Louise Palmer Geist

Louise Geist Obituary

Louise was born on March 25, 1926 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania to Nora Palmer Dodge and James Sayer Dodge, both deceased. After graduating from Ford City High School she was recruited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a photographer. She received a War Service Certificate from J. Edgar Hoover in 1946. She married Conrad Braidwood Wilson and moved to Colorado. He worked in the oil fields, which meant moving from Colorado to New Mexico and then to San Angelo, Texas. In 1950, Paul Bryon Wilson was born and in 1952, Donald Wesley Wilson was born. She was divorced in 1953 and moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where her parents had retired. She worked at Alexander Film Company as a still photographer for five years and then was hired at the Air Force Academy in 1958 as a photographer. She married Stanley Kenton Geist in 1959. Eric Leslie Geist was born in 1960. Stanley adopted Paul and Donald. Louise was an avid traveler. She began her travels by taking Paul and Donald to Europe; she and Don went to Ecuador, Peru and Jamaica; Paul and Eric drove through Mexico and the Yucatan. She then volunteered in scientific expeditions such as; archeological sites in Guatemala, Easter Island, N.W., Argentina and Zaire. She helped with the research of giant Tortoises in the Galapagos; the Yellow-handed Titi monkey in the Peruvian Amazon; but her favorite was the photography research of orangutans in the rain forest of Borneo, Indonesia. She returned four times. She traveled alone through Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, New Guinea, Indonesia, Nepal and India where she trekked in the Kashmir foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. She joined groups traveling through Bolivia the Sahara Dessert, China with astronaut Jim Irwin, Tibet where she trekked over a 17,200 feet in the Himalayan Mountains. She traveled with tour groups to Siberia, Mongolia, Cambodia and a Panama Canal cruise with her daughter-in-law, Katie Geist. In 1968, she and Stanley bought a lot in Sierra Madre Development Company in Manzanillo, Mexico and built a house and enjoyed their retirement winter months there. After Stanley died on May 10, 2007, Louise lived there 5-6 months during the winter months. Louise is survived by: Paul Bryon Geist and his wife, Margarett Geist; Donald Wesley Geist and his wife, Katie Geist; Eric Leslie Geist and his wife, Anne Rosenthal. Louise's grandson, Jeremy Paul Rosenthal Geist; a niece, Sarah Morrison and a nephew, Michael Kingsbury Dodge. Her brother, James Sayer Dodge died August 21, 2010 in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Louise's motto was: "If you act on your dreams, you can live them"

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Published by The Gazette on May 11, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for Louise Geist

6 Entries

Jan Powell

May 5, 2024

Hello once more. Somewhere in a shoebox I a photo or two of Stan & Louise. I can launch a search if you wish. Your other Powell cousins by blood and circumstance are my brothers Jim and John. Jim is a published author and editor, John retired from the Federal Government and a seasoned West Coast sailor. He did the Trans-Pac race twice and was in Olympic trials (Soling) in '84. Reading again about Louise, I'm struck by her can-do spirit. We would all gain from channeling that spirit. Hope all is well with you.
- Jan in Santa Barbara.

Janice Powell

May 5, 2019

Reaching out once again, from Santa Barbara CA, to our long-lost cousins.
Our dad's were 1st cousins and fond of one another. Louise gave me a Talavera painted vase when I was small. I've never forgotten her or my fascination with the vase.
Jan, with Jim and John Powell
[email protected]

Jan Powell-Deering

June 4, 2011

The downside of searching for long lost family is finding out that you've really lost them. I last visited with my dad's cousin Stan and his wife Louise decades ago and have thought of them often in years since. They had a kind of magic. It was Louise who sent me a wonderful Mexican vase when I was 10 and we lived in Ft. Worth TX. I treasured it & felt vaguely cheated not knowing them better.
Dad ended up doing DOD work for TEMPO in Santa Barbara, working with Herman Kahn at Rand, on missile systems at China Lake. Other stuff we will never know. We lost him in 2005. Mom is still with us.
So here we are, family separated by distance , time and the rush of life. The gift is this opportunity for me to express how special we found them each to be. We are moving back to Santa Barbara. Please visit. Facebook, email.

Jan (Powell) Deering

June 4, 2011

The downside of searching for long lost family is finding out that you've really lost them. I last visited with my dad's cousin Stan and his wife Louise decades ago and have thought of them often in years since. They had a kind of magic. It was Louise who sent me a wonderful Mexican vase when I was 10 and we lived in Ft. Worth TX. I treasured it & felt vaguely cheated not knowing them better. The gift is this opportunity for me to express how special we found them each to be. Dad did DOD work for TEMPO in Santa Barbara, Rand, China Lake. He was Dave Powell, son of Dave & Gladys (Crouch) Powell of Manzanola Colorado. We lost Dad in 2005. Mom Joy is still with us. We are moving back to Santa Barbara soon. Please visit. Contact via Facebook, email or 805.558.2237

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May 18, 2011

Don & Katie - I will never ever forget your Mom. She had a great influence on my life and always told me how proud of me she was with all my efforts with Federal Women. Renny and I both loved her so much. She and Stan had shared their beloved Mexico home with us for 34 years. We will always remember the wonderful times we had with her in Mexico and here in Colorado Springs. I know she was a wonderful mother and mother-in-law and she will be missed by everybody that was fortunate enough to know her.

Love to you,
Marsha and Renny Strackany

Robert Stanton

May 13, 2011

Don, Your mother always treated me very well. She was one of a kind. My symapthies to you and all of your family.

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