(Frances) Pauline (Gerber) Lloyd-Davies, 99, died peacefully July 22, 2017, at Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen, S.D., from congestive heart failure. Pauline will be honored at a memorial service at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home of Aberdeen at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 7, followed by a luncheon in the Spitzer-Miller Fellowship Hall.
Pauline was born January 15, 1918, in Aberdeen, S.D., to Professor Henry Philip Gerber and Agnes M. (Egan) Gerber, the third of nine children. She was born in the middle of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918-1919, and always attributed her robust health and stamina to the "super immunity" she developed during that epidemic. Pauline's seven brothers were always thoughtful and kind to their only sister.
The Gerber family had many adventures. Pauline vividly remembered the trip that her family took by car on dirt roads to the Black Hills of South Dakota in July 1924 for the 50th anniversary of General Custer's entry into the Black Hills. At that time, Henry and Agnes had five children, the oldest only 8. They camped out along the way and Pauline recalled how her father added fold-out storage boxes to the car to hold cooking equipment, a tent and everything needed for camping. The Gerbers often spent part of the summer at Enemy Swim Lake, where Northern Normal and Industrial School (now Northern State University) – where her father taught -- had cabins and conducted a summer school.
In Aberdeen she attended Garfield School, Sacred Heart School, Simmons Junior High and Central High School (class of 1934). She graduated from Northern Normal and Industrial School in 1936 with a two-year teaching certificate and while teaching, went back to school at Northern during the summers to earn her B.S. in Education in 1939. She later attended San Francisco State University. While a student at Northern, she was president of the Intermediate Teachers Club, a member of Sigma Tau Delta, English Honorary Fraternity and the Math and Science Fraternity. She was selected as "Princess Pat" at Northern for the St. Patrick's Day celebration in 1939. Pauline loved the Gypsy Day homecoming festivities at Northern and continued to dress in her gypsy costume through 2016.
Born into a family of educators, she also became a teacher and taught at Seneca, S.D., Fairmount, N.D., Belle Fourche, S.D., and Aberdeen (5th grade at Simmons Elementary).
She was married on Oct. 27, 1943, at Sacred Heart Rectory in Aberdeen, S.D., to Arthur Lloyd-Davies (aka Arthur L. Davies) of Aberdeen. They lived in Fort Worth, Texas, during World War II when Art worked for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp. before returning to Aberdeen in 1945. Arthur died in January 2001.
Pauline joined the Robin Hood Troop of the Girl Scouts in 1930, later becoming a camp counselor, craft instructor and troop leader in South Dakota, North Dakota, New York, and California. She served on the Aberdeen Girl Scout Council and was a Cub Scout Den Mother. She made lifelong friends through her Girl Scout activities. Pauline's adventurous life expanded when her fellow Girl Scout, Jeanette (Buck) Biegler, called upon her in the summer of 1938 to become a counselor at a camp in New York state, to replace a counselor who had appendicitis. The following year, Pauline worked at a Girl Scout camp in the High Sierras in California. Her journal of her bus trip to and from California chronicled her travels. Throughout her activities, she captured many photos with her Kodak Brownie camera and a movie camera that she purchased with earnings from her first teaching job.
In her school years, travel adventures, career and community activities, she formed many long-lasting friendships. In the pre-email days, she and her friends exchanged many letters and visited each other when possible. Her college "gang" gathered from across the United States to enjoy summer days at the Lake Koronis cabin of Marion Steenson in Paynesville, Minn. With the advent of email, she was thrilled to be able to correspond with her friends, family and former students. She enjoyed international travel with trips to the Netherlands, France, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland with her daughters and to Canada with her husband.
While teaching at Simmons Elementary School from 1962-1982, Pauline was active in the South Dakota Education Association, National Education Association and Aberdeen Education Association. She conducted math workshops in several states and served as vice president of the South Dakota Teachers of Math and served on the Social Studies Committee for the State Department of Education as well as on the Drug Task Force for the Aberdeen School Board. She also served on the SDEA Helpmobile in Social Studies in Belle Fourche, S.D., and the Alexander Mitchell Library board.
