Geneva J oyce Lindstrom Hilke, 99, beloved mother, died and went to be with her Lord and Savior, Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at Rhea Medical Center .
She was a resident of Chattanooga since 1961, and mov ed to Spring City in 2016.

Geneva was born October 9, 1918 to Helen Danielson-Lindstrom and Richard Lindstrom in Rock Creek, Minnesota , a small farming town North of the Twin Cities . The y later moved t o St. Paul , where her father worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad.

T he Lindstrom family a t tended Temple Baptist Church i n St. Paul , near the iconic ' Seven Corners ' area of downtown .  T here s he met Merton Hilke , who was church pianist , deacon, and Sunday School teacher at Temple Baptist Church . T hey were married there on August 21, 1941 .  For the next 20 years, they lived in St. Paul, Minnesota , and raised their four children : Mervin, Harry, Sandra, and Cynthia .

In July, 1961 , the family mov ed to Chattanooga , where her eldest sibling Laverne and her husband, Baptist preacher Barney Cunningham lived . Merton and Geneva were always active in church , and it was Geneva's greatest pleasure in life to serve in the church . O ne of her favorite hymns was I Know Whom I Have Believed (from 2 Timothy 1: 1 2 ) . S he was a member of Hillside Baptist Church until late 2016, when she moved to Spring City to reside at Golden Years Retirement Resort.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Merton C. Hilke, daughters Cynthia M. Cagle, Sandra J. Pearson , granddaughter Kimberly D. Hawthorne ; and siblings : Laverne Cunningham, Gaylon Lindstrom, Joyce Keitch, and Gordon Lindstrom.

S he is s urviv ed by her sons Mervin (Cheri) Hilke of Signal Mountain, TN, and Harry (Sharon) Hilke of Spring City, and eight grandchildren (Dawn, Matthew, Richard, Jennifer, Mark, Jason, Eva, Donnie) , and several great grandchildren.

She was dearly loved by her family and will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her. A private memorial service will be held at a later date.

Vaughn Funeral Home, Spring City, Tennessee, is in charge of arrangements.  Please share your condolences and memories of Geneva on our website:
www.vaughn-funeral-home.com