E. Geraldine "Jerry" Vails Small

Jerry Small was born on October 14, 1923 in Pasco, Washington to Orene Dowell Vails  and Frank Elsworth Vails.  Jerry was the second of two daughters.  Her sister Virginia Vails MacDougall died in 2000.

Jerry grew up in Walla Walla, attending Green Park Grade School and graduating from Walla Walla High School in1941.  She attended Whitman College for one year and then worked as a payroll clerk at the Walla Walla Airbase during World War II.

Jerry became engaged to Ted (Theodore B.) Small while he was serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.  Inspired by Ted’s flight training, Jerry took flying lessons at Martin Field and became a pilot herself.  They married on September 30, 1945 when Ted returned from service in the Panama Canal Zone.

Jerry was most proud of her family and her years as a farm wife.  Soon after their marriage, she and her husband began farming the Ringhoffer Place in Woodward Canyon north of Lowden, Washington.  They began married life in an old farmhouse without electricity.  She cooked for harvest crews and raised four children in the quiet, open spaces and rolling hills she learned to love.

In 1952, pregnant with her third child, Jerry contracted bulbar polio.  She was determined to care for her young family, and with therapy provided by a local nurse, Erma Johnson, she made a full recovery.

From childhood, Jerry was fascinated with faraway places, and after her children were grown, she became a world traveler, visiting China, Africa, South America, Japan, Russia, Mongolia, Europe, Australia, and even attending the Kentucky Derby.

She began a successful career in real estate, serving customers in Walla Walla for nearly 20 years, beginning in 1980.  She was recognized by Coldwell Banker for a million dollars in sales for three years, 1997 through 1999.  Customers valued her expertise, her honesty, and her friendship.

Jerry is remembered for her quick wit and sense of humor, her gift for writing, and her beautiful singing voice.  She was also an accomplished seamstress with a flair for fashion.  She collected antiques and supervised the extensive remodeling of the home her father built on Fern Avenue.

Jerry was active in the Lowden Grade School PTA, Lowden Pedal Pushers 4-H Club, the Lowden Study Club, Walla Walla Historic Auto Club (founding member), and the Walla Walla Association of Realtors.  She was a member of Central Christian Church.

Jerry was preceded in death by her husband, Ted, on January 30, 2008.  She is survived by her children, Lynn, Dan, Janet, and Mark, her grandchildren, Chris Small, Katie Small, Erin Hoffman Morisseau, Marcie Hoffman Miller, Theodore Seth Small, Nathanael Small, Ethan Small, Poppy Small, and great-grandchildren, John Morisseau, Marissa Morisseau, Daniel Morisseau, Ella Miller, Max Miller, Kodi Jane Small, and Georgia Ann Small.

A Graveside Service will be held at Mountain View Cemetery at 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 5, 2014.  The Memorial Service will follow at the Herring Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder St., Walla Walla at 11:00 a.m.  Lunch will be at the Marshall House (next door to Herring) at noon.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Christian Aid Center in Jerry’s name.