Upon retirement from teaching in 1982, Pauline volunteered for 30 years (1982-2012) at Alexander Mitchell Library and the school libraries at Simmons Elementary and Lincoln Elementary in Aberdeen as well as the archive at Northern State University. She knit many hats and mittens for charity organizations and sewed nap and doll quilts for the Family Y Day Care Center.
She was a member of the Brown County Democrats, SoDak Extension Club, the Granary Cultural Center, Aberdeen Area Genealogical Society, Delta Kappa Gamma, Kateri Tekakwitha Study Club and Lady of Lourdes Study Club and a founding member of the Aberdeen Hamlin Garland Society.
Pauline was honored to be named a Distinguished Alumna at Northern State University, 1994; received the South Dakota Library Association Friend of the Library award, 2001 and was a lifetime member of the Parent Teacher Association.
Pauline enjoyed sewing, knitting and reading, especially history. She loved researching the family genealogy, and she and her husband traveled many places, including Newfoundland, Canada, to do research. While growing up, she was a tap dancing student of Earl Turner and taught dancing wherever she taught school. She and Art enjoyed dancing, ice skating and flying kites during their courtship and marriage.
Pauline loved spending time with her family. Her summer teaching break allowed her to enjoy time with her children, their friends and relatives at the family cabin at Mina Lake from 1959-1990. Her children still recall how she made them take periodic breaks from swimming by requiring a bucket of weeds to be dug before each could return to the water. She also generously allowed her children to bring multiple friends to the lake cabin to enjoy swimming and fishing. Her children's friends were always welcome in her home.
Pauline lived in her own home for 67 years, enjoying her apple trees, plum tree, poppies, hollyhocks, daylilies and peonies. She delighted in sharing her apples with friends in town. In September 2015, her daughter, Jean, moved in to support her desire to stay in her own home as long as possible. Jean was assisted in this endeavor by Pauline's sons, Phil, Steve and Paul, her niece, Gwen Gerber, her granddaughter, Willa Rippberger and her former daughter-in-law, Wendy Lloyd-Davies. Until she moved to Primrose Place Assisted Living in September 2016, she could often be found digging dandelions in her yard and shoveling snow.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Mary Louise (deceased in 1918 at age 3); step-mother, Rose Ellen (Doyle) Gerber; brothers (Henry) John (1965) (Mildred-deceased), Philip (2005), Robert (2006), Edward (2013), James (2015), Bernard (2016); a daughter, (Mary) Kathleen Rippberger (2006); a son, John (2017) and nephews Edward Lloyd-Davies, John Paul Gerber and Michael Gerber.
Survivors include children William of Liberty Lake, Wash.; Jean Daniels (Peter Danielson) of Rochester, Minn; Paul of Great Falls, Mont.; Dr. Stephen (Nancy Myers) of Newman Lake, Wash.; Philip (Penny Heiserman) of Louisville, Colo.; 10 grandchildren (Willa Rippberger, Morgan Rippberger, Thomas Lloyd-Davies, Christopher Lloyd-Davies, Arthur Daniels, Shelley Lloyd-Davies Clark (Alex), Keith Lloyd-Davies, Bryn Lloyd-Davies, Matthew Heiserman and Benjamin Heiserman); brother Thomas Gerber of Aberdeen; sisters-in-law Eugenia Gerber of Albany, N.Y.; Joyzelle Gerber of Del Mar, Calif.; Nell Gerber of Modesto, Calif.; Marcella Gerber of Aberdeen; Lila Lloyd-Davies of Rapid City; and Millie Lockington of Aberdeen; son-in-law David Rippberger (Maxine) of Carlsbad, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Aberdeen residents Jean Gerber, M.D. and Eric Gerber (Jane).
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials in Pauline's memory to the Northern State University Foundation, 620 15th Ave. S.E., Aberdeen, SD 57401-7610, for the Pauline Lloyd-Davies Endowed Scholarship.
