Louise DeGeer was born October 25, 1944, in Hutchinson, Kansas, to Lt. Max M. Miller and Elizabeth (Lillibridge) Miller. The family lived in Preston, Great Bend, and Hutchinson before settling in Stafford, where Louise graduated from Stafford High School in 1962.

She attended Fort Hays, Kansas, State University until a silver-tongued devil convinced her to marry him. Louise and Charles V. DeGeer were married August 7, 1965, in Hutchinson. They moved to Abilene, Texas, where a daughter, Beth, was born on July 21, 1966. The family then moved to Clay Center, Nebraska, where a son, Vaughn David DeGeer, was born on August 9, 1970.

The family moved to Medicine Lodge, Kansas, in 1979. Charlie and Louise began to operate the DeGeer Ranch south of Deerhead. Louise worked retail in Medicine Lodge; then worked as a para-professional in Maxine Schnelle’s kindergarten class and decided she wanted to teach. She started taking classes at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. She earned a BA degree and began teaching first and second grade at Medicine Lodge Primary School. She continued on to earn a MA in reading. She was a gifted teacher and taught children to read and to enjoy reading “with expression.” Louise started and promoted a program where volunteers helped children to read. Reluctantly, she retired on disability after 18 years of service.

Louise was preceded in death by her parents and by her stepfather, Charles Lockhart. Surviving are her husband, Charlie DeGeer of the home; daughter, Beth DeGeer of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; son, Vaughn DeGeer of the home; brother, David (Linda) Miller of Salina, Kansas; sister, Margaret (Rodney) Webring, of Pasco, Washington; cousins, nieces, nephews and many friends.

Louise died on July 22, 2018, at Pratt, Kansas. Services will be at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Medicine Lodge, Kansas, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 4, 2018.

The family requests memorials to the Lincoln Library of Medicine Lodge or St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Medicine Lodge, Kansas. Larrison Funeral Home, 120 E. Lincoln, Medicine Lodge, Kansas, is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made at http://www.larrisonmortuary.com.