Geraldine Ann Opdahl

Geraldine “Geri” Opdahl passed away, with her son, Ron by her side, on August 21st, 2026 at Hillview Health Care in LaCrosse, Wisconsin at the age of 91 years.

Geri was born July 18th, 1935 to Arthur and Ruth Yost in LaCrosse. She had three sisters; Marjory, Jeanne, Emy and one brother, Art. Geri grew up in LaCrosse and graduated from Aquinas High School. In 1955, Geri met Ken Opdahl at the Avalon dance hall and they were married on October 29th, 1955. Geri and Ken started a family and remained in the LaCrosse area. Geri was a devoted wife and loving mother who wanted the best for her family. Having worked to put herself through high school she understood the importance of education and ensured that her children completed university. She was a force to be reckoned with and was a private person; fiercely strong, yet also had a subtle, sweet side. She survived breast cancer and supported the family during tougher times and cared for Ken in his later years.

Her interests revolved around the home and family. She was an accomplished seamstress and enjoyed crocheting, often making clothes for her kids as well as their Barbie dolls. She spent countless hours researching genealogy with her sister Emy and would drag Ken to local cemeteries looking for lost relatives. She documented family roots back a couple hundred years if not more. She enjoyed baking for her family and there were always a variety of cookies or bars available. She took pride in growing clematises and knock-out roses. Geri was a thoughtful and generous person and always enjoyed shopping for that unique item or a special gift that she might need down the road. The thing that brought her the most joy was her family. She was always interested to hear about the family and would light up around her grandkids and great-grandkids whether in-person or through video-calls. Geri will be dearly missed and forever remembered.

Geri was preceded in death by her husband Ken, her parents and her siblings. Geri is survived by her three children; Pam, Karen and Ron (Jason), four grandchildren; Amanda (Jeff), Michael (Morgan), Nicholas (Franny) and Alex (Genevieve), and five great-grandchildren, AJ, Parker, Aeron, Aubrey and Ben.

To honor and remember Geri, a memorial service and reception will be held on September 18th, 2026, at 1:00pm at Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services, 200 West Ave. S., LaCrosse, WI. All who knew Geri are welcome to attend. Interment at Mormon Coulee Memorial Cemetery for immediate family will follow at 3:00 PM.