Pauline has donated her body to medical education through the Mayo Clinic's anatomical bequest program. Her ashes will be interred with her husband at Riverside Cemetery, Aberdeen, at a later date.
- Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home
Pauline was born January 15, 1918, in Aberdeen, S.D., to Professor Henry Philip Gerber and Agnes M. (Egan) Gerber, the third of nine children. She was born in the middle of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918-1919, and always attributed her robust health and stamina to the "super immunity" she developed during that epidemic. Pauline's seven brothers were always thoughtful and kind to their only sister.
The Gerber family had many adventures. Pauline vividly remembered the trip that her family took by car on dirt roads to the Black Hills of South Dakota in July 1924 for the 50th anniversary of General Custer's entry into the Black Hills. At that time, Henry and Agnes had five children, the oldest only 8. They camped out along the way and Pauline recalled how her father added fold-out storage boxes to the car to hold cooking equipment, a tent and everything needed for camping. The Gerbers often spent part of the summer at Enemy Swim Lake, where Northern Normal and Industrial School (now Northern State University) – where her father taught -- had cabins and conducted a summer school.
In Aberdeen she attended Garfield School, Sacred Heart School, Simmons Junior High and Central High School (class of 1934). She graduated from Northern Normal and Industrial School in 1936 with a two-year teaching certificate and while teaching, went back to school at Northern during the summers to earn her B.S. in Education in 1939. She later attended San Francisco State University. While a student at Northern, she was president of the Intermediate Teachers Club, a member of Sigma Tau Delta, English Honorary Fraternity and the Math and Science Fraternity. She was selected as "Princess Pat" at Northern for the St. Patrick's Day celebration in 1939. Pauline loved the Gypsy Day homecoming festivities at Northern and continued to dress in her gypsy costume through 2016.
Born into a family of educators, she also became a teacher and taught at Seneca, S.D., Fairmount, N.D., Belle Fourche, S.D., and Aberdeen (5th grade at Simmons Elementary).
She was married on Oct. 27, 1943, at Sacred Heart Rectory in Aberdeen, S.D., to Arthur Lloyd-Davies (aka Arthur L. Davies) of Aberdeen. They lived in Fort Worth, Texas, during World War II when Art worked for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp. before returning to Aberdeen in 1945. Arthur died in January 2001.
Pauline joined the Robin Hood Troop of the Girl Scouts in 1930, later becoming a camp counselor, craft instructor and troop leader in South Dakota, North Dakota, New York, and California. She served on the Aberdeen Girl Scout Council and was a Cub Scout Den Mother. She made lifelong friends through her Girl Scout activities. Pauline's adventurous life expanded when her fellow Girl Scout, Jeanette (Buck) Biegler, called upon her in the summer of 1938 to become a counselor at a camp in New York state, to replace a counselor who had appendicitis. The following year, Pauline worked at a Girl Scout camp in the High Sierras in California. Her journal of her bus trip to and from California chronicled her travels. Throughout her activities, she captured many photos with her Kodak Brownie camera and a movie camera that she purchased with earnings from her first teaching job.
In her school years, travel adventures, career and community activities, she formed many long-lasting friendships. In the pre-email days, she and her friends exchanged many letters and visited each other when possible. Her college "gang" gathered from across the United States to enjoy summer days at the Lake Koronis cabin of Marion Steenson in Paynesville, Minn. With the advent of email, she was thrilled to be able to correspond with her friends, family and former students. She enjoyed international travel with trips to the Netherlands, France, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland with her daughters and to Canada with her husband.
While teaching at Simmons Elementary School from 1962-1982, Pauline was active in the South Dakota Education Association, National Education Association and Aberdeen Education Association. She conducted math workshops in several states and served as vice president of the South Dakota Teachers of Math and served on the Social Studies Committee for the State Department of Education as well as on the Drug Task Force for the Aberdeen School Board. She also served on the SDEA Helpmobile in Social Studies in Belle Fourche, S.D., and the Alexander Mitchell Library board.
