Genevieve Ann Hearth

Genevieve Ann (nee Williams) Hearth

Genevieve changed her address on June 5, 2026.  She decided to join the party in Heaven, where many of her friends and family have already relocated.

Genevieve Ann Williams was born July 21, 1935 in Klamath Falls, Oregon, in a cousin’s house on Crest Street that had window screens to keep the flies out. She was the eighth of nine children born to Caradoc and Florence Williams: Paul, Amy, Carl, Marie, Donald, Daniel, Barbara, Gen, and William.  Siblings, and sometimes their offspring, came and went and came back again, to their small 2 bedroom house on Hope Street, with 3 double beds plus a crib and a single bed, and no bathroom (Gennie’s 1st home). “Three in the bed and the little one said…” Gennie always slept in the middle.

She married Kenneth Hearth the day before her 18th birthday during the summer between her junior and senior year of high-school. She would have waited for her birthday, but her sister had a hard-to-get dentist appointment that day, so they moved it up.   We teased her that she married Ken for his bathroom, but Gennie fell for him because among other things, he gave silver dollars each week in Sunday School when she collected the offering.   Ken’s story was that he saw her singing in the choir and told his friend, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry.” Ken and Gen moved into their house on Shasta Way (which had a bathroom!) and that’s where she stayed until her recent move to Heaven (her 3rd and final home).

Gennie learned how to handle and budget money at an early age because she grew up in a family with many people and little cash for basics, let alone extras. Gennie and her sister Barbara babysat and pooled money until they had enough to buy a bicycle.  They shared it, and kept saving until they had enough money to buy a second bike. Gen, Barb, and a few neighborhood friends formed “The Bicycle Club” and even had a theme song (“Bicycle Club, that’s us bub, we ride bicycles, plenty of fun…”).  She worked at Craig’s – a Women’s clothing store on Main Street during her junior year of high school. She won a sewing machine in a contest by entering a suit she had made. She made most of her own clothes, and later, clothes for her kids.  After her success at winning the sewing machine, she entered another contest which involved submitting an idea for an invention. She didn’t win, but her idea of “double-stick tape” did become a new and popular product.  She didn’t work for pay after she got married, but was in charge of the household budget, and always saved.

When she became pregnant during her senior year, a teacher bet her a milkshake that she wouldn’t finish school. She graduated from Klamath Union High School on the honor roll, on time, with the class of 1954, and gave birth in August. We’re not sure if she collected that milkshake.

She didn’t learn to drive until after her first child was born. Ken didn’t think she needed to—neither of their mothers ever drove. But her best friend, Bette Lou Carson, who learned to drive tractors on the farm, decided Gen should know how and taught her.

Gen was an unpaid employee of the Oregon Army National Guard, helping Ken with everything from preparing for audits, inventory, sewing patches on uniforms, to preparing newsletters.

Gennie was a Bluebird leader when her kids were young, and transitioned with the same group of kids into being a 4-H leader (the “Sugar and Spice” club).  She patiently ripped out miss-sewn seams and zippers, and guided the baking of cookies, muffins, cakes, and pies.  She taught her club that—just like Julia Child—if the chicken or cake batter falls on the floor, or you forget to put flour in the pie crust during a pie baking contest, pick it up, fix it, and carry-on.  Never quit, and never give up. She was in charge of the table setting contest at the Klamath County fair for many years, arranging with Bells Hardware to borrow dishes, glass- and silverware.  When Bev started 4-H, Gennie was a one-on-one leader, with the particular challenge of Bev's procrastination habit and last minute pushes to complete fair projects. When her Grandkids joined 4-H, she was always available for consultation and coaching.

Gen was active in the PTA, and served as Room Mother for several classrooms. She has always been annoyed that the land that Lucille O’Neill (a Klamath Falls teacher) donated for a grade school in our neighborhood never developed the adjacent park that was stipulated by Lucille.

Gennie taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Christian Youth Crusaders (CYC), always incorporating memorable craft projects and Bible verse memorization. She augmented those activities by hosting taffy pulls and game nights. She and the same best friend, now Bette Lou Guyer, were Sunday School Co-Superintendents and they grew attendance by enlisting friends and family members to pick up kids. She had a special group of Sunday School girls that called themselves “The Bible Bunch.”

