Genevieve Germain Louise Folsom...Age 87

Genevieve Germaine Louise Folsom age 87, of Osawatomie, Kansas died Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at North Point Skilled Nursing in Paola, Kansas.

Genevieve was born January 1, 1927 in Le Havre, France the seventh child of eight to Maurice Leon and Genevieve Hamard Lepillier.

She grew up in the Le Havre, France area and attended school there until Germany invaded France and the schools closed.  During WWII, Le Havre was one of the areas that felt the destruction of war and American soldiers were stationed there to help fight and protect the people. Floyd Richard “Ted” Folsom was one of those soldiers. He would see Genevieve and her parents walk every morning to the market and thought how beautiful she was. He finally got the courage and went to see her. Armed with a carton of cigarettes for her father he asked permission to court her and a love story began. On September 21, 1945 in Le Havre, France Ted and Genevieve were married.

Ted was shipped out of France and Genevieve set sail a few months later in May of 1946. The ship was traveling to a foreign land “America “and she was alone and unable to speak English. Arriving in New York City after a two week sail across the ocean, all her fears quickly fled as she saw Ted standing there waiting for her as she left the ship. The couple made their home in Kansas City, Kansas from 1946 until 1964 and became the parents of five sons and one daughter. In 1964 the family moved to Parker, Kansas until 1973 when they settled in Osawatomie, Kansas and finished raising their family.

Genevieve was not only a wife and mother of six children, but she worked for over twenty-two years at the Osawatomie State Hospital in the housekeeping department. She retired in 1991 as the head of housekeeping a position she had held for the last seven years of her employment.

Genevieve learned how to speak English with the help of her husband and comic books. She loved her family and loved to take care of children she was always babysitting.  She cared for and watched over all twenty –nine of her grandchildren not to mention other family members’ children also.

She loved to be in the kitchen cooking and baking, and enjoyed playing Bingo.  Genevieve was an avid walker. She could be seen walking in town every day, it was part of her daily routine.

Genevieve was a dedicated member of the New Life Church of Osawatomie, formerly the First Southern Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ted in September of 1994, her daughter Gennie in November of 2011, and her six brothers: Maurice, George, Marcel, Albert, Lucien and Daniel Lipillier and one sister Mauricette all of France.

She is survived by her five sons: William “Bill” (Gloria) Folsom of Paola, Kansas, Thedore “Ted” (Sharon) Folsom of Osawatomie, Kansas, Charles (Debbie) Folsom of Osawatomie, Kansas, John (Wanda) Folsom of Garnett, Kansas and Daniel (Anna) Folsom of Osawatomie, Kansas. Twenty-four grandchildren and twenty-nine great grandchildren and many other family members and friends.