Upon retirement from teaching in 1982, Pauline volunteered for 30 years (1982-2012) at Alexander Mitchell Library and the school libraries at Simmons Elementary and Lincoln Elementary in Aberdeen as well as the archive at Northern State University. She knit many hats and mittens for charity organizations and sewed nap and doll quilts for the Family Y Day Care Center.
She was a member of the Brown County Democrats, SoDak Extension Club, the Granary Cultural Center, Aberdeen Area Genealogical Society, Delta Kappa Gamma, Kateri Tekakwitha Study Club and Lady of Lourdes Study Club and a founding member of the Aberdeen Hamlin Garland Society.
Pauline was honored to be named a Distinguished Alumna at Northern State University, 1994; received the South Dakota Library Association Friend of the Library award, 2001 and was a lifetime member of the Parent Teacher Association.
Pauline enjoyed sewing, knitting and reading, especially history. She loved researching the family genealogy, and she and her husband traveled many places, including Newfoundland, Canada, to do research. While growing up, she was a tap dancing student of Earl Turner and taught dancing wherever she taught school. She and Art enjoyed dancing, ice skating and flying kites during their courtship and marriage.
Pauline loved spending time with her family. Her summer teaching break allowed her to enjoy time with her children, their friends and relatives at the family cabin at Mina Lake from 1959-1990. Her children still recall how she made them take periodic breaks from swimming by requiring a bucket of weeds to be dug before each could return to the water. She also generously allowed her children to bring multiple friends to the lake cabin to enjoy swimming and fishing. Her children's friends were always welcome in her home.
Pauline lived in her own home for 67 years, enjoying her apple trees, plum tree, poppies, hollyhocks, daylilies and peonies. She delighted in sharing her apples with friends in town. In September 2015, her daughter, Jean, moved in to support her desire to stay in her own home as long as possible. Jean was assisted in this endeavor by Pauline's sons, Phil, Steve and Paul, her niece, Gwen Gerber, her granddaughter, Willa Rippberger and her former daughter-in-law, Wendy Lloyd-Davies. Until she moved to Primrose Place Assisted Living in September 2016, she could often be found digging dandelions in her yard and shoveling snow.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Mary Louise (deceased in 1918 at age 3); step-mother, Rose Ellen (Doyle) Gerber; brothers (Henry) John (1965) (Mildred-deceased), Philip (2005), Robert (2006), Edward (2013), James (2015), Bernard (2016); a daughter, (Mary) Kathleen Rippberger (2006); a son, John (2017) and nephews Edward Lloyd-Davies, John Paul Gerber and Michael Gerber.
Survivors include children William of Liberty Lake, Wash.; Jean Daniels (Peter Danielson) of Rochester, Minn; Paul of Great Falls, Mont.; Dr. Stephen (Nancy Myers) of Newman Lake, Wash.; Philip (Penny Heiserman) of Louisville, Colo.; 10 grandchildren (Willa Rippberger, Morgan Rippberger, Thomas Lloyd-Davies, Christopher Lloyd-Davies, Arthur Daniels, Shelley Lloyd-Davies Clark (Alex), Keith Lloyd-Davies, Bryn Lloyd-Davies, Matthew Heiserman and Benjamin Heiserman); brother Thomas Gerber of Aberdeen; sisters-in-law Eugenia Gerber of Albany, N.Y.; Joyzelle Gerber of Del Mar, Calif.; Nell Gerber of Modesto, Calif.; Marcella Gerber of Aberdeen; Lila Lloyd-Davies of Rapid City; and Millie Lockington of Aberdeen; son-in-law David Rippberger (Maxine) of Carlsbad, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Aberdeen residents Jean Gerber, M.D. and Eric Gerber (Jane).
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials in Pauline's memory to the Northern State University Foundation, 620 15th Ave. S.E., Aberdeen, SD 57401-7610, for the Pauline Lloyd-Davies Endowed Scholarship.
Pauline has donated her body to medical education through the Mayo Clinic's anatomical bequest program. Her ashes will be interred with her husband at Riverside Cemetery, Aberdeen, at a later date.
- Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home
(Frances) Pauline (Gerber) Lloyd-Davies, 99, died peacefully July 22, 2017, at Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen, S.D., from congestive heart failure. Pauline will be honored at a memorial service at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home of Aberdeen at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 7, followed by a luncheon in the Spitzer-Miller Fellowship Hall.
Pauline was born January 15, 1918, in Aberdeen, S.D., to Professor Henry Philip Gerber and Agnes M. (Egan) Gerber, the third of nine children. She was born in the middle of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918-1919, and always attributed her robust health and stamina to the "super immunity" she developed during that epidemic. Pauline's seven brothers were always thoughtful and kind to their only sister.
The Gerber family had many adventures. Pauline vividly remembered the trip that her family took by car on dirt roads to the Black Hills of South Dakota in July 1924 for the 50th anniversary of General Custer's entry into the Black Hills. At that time, Henry and Agnes had five children, the oldest only 8. They camped out along the way and Pauline recalled how her father added fold-out storage boxes to the car to hold cooking equipment, a tent and everything needed for camping. The Gerbers often spent part of the summer at Enemy Swim Lake, where Northern Normal and Industrial School (now Northern State University) – where her father taught -- had cabins and conducted a summer school.
In Aberdeen she attended Garfield School, Sacred Heart School, Simmons Junior High and Central High School (class of 1934). She graduated from Northern Normal and Industrial School in 1936 with a two-year teaching certificate and while teaching, went back to school at Northern during the summers to earn her B.S. in Education in 1939. She later attended San Francisco State University. While a student at Northern, she was president of the Intermediate Teachers Club, a member of Sigma Tau Delta, English Honorary Fraternity and the Math and Science Fraternity. She was selected as "Princess Pat" at Northern for the St. Patrick's Day celebration in 1939. Pauline loved the Gypsy Day homecoming festivities at Northern and continued to dress in her gypsy costume through 2016.
Born into a family of educators, she also became a teacher and taught at Seneca, S.D., Fairmount, N.D., Belle Fourche, S.D., and Aberdeen (5th grade at Simmons Elementary).
She was married on Oct. 27, 1943, at Sacred Heart Rectory in Aberdeen, S.D., to Arthur Lloyd-Davies (aka Arthur L. Davies) of Aberdeen. They lived in Fort Worth, Texas, during World War II when Art worked for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp. before returning to Aberdeen in 1945. Arthur died in January 2001.
Pauline joined the Robin Hood Troop of the Girl Scouts in 1930, later becoming a camp counselor, craft instructor and troop leader in South Dakota, North Dakota, New York, and California. She served on the Aberdeen Girl Scout Council and was a Cub Scout Den Mother. She made lifelong friends through her Girl Scout activities. Pauline's adventurous life expanded when her fellow Girl Scout, Jeanette (Buck) Biegler, called upon her in the summer of 1938 to become a counselor at a camp in New York state, to replace a counselor who had appendicitis. The following year, Pauline worked at a Girl Scout camp in the High Sierras in California. Her journal of her bus trip to and from California chronicled her travels. Throughout her activities, she captured many photos with her Kodak Brownie camera and a movie camera that she purchased with earnings from her first teaching job.
In her school years, travel adventures, career and community activities, she formed many long-lasting friendships. In the pre-email days, she and her friends exchanged many letters and visited each other when possible. Her college "gang" gathered from across the United States to enjoy summer days at the Lake Koronis cabin of Marion Steenson in Paynesville, Minn. With the advent of email, she was thrilled to be able to correspond with her friends, family and former students. She enjoyed international travel with trips to the Netherlands, France, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland with her daughters and to Canada with her husband.
While teaching at Simmons Elementary School from 1962-1982, Pauline was active in the South Dakota Education Association, National Education Association and Aberdeen Education Association. She conducted math workshops in several states and served as vice president of the South Dakota Teachers of Math and served on the Social Studies Committee for the State Department of Education as well as on the Drug Task Force for the Aberdeen School Board. She also served on the SDEA Helpmobile in Social Studies in Belle Fourche, S.D., and the Alexander Mitchell Library board.
