita Falls on Saturday, September 15th at 11:00 am. The Dr. Isaac Butterworth of First Presbyterian Church of Wichita Falls will officiate.
Frances was born the 4th of six children to the late James Gordon Dyer and Jeffie Archer Dyer on September 12, 1933 in Weslaco, Texas in Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley. A graduate of Weslaco High School class of 1952, she received her degree in Elementary Education from Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas. She worked for the Texas A&M Research Center in Weslaco as head secretary for 10 years. There she met her future husband, Dr. Cleveland Joseph Gerard, a native of Milton, Louisiana. She became his secretary and forever bemoaned his poor penmanship. Their boss, Dr. Raymond Cowley set them up on a date and the rest is history.
They were married on November 17, 1962 at Faith American Lutheran Church in Weslaco. They honeymooned in New Orleans and visited his family in rural Louisiana. Cleveland preceded her in death on October 14, 1996 while a patient at Zale Lipshy University hospital in Dallas. She was also preceded in death by her parents and her brother James Gordon Dyer and wife Jonita and her sister Billie Ruth Dyer Brandt and husband Edmund.
Two daughters were born in Weslaco. Gigi in 1965 and Ann Marie in 1969.
The Gerard family moved from the Rio Grande Valley to Vernon, Texas in November 1975. Dr. Gerard continued to work for the Texas A&M Research Center in Lockett until his retirement in 1989. Frances raised their two girls and was active in many church and civic activities. She was a member of Peace Lutheran Church and was a Sunday School teacher as well as holding all offices in the Lutheran Church Women's group including President. She served with her husband as a delegate to the Texas-Louisiana Synod meeting in Seguin for the ELCA. Frances delivered Meals on Wheels, served as Camp Fire leader for twelve years, was a member of the Texas Association for Family and Community Education, served on the Texas State FCE board in 1985 and 1986, was District Three Director in 1983 and 1984, and a member of the Wilbarger County FCE Council and the Vernon FCE Club.
While in Weslaco, she was active in all areas of Faith American Lutheran Church, serving as Rio Grande Valley and Area representative of Women of the Church. She was also active in the Girl Scouts of America as a leader and cookie mom and served on the Rio Grande Valley Council.
She was pleased to travel with her husband and oldest daughter during his sabbatical in Australia in 1968. They visited Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane. She also accompanied him to International Soils meetings in California and Canada over the years. She set up The Cleveland and Frances Gerard scholarship at Texas A&M to assist students in Soils Studies after Doctor Gerard's death.
Survivors include two daughters, Gigi Gerard Franklin and husband Jeffrey Thomas of Austin and Ann Marie Gerard Winstead and husband Raymond Landon, III of Wichita Falls, and granddaughter Emma Claire Winstead, a freshman at University of North Texas.
Also surviving are 1 sister, Mary Dyer Jackson and husband Dale of Farmington, New Mexico and 2 brothers, Weldon Ray Dyer and wife Lowery and Jackie Phillip Dyer and wife Thelma all of Weslaco. She is also survived by brother in law Sidney Gerard of Peaks Island, Maine and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to be made to the Dr. Cleveland and Frances Gerard Scholarship (account # 04-33734) in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University. Donations may be made on line: http://give.am/GerardEndSch or by checks payable to the Texas A&M Foundation, and mailed to 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, TX 77840-2811. Please make sure you include the account number above on the check memo line.
