Genevieve Hazel Armstrong Frerichs died on August 18, 2017.

She was born Sept. 14, 1919, in Potter, Nebraska, to the late Gertrude and Frank Armstrong. She moved to Ponca, Nebraska, at the age of 5 and grew up on a small farm near the Ponca State Park. She loved riding horses, bringing the cows in from pasture and all things outdoors. She graduated from Ponca High in 1937 and attended Wayne State College prior to teaching in a one-room school near Coleridge, Nebraska. While there, she boarded with her future husband’s family, which is how she met Laurence Frerichs. World War II called him into service with the Seabees in the South Pacific. She also served in federal offices during the war, first in Washington, D.C., and then in St. Louis, where she developed a lifelong love of baseball and the Cardinals. While he was home on leave, shortly before the war’s end, the couple married on Aug. 1, 1945.

When the war ended, they moved to Bloomfield, Nebraska, beginning a business of selling electrical appliances and providing electrification of homes and businesses. Larry’s Electric served as the family business for the next 33 years. In Bloomfield, she raised her family of three children. She was active in PEO, Eastern Star, St. Marks Lutheran Church, 4-H and the Cub Scouts. Her passions were caring for her family, gardening, swimming, reading, boating, poetry writing and spending time with friends.

Following her husband’s death in 1980, she earned a real estate license and also worked at the Gavins Point Dam visitor center. In 1990, she moved to Washington state to join her children and their families. She enjoyed supporting her 11 grandchildren at all their activities. She remained active well into her 90s, still swimming, practicing yoga, playing bridge and enjoying book and Bible clubs. She traveled extensively with family and friends. She endured several cancer operations and declining vision and hearing, yet maintained a positive outlook.

She is survived by sister Madonna Randolph of Valencia, California; children Susan Guillen (Tomas) of Auburn, Washington, Luther Frerichs (Sarah) of Enumclaw and Robert Frerichs (Darinda) of Auburn; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Laurence, brothers Ross and Kenneth Armstrong and sisters Ruth Lentz and Frances Noe.

A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Enumclaw. There will be visiting and sharing of memories following the service. There will be a second service at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Bloomfield, followed by internment of ashes at the Bloomfield cemetery.

Memorials may be sent to Trinity Lutheran Church in Enumclaw and Family of Grace in Auburn.