Upon retirement from teaching in 1982, Pauline volunteered for 30 years (1982-2012) at Alexander Mitchell Library and the school libraries at Simmons Elementary and Lincoln Elementary in Aberdeen as well as the archive at Northern State University. She knit many hats and mittens for charity organizations and sewed nap and doll quilts for the Family Y Day Care Center.
She was a member of the Brown County Democrats, SoDak Extension Club, the Granary Cultural Center, Aberdeen Area Genealogical Society, Delta Kappa Gamma, Kateri Tekakwitha Study Club and Lady of Lourdes Study Club and a founding member of the Aberdeen Hamlin Garland Society.
Pauline was honored to be named a Distinguished Alumna at Northern State University, 1994; received the South Dakota Library Association Friend of the Library award, 2001 and was a lifetime member of the Parent Teacher Association.
Pauline enjoyed sewing, knitting and reading, especially history. She loved researching the family genealogy, and she and her husband traveled many places, including Newfoundland, Canada, to do research. While growing up, she was a tap dancing student of Earl Turner and taught dancing wherever she taught school. She and Art enjoyed dancing, ice skating and flying kites during their courtship and marriage.
Pauline loved spending time with her family. Her summer teaching break allowed her to enjoy time with her children, their friends and relatives at the family cabin at Mina Lake from 1959-1990. Her children still recall how she made them take periodic breaks from swimming by requiring a bucket of weeds to be dug before each could return to the water. She also generously allowed her children to bring multiple friends to the lake cabin to enjoy swimming and fishing. Her children's friends were always welcome in her home.
Pauline lived in her own home for 67 years, enjoying her apple trees, plum tree, poppies, hollyhocks, daylilies and peonies. She delighted in sharing her apples with friends in town. In September 2015, her daughter, Jean, moved in to support her desire to stay in her own home as long as possible. Jean was assisted in this endeavor by Pauline's sons, Phil, Steve and Paul, her niece, Gwen Gerber, her granddaughter, Willa Rippberger and her former daughter-in-law, Wendy Lloyd-Davies. Until she moved to Primrose Place Assisted Living in September 2016, she could often be found digging dandelions in her yard and shoveling snow.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Mary Louise (deceased in 1918 at age 3); step-mother, Rose Ellen (Doyle) Gerber; brothers (Henry) John (1965) (Mildred-deceased), Philip (2005), Robert (2006), Edward (2013), James (2015), Bernard (2016); a daughter, (Mary) Kathleen Rippberger (2006); a son, John (2017) and nephews Edward Lloyd-Davies, John Paul Gerber and Michael Gerber.
Survivors include children William of Liberty Lake, Wash.; Jean Daniels (Peter Danielson) of Rochester, Minn; Paul of Great Falls, Mont.; Dr. Stephen (Nancy Myers) of Newman Lake, Wash.; Philip (Penny Heiserman) of Louisville, Colo.; 10 grandchildren (Willa Rippberger, Morgan Rippberger, Thomas Lloyd-Davies, Christopher Lloyd-Davies, Arthur Daniels, Shelley Lloyd-Davies Clark (Alex), Keith Lloyd-Davies, Bryn Lloyd-Davies, Matthew Heiserman and Benjamin Heiserman); brother Thomas Gerber of Aberdeen; sisters-in-law Eugenia Gerber of Albany, N.Y.; Joyzelle Gerber of Del Mar, Calif.; Nell Gerber of Modesto, Calif.; Marcella Gerber of Aberdeen; Lila Lloyd-Davies of Rapid City; and Millie Lockington of Aberdeen; son-in-law David Rippberger (Maxine) of Carlsbad, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Aberdeen residents Jean Gerber, M.D. and Eric Gerber (Jane).
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials in Pauline's memory to the Northern State University Foundation, 620 15th Ave. S.E., Aberdeen, SD 57401-7610, for the Pauline Lloyd-Davies Endowed Scholarship.
