Genevieve J. (Guillard) Pullum Dec 11, 1927 Aug 22, 2015 Genevieve Jeanne Pullum (nee Guillard) was born on Sunday, December 11, 1927 in Rethel, France. Her parents, Leon and Jeanne Guillard, raised Genevieve as a young child in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. She did, however, have a younger brother who died at birth. Her father was a master mechanic and her mother a seamstress. The darling of her father’s doting eye, Genevieve spent her formative years close to his side working in the garden, listening to soccer games and boxing matches on the radio, or meeting him at the factory to walk home with him for the noon meal. Her mother, a strict disciplinarian, ensured that Genevieve had a solid grasp of her manners, did well in school, and was grounded in her Catholic faith. The Summer of 1940 turned Genevieve’s life upside town, trading in the comfortable and peaceful small-town provincial life she had always known for the hell of living in Nazi-occupied France for the next five years. However, from extreme adversity came true joy when, as an older teenager, she met Loren Pullum, an American soldier in the U.S. Army who was stationed nearby. As the story goes, Loren had noticed this young French woman several times before when he had leave in town during the previous months and she had been on his mind ever since. Not knowing how long he would be stationed in the area, he knew this could be the last chance that he could muster up the courage to go and talk to her. After the parade and breaking formation, Loren left his ranks to go and speak to the diminutive beauty that had held his attention from the moment he saw her. This chance meeting led to a two-year courtship which culminated in marriage on August 16, 1947 at the Eglise de Saint Nicholas in Rethel, France. Over the next 46 years, Loren and Genevieve made a life together in the United States. After moving stateside, Loren and Genevieve settled in Carbondale, Illinois. Loren had earned two years of college credit prior to enlisting in the Army, and he returned to Southern Illinois University to finish his studies. While Loren attended classes, Genevieve worked on an education of her ownlearning to speak English. After graduation, and moving to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Loren and Genevieve welcomed their first child to their family in 1952. Vivette was the first of six children, followed by Marc, Paul, Michelle, Eric, and Philip, who was born in 1966. Throughout these years, the family lived in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Jefferson City, Missouri, and Omaha, Nebraska. In addition, during this time she traveled back to France on a regular basis to spend several weeks at a time with her parents; usually with one or two children in tow. Genevieve devoted her life to her family; a loving wife and mother, she was a true matriarch. Loren and Genevieve were blessed with six children and eleven grandchildren. She was known as “Nanny” to the grandchildren. Genevieve always put the needs of her family first. She served as a grade school room mother, a Cub Scout den leader, a taxi driver to the pool for swimming lessons and anywhere else, a surrogate paperboy, a CCD teacher, and the best shoulder to lean on a child could ever have. Widowed in 1993, she continued to lead the family as loving mother and grandmother for another twenty-two years. Family, Faith, and Friends were cornerstones of her life. She was outgoing and sociable, and always made time for others. Genevieve had a strong circle of friends from the ladies of her bridge group, many neighbors, and the members of her church circle at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church, as well as friends and colleagues of the French club, Alliance Francaise, and, later in life, her knitting group. She was loved and admired by so many. Her soul was welcomed into heaven by her Lord on Saturday, August 22, 2015 after passing away peacefully surrounded by her children. She was preceded in death by her husband, Loren Pullum; grandson, Robbie Darnell; granddaughter, Denise Darnell; father, Leon Guillard; mother, Jeanne Guillard. She is survived by her daughters, Vivette Ashen-Brenner and husband Sid Ashen-Brenner and their daughter, Lisette Ashen-Brenner; Michelle Lawyer and husband Michael and their children, Jason Lawyer and Stephanie Powell; and her sons: Marc Pullum and wife Jane and their sons, Jeremy Pullum and Michael Pullum; Paul Pullum and wife Ann and their children, Irene Harm and Lauren Pullum; Eric Pullum and wife Lisa; Philip Pullum and wife Kathy and their children, Michaela Pullum and Alex Pullum. The family will receive friends Tuesday, August 25th, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, with VIGIL SERVICE at 6:30pm, all at the West Center Chapel. MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL Wednesday, August 26th at 10am at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church. Interment, Calvary Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Catholic Charities.
HEAFEY-HOFFMANN DWORAK & CUTLER Mortuaries and Crematories 7805 West Center Road Omaha, Nebraska 68124 (402) 391-3900
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