Obituary of Georgia Kathryn Schell

Georgia K. Schell, of State College, PA, age 95, died peacefully on Sunday, July 1, 2018 at Juniper Village at Brookline.  She was born on September 30, 1922, in Graysville, the daughter of Edmund and Anna Lysle (Shank) Woomer.  Georgia grew up in Graysville with her three older sisters and her younger brother. She left home after graduating from high school to enroll in nursing school at the University of Pennsylvania in 1941.  When WW2 started, she entered the Army Nurse Corps, and the military helped her complete her nurse's training and achieve her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse.

After the war, Georgia was working in the VA Hospital in the Bronx, NY, when she met William Schell, an Army corporal working there as an orderly.  They were married on February 14, 1947 and lived in Michigan where Georgia worked as a nurse until the first of four children came along. Most of their married years were spent in  New York and New Jersey, but Georgia always looked forward to "going home" to Graysville for a week every summer to see her family.

In her nursing career, Georgia worked as an RN at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, NY, at the former Kimball Medical Center in Lakewood, NJ, and also at a nursing care center.  She was dedicated and hardworking, sometimes putting in double shifts: first at the hospital, then going directly to the nursing care center.  At the same time, Georgia was a kind and loving mother to her four children.  She liked gardening, participating in church activities, spending quiet times at home with husband Bill,  and visiting with family, both his and hers.

Bill preceded her in death in 1985, and Georgia continued to work until her retirement in 1989. Her children all resided in different states at that point, so she naturally decided to move back "home" to the State College area.  She was happy to become again an active member of Upper Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church, and to spend LOTS of time with her beloved sisters and brother.  Georgia moved to Juniper Village at Brookline in 2010, and somehow managed to reside in each and every area of the retirement community, from independent living to nursing care.  The staff and residents remember her as always pleasant and smiling, enjoying being with others.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Ida Bresler and Louise Henry; brothers-in-law, Roy Bresler, William Henry, and Martin Peiffer; sister-in-law, Marjorie Woomer; and three nephews.

Georgia is survived by her children, Rev. Kathryn Schell (Mark Wollwage), William Schell (Cindi), Patricia Graham (Michael), and Carolyn Saltarelli (David); nine grandchildren, Leif, Erik and Brittany Batell, Rebecca, James Weston and Hannah Graham, Vincent Ruggerio, Jessica and Joseph Saltarelli; five great grandchildren; sister, Enid Peiffer; brother John Woomer; and several nieces and nephews.

A Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 5, 2018 from 5-7 PM at the Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. A second visitation will be held on Friday, July 6, 2018 at Upper Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church, 2620 Spruce Creek Rd, Pennsylvania Furnace, one hour prior to the service, from 10-11am. The funeral service will follow at 11am at church on Friday  with the burial following at Graysville Cemetery. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Upper Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church, 2620 Spruce Creek Rd, Pennsylvania Furnace, PA 16865 or 365 Hospice, 220 Regent Ct, State College, PA 16801.

Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com .