Oldest member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arlington passes away at 102

On Friday, August 12, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arlington held a memorial for Genevieve Virginia Gibson, who at the time of her passing was the oldest member of the Church in Arlington. She passed away at the age of 102, leaving behind an enduring legacy of faith.

Born in Niagara Falls, New York, Jean joined the church as a young wife and raised her children with faith and love. Her life was one framed by the church’s missionaries: her experience with the church began while she was living in New York and saw the missionaries coming down the street. Thinking they were trying to sell her encyclopedias, she decided not to answer the door. They rang her doorbell three times, and on the third try, she finally opened the door. When the missionaries answered questions that she had been wondering and praying about, she told them they were welcome in her house and invited them in, starting her long journey in the church.

Years later, on the day that she left this life, the church’s missionaries were again at her house. They asked if Jean would like a priesthood blessing from them, and when her daughter Ruth went to ask her mother, she had already passed away. “I think she’s doing wonderful, and she doesn’t need a blessing,” Ruth told the missionaries after she returned to them.

Jean’s children remember her understanding nature and her love for her Savior Jesus Christ, as well as her service to others. Jean’s daughter Joan remembered her mother: “My mom’s life was reflective of her love of our Savior. She was faithful in her church callings, and serving others was a part of her everyday life.” Part of that service was her family: together with her husband, Raymond, she raised four children and left behind a legacy of 29 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.

When asked about what her mother would like to be remembered for, Jean’s daughter Ruth said: “I think she would like to be remembered for her love of her Savior, Jesus Christ, her love and service to others, and her gratitude for the loving relationships and experiences she has shared with so many people throughout her life.”