Geraldine (Hileman) Hugh was born on July 6, 1926, in Howard, Kansas, to Oliver and Etta Hileman. Living to be 99 years old, Geraldine saw a lot of landmarks in time, starting with the Great Depression. Her original family, including her younger brother and grandfather, left the family farm in Kansas and moved to Washington state during the Dust Bowl days. Here, her father got a job working on bridges through the Works Projects Administration (WPA), and the family put down roots in Centralia.
Geraldine, or “Gerry,” as she was known, married Kelly Baker in 1942. The couple had three children: Barbara, Jim and Judy. Gerry married Fredolph Hugh several years later. Their children together were Fred, Beckey and Diane.
Gerry was a wonderful homemaker, wife, mother and grandmother. She was a great cook and talented seamstress. She and Fredolph enjoyed raising their family. They purchased a weekend-getaway property on Marrowstone Island near Port Townsend in the mid-1970s and spent many weekends and vacations there until his passing in 2003.
Gerry died on Oct. 5, 2025. She was preceded in death by Fredolph; her daughter, Barbara; brothers Bob, Wayne and Bill; and sons-in-law Kenny Coleman and Steve Evans. She is survived by her children Jim Baker of Randle, Judy Coleman of Randle, Fred (Anna) Hugh of Randle, Beckey (Stan) Henry of Tumwater, and Diane (Brian) Markham of Centralia; 10 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
A graveside memorial will be held at Silver Creek Cemetery in Randle at a later date.
