Geraldine Allen, age 102, of Kadoka, South Dakota, died on Sunday, August 3, 2025 at the Kadoka Nursing Home.
Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. with prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Friday, August 8, 2025 at the Kadoka Bible Church.
Funeral Services will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 9, 2025 at the High School Gym in Kadoka with Pastor Jesse Taylor officiating.
Interment will follow at the Kadoka Cemetery.
Geraldine Susie Terkildsen Allen passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Kadoka Nursing Home on August 23, 2025, at the age of 102. She lived an amazingly long life and enjoyed almost every minute. Geraldine Susie Terkildsen was born at home on the ranch, near Wanamaker, SD, on January 27, 1923, to Anita Brown Terkildsen and Niels Terkildsen, attended by Mrs. Phyllis Jacoby, midwife. Geraldine was the 2nd of 10 children. She attended Wanamaker Grade School, south of the store, riding horses or walking to school. After graduating from the 8th grade, she completed her schooling by attending high school at Pine Ridge Boarding School, where she played basketball and loved making pottery. She and her family successfully survived the Depression, Government Cattle Slaughter (to drive up prices), and dry-land farming.
She met Bud Allen at a barn dance at the Pettyjohn barn, just north of the Badland’s Basin Hill. They were married October 31, 1942, in Kadoka, SD, attended by Wayne Weaver and Shirley Bauman.
Geraldine was a multi-talented farm wife. She was the local beautician (untrained and mostly unpaid). She made and decorated fancy cakes for hundreds of birthdays, weddings, and special occasions. Her talents were endless, from driving the grain truck at harvest to being the community babysitter.
The family moved to town (Kadoka) in 1968 and boarded high school students during the week Geraldine was an accomplished seamstress, cake decorator, and upholsterer. Her first paying job was at Grabel’s Clothing Store. Then she worked for H & H Motel, along with her upholstering, cake decorating, and sewing. She loved family, friends, and life. Geraldine always made everything more fun. She was interested in everyone. She enjoyed life and was perennially cheerful. She so loved all her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, family, and friends. Her favorite past time was playing cards up until May of this year. Nothing was better than a day full of visiting, serving coffee, cookies, and cake.
This is a true celebration of a long and active life that touched many, many people. She will be missed.
Geraldine is survived by four children, Clarence (Darla), Martin, SD, Patsy Larson, Gillette, WY, Janis Allen, Kadoka, SD, and Wilma (Jay Tope), Aladdin, WY; nine grandchildren: Christy Pranger (Doug), Terri Gregg (Jon), Ami Allen, Cody Allen (Stacey). Dan Larson, David Larson, Taven Snyder, Trent Tope (Jordan), and Taresha Tope (Jeremiah Speckeles); seventeen great-grandchildren and fifteen great-great-grandchildren; sister Velma Arment; brothers Lavern (Dianne) Terkildsen and Art Terkildsen; sisters-in-law Tootie and Lou Terkildsen; and many, many loved nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; sisters Dorothy and Verna Mae; brothers Calvin, Slim (Dahlman), Tommy, and Raymond; brothers-in-law Charles Sharp and Marion Arment; sisters-in-law Virginia Terkildsen and Frances Terkildsen; daughter-in-law Nancy Allen; and grandson Torrey Tope.
Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Kadoka.