Pauline has donated her body to medical education through the Mayo Clinic's anatomical bequest program. Her ashes will be interred with her husband at Riverside Cemetery, Aberdeen, at a later date.
- Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home
Pauline was born January 15, 1918, in Aberdeen, S.D., to Professor Henry Philip Gerber and Agnes M. (Egan) Gerber, the third of nine children. She was born in the middle of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918-1919, and always attributed her robust health and stamina to the "super immunity" she developed during that epidemic. Pauline's seven brothers were always thoughtful and kind to their only sister.
The Gerber family had many adventures. Pauline vividly remembered the trip that her family took by car on dirt roads to the Black Hills of South Dakota in July 1924 for the 50th anniversary of General Custer's entry into the Black Hills. At that time, Henry and Agnes had five children, the oldest only 8. They camped out along the way and Pauline recalled how her father added fold-out storage boxes to the car to hold cooking equipment, a tent and everything needed for camping. The Gerbers often spent part of the summer at Enemy Swim Lake, where Northern Normal and Industrial School (now Northern State University) – where her father taught -- had cabins and conducted a summer school.
In Aberdeen she attended Garfield School, Sacred Heart School, Simmons Junior High and Central High School (class of 1934). She graduated from Northern Normal and Industrial School in 1936 with a two-year teaching certificate and while teaching, went back to school at Northern during the summers to earn her B.S. in Education in 1939. She later attended San Francisco State University. While a student at Northern, she was president of the Intermediate Teachers Club, a member of Sigma Tau Delta, English Honorary Fraternity and the Math and Science Fraternity. She was selected as "Princess Pat" at Northern for the St. Patrick's Day celebration in 1939. Pauline loved the Gypsy Day homecoming festivities at Northern and continued to dress in her gypsy costume through 2016.
Born into a family of educators, she also became a teacher and taught at Seneca, S.D., Fairmount, N.D., Belle Fourche, S.D., and Aberdeen (5th grade at Simmons Elementary).
She was married on Oct. 27, 1943, at Sacred Heart Rectory in Aberdeen, S.D., to Arthur Lloyd-Davies (aka Arthur L. Davies) of Aberdeen. They lived in Fort Worth, Texas, during World War II when Art worked for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp. before returning to Aberdeen in 1945. Arthur died in January 2001.
Pauline joined the Robin Hood Troop of the Girl Scouts in 1930, later becoming a camp counselor, craft instructor and troop leader in South Dakota, North Dakota, New York, and California. She served on the Aberdeen Girl Scout Council and was a Cub Scout Den Mother. She made lifelong friends through her Girl Scout activities. Pauline's adventurous life expanded when her fellow Girl Scout, Jeanette (Buck) Biegler, called upon her in the summer of 1938 to become a counselor at a camp in New York state, to replace a counselor who had appendicitis. The following year, Pauline worked at a Girl Scout camp in the High Sierras in California. Her journal of her bus trip to and from California chronicled her travels. Throughout her activities, she captured many photos with her Kodak Brownie camera and a movie camera that she purchased with earnings from her first teaching job.
In her school years, travel adventures, career and community activities, she formed many long-lasting friendships. In the pre-email days, she and her friends exchanged many letters and visited each other when possible. Her college "gang" gathered from across the United States to enjoy summer days at the Lake Koronis cabin of Marion Steenson in Paynesville, Minn. With the advent of email, she was thrilled to be able to correspond with her friends, family and former students. She enjoyed international travel with trips to the Netherlands, France, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland with her daughters and to Canada with her husband.
While teaching at Simmons Elementary School from 1962-1982, Pauline was active in the South Dakota Education Association, National Education Association and Aberdeen Education Association. She conducted math workshops in several states and served as vice president of the South Dakota Teachers of Math and served on the Social Studies Committee for the State Department of Education as well as on the Drug Task Force for the Aberdeen School Board. She also served on the SDEA Helpmobile in Social Studies in Belle Fourche, S.D., and the Alexander Mitchell Library board.
