- Date Of Birth: June 8, 1929
- Date Of Death: September 6, 2016
- State: North Carolina
Nellie Geraldine Baldwin Hagan, daughter of the late John Arthur and Lottie Odesser Baldwin, was born on June 9, 1929. She was the fifth of eleven children, nine of whom preceded her in death. She entered into eternal rest on September 6, 2016.
Geraldine graduated from Spaulding-Monroe High School and later attended Fayetteville State University. She gave her life to Christ at any early age at Bryant Swamp Missionary Baptist Church. She worked several years at Acme Electric in Lumberton, NC and later made her permanent home in Raleigh, NC with her life partner Fred W. Yarbough. While living in Raleigh, she attended Rush Metropolitan A.M.E Zion Church. She retired from Electroswitch Corporation with over 30 years of service. Sewing and cooking were two of her favorite hobbies and she always loved to have family and friends around. Her chicken and rice was phenomenal! Affectionately known as “Grandma Gerl” by many, she was the surrogate mother to many relatives and others that she took into her home.
Her great niece, Keia Parker, summarized her transition very well, “The Lord has come to restore those memories and rewarded her with a glorious set of wings and a crown fit for a Queen. She has been given the keys to her mansion. She is rejoicing with all our loved ones now that she has departed this earthly place, entered those pearly gates and is walking streets paved in gold. Love you, miss you. You are in a better place.” It is well.
She leaves to cherish her memory one son: Vernon L. Shaw (Cheryl) of Bladenboro, NC; four grandchildren: Shawna Leake (Zynde) of Hope Mills, NC, Dennis Shaw (Raquel) of Fayetteville, NC, Tiffani Powell (Walter) of Elizabethtown, NC and Christi Shaw of Cary, NC; ten great grandchildren: Andre, Zandria, and Camari of Hope Mills, NC, Zinia (Lawrence) of Raleigh, NC, Z’Mae of Fayetteville, NC, Christian of Cary, NC, Ahmad and Omar of Elizabethtown, NC, and Jaden of Evans, GA; one great great-grandson: Mason of Fayetteville, NC; one brother: John “Kenny” Baldwin (Jane) of Bladenboro, NC, one brother-n-law: Nathaniel Hines of Raleigh, NC; one sister-n-law: Grace Baldwin of Bladenboro, NC; a special niece: Angela Brooks of Raleigh, NC and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
