Geraldine Bingham

Geraldine Depper Bingham died peacefully at the age of 90 at the home of her son, Clay Bingham, in Lehi, Utah on the afternoon of June 25, 2021 after a period of declining health.

Geraldine, the youngest of four children, was born to Perle Fred and Mary Alta Depper in West Frankfort, Illinois, on December 7, 1930.

Her older brother Billie Dean wanted a baby brother, but she turned out to be a sister, and to make him feel better, she was given the name Geraldine, which sounded like his name.

She had a life-long nickname of "Pudge" which was given to her by her father because she wore braids and had freckles like "Pug" in the 'Boots and Her Buddies' newspaper comics.

She moved from Illinois with her family to Tucson as a small child.  She lived principally in Tucson, but spent summers and one entire year with her father back at the Illinois farm.

She attended schools in Tucson, enjoying sports, and excelled in baseball in high school.  She worked at local movie theaters during high school, and it was at the theater that she met her future husband, Ardell Nephi "Ike" Bingham, a rancher from Redington.  Since her childhood she had always wanted to marry a cowboy to be close to animals.

Geraldine and Ike dated over the next two years, and they were married a year after her high school graduation at the home of Ike's sister on February 11, 1949 in Tucson, Arizona. She and Ike made their first home on a ranch in the Redington area.  Geraldine was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on March 30, 1957, by her husband, Ardell.  They were later sealed in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temple in Denver, Colorado on August 21, 1993.

During their early years Geraldine and Ike would travel to regional rodeos, where Ike and his brother would compete in a number of rodeo events.  She enjoyed the ranching life, though it was sometimes a hard life.

She and Ike raised cattle and grew alfalfa hay.  On the ranch Geraldine could enjoy her love of animals which stayed with her throughout her life.

With her husband, she raised five children, Ardella (Tom) Christensen, Rebecca (Jared) Blaser, Loretta Lee (Troy) Ross, Faron Nephi (Jeanne) Bingham, and Clayton Oran (Natasha) Bingham.

In 1983, Geraldine and Ike moved to Colona, Colorado near Montrose, spending 11 years there farming, and raising cattle and sheep, which Geraldine had long desired.  Geraldine especially enjoyed the lambing time, sharing that experience with her grandchildren who were able to take part in the bottle feeding of the lambs.  In 1994, they returned to Redington.

During their life in Redington and Colona Geraldine and Ike raised a large vegetable garden along with orchard fruits, which Geraldine then canned and baked with.  She was known for her pies, and at Thanksgiving it was not uncommon to see two dozen pies of different types arrayed in the cool room.  She was also a very good seamstress.  She sewed children’s clothing for the school year, and two daughters asked her to make their wedding dresses.  Quilting frames were a common sight and she enjoyed presenting quilts to many members of her family.  Geraldine always enjoyed any opportunity to see and visit with her 18 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren.

After the death of her husband in 2003, Geraldine moved to Spanish Fork, Utah to be close to two of her children in Utah County.  After spending so many years ranching, she enjoyed the suburban city life becoming friends with many of her neighbors.

Geraldine embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Her favorite book was the Book of Mormon, which she read many times over throughout her life.  She enjoyed fulfilling church callings in Arizona, Colorado and Utah.  She  especially enjoyed the Primary, choir, adult Sunday School, and Relief Society.

She enjoyed travel and seeing new things, especially enjoying an extended excursion to Nauvoo and other locations in Illinois, including the farm from her childhood, and places like Yellowstone National Park.

Her greatest love was her family.  She was known as "Granny" to all.

She is proceeded in death by her parents, her siblings Wanda Mae Bingham, Virginia Dale Depper and Billie Dean Depper, and her husband.

She will be interred next to her beloved husband at the Binghampton Cemetery in Tucson, Arizona.  A graveside service will be held there at 9:00am, July 3, 2021.