Upon retirement from teaching in 1982, Pauline volunteered for 30 years (1982-2012) at Alexander Mitchell Library and the school libraries at Simmons Elementary and Lincoln Elementary in Aberdeen as well as the archive at Northern State University. She knit many hats and mittens for charity organizations and sewed nap and doll quilts for the Family Y Day Care Center.
She was a member of the Brown County Democrats, SoDak Extension Club, the Granary Cultural Center, Aberdeen Area Genealogical Society, Delta Kappa Gamma, Kateri Tekakwitha Study Club and Lady of Lourdes Study Club and a founding member of the Aberdeen Hamlin Garland Society.
Pauline was honored to be named a Distinguished Alumna at Northern State University, 1994; received the South Dakota Library Association Friend of the Library award, 2001 and was a lifetime member of the Parent Teacher Association.
Pauline enjoyed sewing, knitting and reading, especially history. She loved researching the family genealogy, and she and her husband traveled many places, including Newfoundland, Canada, to do research. While growing up, she was a tap dancing student of Earl Turner and taught dancing wherever she taught school. She and Art enjoyed dancing, ice skating and flying kites during their courtship and marriage.
Pauline loved spending time with her family. Her summer teaching break allowed her to enjoy time with her children, their friends and relatives at the family cabin at Mina Lake from 1959-1990. Her children still recall how she made them take periodic breaks from swimming by requiring a bucket of weeds to be dug before each could return to the water. She also generously allowed her children to bring multiple friends to the lake cabin to enjoy swimming and fishing. Her children's friends were always welcome in her home.
Pauline lived in her own home for 67 years, enjoying her apple trees, plum tree, poppies, hollyhocks, daylilies and peonies. She delighted in sharing her apples with friends in town. In September 2015, her daughter, Jean, moved in to support her desire to stay in her own home as long as possible. Jean was assisted in this endeavor by Pauline's sons, Phil, Steve and Paul, her niece, Gwen Gerber, her granddaughter, Willa Rippberger and her former daughter-in-law, Wendy Lloyd-Davies. Until she moved to Primrose Place Assisted Living in September 2016, she could often be found digging dandelions in her yard and shoveling snow.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Mary Louise (deceased in 1918 at age 3); step-mother, Rose Ellen (Doyle) Gerber; brothers (Henry) John (1965) (Mildred-deceased), Philip (2005), Robert (2006), Edward (2013), James (2015), Bernard (2016); a daughter, (Mary) Kathleen Rippberger (2006); a son, John (2017) and nephews Edward Lloyd-Davies, John Paul Gerber and Michael Gerber.
Survivors include children William of Liberty Lake, Wash.; Jean Daniels (Peter Danielson) of Rochester, Minn; Paul of Great Falls, Mont.; Dr. Stephen (Nancy Myers) of Newman Lake, Wash.; Philip (Penny Heiserman) of Louisville, Colo.; 10 grandchildren (Willa Rippberger, Morgan Rippberger, Thomas Lloyd-Davies, Christopher Lloyd-Davies, Arthur Daniels, Shelley Lloyd-Davies Clark (Alex), Keith Lloyd-Davies, Bryn Lloyd-Davies, Matthew Heiserman and Benjamin Heiserman); brother Thomas Gerber of Aberdeen; sisters-in-law Eugenia Gerber of Albany, N.Y.; Joyzelle Gerber of Del Mar, Calif.; Nell Gerber of Modesto, Calif.; Marcella Gerber of Aberdeen; Lila Lloyd-Davies of Rapid City; and Millie Lockington of Aberdeen; son-in-law David Rippberger (Maxine) of Carlsbad, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Aberdeen residents Jean Gerber, M.D. and Eric Gerber (Jane).
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials in Pauline's memory to the Northern State University Foundation, 620 15th Ave. S.E., Aberdeen, SD 57401-7610, for the Pauline Lloyd-Davies Endowed Scholarship.
Pauline has donated her body to medical education through the Mayo Clinic's anatomical bequest program. Her ashes will be interred with her husband at Riverside Cemetery, Aberdeen, at a later date.
- Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home
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