Geraldine took her walk peaceful at the age of 81 years old, after being sick for eight weeks with cancer in the home of her daughter Viola in Hoopa with loved ones around her and her little dog, Lobo, which she loved.

Geraldine was a proud member of the Cherokee Nation of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She worked 22 years at Cal-Trans in Eureka as the office supervisor, and worked three departments: the dark room, mail room and reproduction room. She retired in 1994 and moved to a little place called Horse Creek in California. Then in 2001 she moved back to make her home in Hoopa, to be with her daughter Viola Long and her foster son Stephan Lee Sr, and foster daughter Jeannie Hill.

Geraldine loved to garden her flowers. She always said flowers were good for her soul. She had a deep love for all her grandchildren, animals and family. She loved sewing, puzzles, solitaire on her cell, playing her piano, music, books, embroidery, sewing, painting and writing poetry. Geraldine also went back to college with her daughter Viola in Hoopa, and she earned an associate degree in office management. She had a lot of fun doing this!

She was a hardworking, creative soul who greatly influenced all who knew her. She will be in our thoughts and hearts every day. She always had a smile on her face and a great fun sense of humor. She always said being happy made a person live longer.

Her father was Andrew Lee Matney from Medford, Oregon and mother Carmen Elizabeth Anderson from Woodland, California. She has one half-sister, Bonita Jane, and two half-brothers Randy Dwayne and Neal Allen Cline in Oregon. Plus numerous cousins – way too many to name. She grow up around the Applegate, Ruch, Steamboat and Medford, Oregon area on a ranch with her grandparents until five years old and for the rest of her life story is history only in the minds of the family that are still here. She moved to Humboldt, County in 1962 with her first husband when the logging business was booming and made California her home.

Her first marriage was to Hallet A. Anderson on July 22, 1956 in Medford, Oregon. To this union only one daughter was born: Viola M. Anderson-Long. She had three stepchildren from her marriage to Hallet A. Anderson, who have all passed away.

 Her second marriage was to Dody Brownlow Scott on Nov. 14, 1976 in McKinleyville.

Geraldine had many grandchildren – Erin McCullough, Cheyanna Long, Matthew Estabrook, Tony Langland, Michael, Krista, Joshua, Molly, Brandon, Tim Anderson, and Stephan Lee Jr and wife Jess, – plus great-grandchildren.

Geraldine was preceded in death by her father Andrew Lee Matney, mother Carmen Elizabeth Anderson, grandparents John Newton Matney, Francis Fern Swartzfager, Robert Franklin Anderson, and Grace Darling Sims, stepchildren Dianna Lee, Hallet Howard and Oliver Eugene Anderson, half-sister Bonita Jane Cline, stepdad Lawrence Cline, husbands Hallet Alex Anderson and Dody Brownlow Scott.

At Geraldine’s wishes there will be no memorial services of any kind, only obits into newspapers and scattering of her ashes. Name of funeral services: Humboldt Crenation and Funeral Service in Eureka.

The family would like to say a special thank you to, Kimaw Medical Center, Susan Walsh, Eva Smith, Mandee McCulough and Mary Mea Marshall, for all your help with my mom. Thank you to George Moon/Joyce Johnson for the load of wood, we gratefully appreciated it and I know my mom did too! Also the family and friends would like to say thank you for everyone’s prayers and support!  

RIP Mama I love and miss you already so much!

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The obituary above was submitted by Geraldine’s daughter, Viola. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.