Geraldene Lee Volkart

1942 - 2023

GERALDENE LEE VOLKART Geraldene (Gerry) Lee Volkart, 81, passed away peacefully at her home at Oxford Grand Care Center in Kansas City, Missouri on December 2, 2023. Gerry was born in Hanover, Illinois on June 5, 1942. She spent most of her youth in and around the California, Missouri area. She accepted Jesus as her Savior at the age of 10 and was baptized. She was always interested in studying the Bible and took every advantage of opportunities to learn. She was involved in many church activities and enjoyed studying about the missions. The summer she was 13, the church camp missionary was from Nigeria. After meeting the camp missionary, Gerry committed to preparing herself to be a missionary teacher. At the time she was a member of the Flag Springs Baptist Church near California, Missouri, and later the Lebanon Baptist Church in McGirk, Missouri. Gerry attended high school for two years in California, MO. Due to the death of her father 1958, Christopher G. Volkart, she moved to Kansas City, MO to live with her sister, Helen, and family. She graduated from Southeast High School in Kansas City in 1960, continuing her education at Hannibal-LaGrange College, Hannibal, Mo, and received an Associate of Arts degree in 1963. She then attended Missouri State University, Warrensburg, and was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Education (1964) and a Master of Science in Education (1967). Gerry taught elementary children in the Kansas City Metropolitan area (1964-1970). She moved to Boonville, Mo to teach Special Education students (1970-1982). She was a member of the First Baptist Church. She enjoyed doing crafts and loved to cook. After attending Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO, she was commissioned by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention to be a missionary English teacher in Amman, Jordon. Gerry studied Arabic for one year to enable her to teach the 80% Muslim students at the Baptist school in Amman. Gerry spent eight years (1982-1990) in Amman, Jordan teaching. She moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1990 where she continued working for the Foreign Mission Board as Assistant Regional Director and then Regional Director for the Middle East missionaries until her retirement in 2007. Gerry moved to John Knox Village in Lee's Summit, MO in 2009. She stayed active and enjoyed walking and visiting with other residents. Gerry was always full of life and shared this love with others by being caring and helping in any way she could. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends. She is proceeded in death by her parents, Christopher G. Volkart, and Minnie Mae Duvall Volkart, one sister, Helen Acosta McClure, brothers, Kenneth Volkart, Harry Volkart, Larry Volkart, Bluford Duvall, great niece, Kala Jedlow, and dear friend Judy Reed Duvall. Gerry leaves behind, brother, Truman Volkart, nieces and nephews, Beverly Pethan, Tommy Volkart (Elda), Bobby Volkart, Cecilia Rittenhouse (Larry), Mary Davis (Don), Betty McNiff (Ken), Carol Diaz (John), Jenny Acosta (Pippin), Michael Acosta (Velin) and David Acosta (Duane), Denise Maddex (Richard), great nieces and nephews, many relatives, and friends. A Celebration of Life for Gerry will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at the First Baptist Church, 303 S. Grove St., Kearney, MO 64060 at 1:00 pm. Following the service, a light lunch will be served.