Geraldine “Gerri” Ruth Hilbert, 95, affectionately known by many as Sis. Stair, Gerri and Nana, passed away peacefully in the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, December 23, 2023 at her home in Cleveland, TN after a long illness with Parkinson’s Disease.

Gerri was born at home in Emmaus, PA on December 8, 1928, the youngest of twelve children. She was a talented piano player from a young age, only playing by ear, while later in life she learned to play the organ and accordion as well. Her father was a minister and she grew up singing and playing in church and camp-meetings near her home in Emmaus, as well as Allentown, PA.

After she married, at the age of 22, she was a minister’s wife for many years, where she traveled the country ministering and playing in tent revivals and campmeetings with her husband and several well known evangelists from PA to CA to GA, while also being a devoted wife and mother. Later in life, as she raised her three younger children on her own, she truly exhibited her strength, faith and trust in Lord as she strived to raise them in a Christian home.

At various times in her middle age, she lived with Deborah and Ralph each for a few years and then in her older years she loved living on her own in Pembroke, GA at McFadden Place where she made life-long friends. After her diagnoses with PD, Deborah stayed with her until she moved in with Ralph in Ellabell, after that, she visited often with Terry in Milledgeville, Ralph in Ellabell and Brenda in Cleveland, before finally moving in with Terry in Milledgeville for several years. Then moving in with her grandson Joel and finally ending up in Cleveland for her final home with her granddaughter Amber.

While she lived with each of them she enjoyed attending church, being actively involved in church events, going to Southern Gospel concerts, playing piano in church, attending girls clubs events, being company for children, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, grandkids and great-grands, visiting her friends and caring for others.

More than anything, what people remember most about her is that going to church and loving the Lord was her life and she did it well.

She was full of life, sassy, silly, loved her kids and grandkids and great-grands so much. She loved playing Monopoly, Scrabble, working on puzzles and having fun. She loved to go caroling to nursing homes. She went with us to the nursing homes when we went caroling. She was a member of the United Foursquare women and helped to support missions and missionaries.

A few of her favorite things were chicken and dumplings, root beer, three musketeers, chocolate covered cherries, chocolate ice cream and coffee.

She was a member of New Life Foursquare Church, while attending South Cleveland Church of God in recent years.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Rev. Sassaman Hilbert, Sr. and Mamie Hilbert, as well as eight brothers and three sisters, all from the Allentown, PA area.

She is survived by her five children, Dr. Terry Stair, Sr. (Debbie) of Milledgeville, GA, Deborah Ingram and Ralph Stair, Jr. (Lori), both of Ellabell, GA, Brenda Hart (Keith) of Cleveland, TN and Rhoda Roberts of Bloomingdale, GA, as well as seventeen grandchildren, Terry Stair, Jr. (Crystal), Scott Scheidt (Casey), Joel Stair, Sr. (Ayla), Jason Stair (Marielle), Donna Gandy, Jeremy Stair (Kristen), Heather Dickey (Andrew), Katrina Crosby (Devlin), Jonathan Hart (Alaina), Crystal Ingram, Matthew Stair, Jerry Douglas, III, Thomas Douglas, Amber Hart, Veida Stair, Austin Hart and Logan Stair, as well as twenty-four great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

There will be two Celebration of Life Services:

Friday, 12/29/23 at South Cleveland Church of God in Cleveland, TN, officiated by Bishop Edwin Lipsey

3pm to 5pm - Visitation

5pm - Service

Saturday, 12/30/23 at New Life Four Square Church in Milledgeville, GA, officiated by her son, Dr. Terry Stair, Sr.

12pm to 1pm - Visitation

1pm - Service

Burial immediately following at Heritage Memorial Park, where she will be laid to rest.

Pallbearers will be immediate family and close friends.

The family would like to thank the following people:

Her five amazing caregivers, Misty Ankeny, Kelly Pugh, Shey Park, Stephanie White and Sarah Meadows, as well as those who cared for her in the past, there are no words to describe our gratitude.

Special thanks to Melissa Underdown and Leslie Brown, her nurses from Amedisys Home Health of Cleveland for their tireless care of her for the past two and half years as well as Wendy Templin, her physical therapist and Emily Zahn, her speech therapist, without who she would not have stayed well or been with us as long as she was. Thank you all so much.

Her nurses, Heather and Ashley from Hearth Hospice who helped the family navigate and make the final days and hours of her life as comfortable as possible, as well as all the others on that team. They are amazing.

All of her doctors that took care of her over the past few years, we will always be so grateful.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to help with final expenses, please contact the family directly for information on how to do this. 

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