Gennie often knew her Bible better than the pastor, but never flaunted her knowledge, except to make a point: If she was accused of worrying, she would say “I never worry, I just pray” (Philippians 4: 6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”).  Later in life, she would say that she was lazy. When told “maybe you aren’t lazy, you’re just tired—even the Lord tells us to rest,” she would retort “It’s not that I’m lazy for one day, it’s that I’m not working hard enough on the other six” (Exodus 20:9-10: “Work and get everything done during six days each week, but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the LORD your God…”).

By example, Gennie taught her children that there was nothing they couldn’t do.  She worked side-by-side with Ken on every project from cutting firewood, to dump runs, and reroofing the house.  They were a great team. She could lay carpet and linoleum, fix a faucet, reupholster a couch, refinish furniture, and host dinners for 30 or more people (there was always room for one more). She never quit. 

She encouraged her kids through music and swimming lessons, and school projects, and persevered through their dog bites, eye surgery, broken glasses, lost contact lenses, heads-cracked-open, sprained ankles, roller-skating bumps and bruises, softball injuries, and bloody noses. She was not afraid to stuff the car with kids (there were always extras around), and go on an outing. Somehow, she kept us all safe.

Genevieve was an amazing “Grammy” to Matthew, Danielle, and Kyle. She attended their school and sporting events, including many “away” swim meets. She volunteered to chaperone their school field trips including to the Lava Beds where she was a favored Group Guide—probably because she let her group of four or five be “more adventurous.” 

Genevieve took her Grandkids on a “Golden Ticket” trip to Portland and accompanied them to the Zoo, OMSI, the Children’s Museum, the Grotto, an Aquatic Park, the Spaghetti Factory and more.

Gennie loved becoming a “GG” (Great Grandma) and loved taking Four Generations trips with her daughters, their kids, and the Great Grands. She would get in the car and go, no matter where it was headed: on beach trips, to Disneyland, Dollywood, camping.

Gennie was always interested in her community and joined county tours and lectures, school tours, and reunions. She was an active member of the “Ducks” senior swim group at the YMCA, and had many special friends from this group.

Gennie was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Klamath Falls Gospel Mission, serving as President for several years.  They would repair and tune-up sewing machines that came in as donations. Clothes that were no longer mendable or wearable were made into quilts—enough for every bed in the mission. Donated dolls that had seen better days, were given makeovers and new wardrobes, and provided to Mission clients as Christmas gifts. Every spring, the Auxiliary planted flowers around the outside of the mission, until the Mission Director stated that he didn’t want to hear the “F” word any more (“flowers”), and didn’t want quilts on the beds. This made her sad.

Gennie learned from her mother’s example that family takes care of family. Gen took care of many members of her family while they were growing and living, and while sick or dying including her parents, her in-laws, her sisters, her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren.

Gennie was preceded in death by Ken; brothers and sisters:  Paul, Amy (and Bill) Riley, Carl (and Vada), Marie Cline, Donald, Dan (and Evelyn), and Barbara; sister-in-law: Patsy Williams; brother-in-law: Melvin (and Donna) Hearth; sons-in-law: Lewis Walker, Charles Henderson, and Fred Walker; nephews and nieces:  Carl Jr., Mike Williams, Candy (and Doug) Coffman, Bob Hampton, Mary Hampton, and Dale Hearth; Great-niblings: Kevin, Craig, and Connie.

Survivors include her daughters:  Kathy, Sue, and Bev (and Max), grandchildren Matthew, Danielle, Kyle, and Kelly; great-grandchildren: Anna, Kaitlyn, Piper, Orion, and Braxton; brother: Bill; brother-in-law: Bob (and Diane) Hearth; niblings (and their families): Patricia Grieb (Dale, Tammy, Dan), Stephen (and Bettimarie, Heidi Cummings and Heather Mitchell and their families), Michael (and son Jamison) Hampton, Lee (and Teri, Jarrett, Lily) Cline; Kristi (Cody, Kara) Owen, Denise (and Andrew, Mira) Spremich, Maren (and Kelly) Williams, Ryan Williams, Linda Hearth, David and Doug Hearth and their families.

Memorial Service, Thursday July 2, 2026 at 11am
Klamath Falls Church of the Nazarene
2142 Carlson Drive, Klamath Falls, OR  97603.

Contributions (in lieu of flowers) to one of these non-profits, or a charity of your choice:
Pregnancy Hope Center (pregnancyhopecenter.com/support), 2421 Washburn Way Ste A, K Falls, OR 97603
Nova Ukraine (NovaUkraine.org) 3277 S. White Road, PMB 8475, San Jose, CA 95148

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