Geroid Lix

Geroid A. Lix, 87, of Jackson passed away Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, at his home, surrounded by his loving family, in Fruitland.

He was born March 29, 1934, in Stoutsville, Missouri, to William Ferdnand and Cecilia Francis Vanderfelt Lix. He and Ella Marie Goetz were married in 1956 in Hernando, Mississippi.

Geroid was a student of St. Mary High School in Cape Girardeau.

He started working with the Army Corps of Engineers in June of 1951, at the age of 17. He continued to work on dredge boats throughout his career. His first job with the Corps of Engineers was as a deckhand on the Ste. Genevieve dredge boat, and after countless hours of study and testing, he was promoted in rapid succession: first mate in 1965 on the dredge Ste. Genevieve; pilot in 1969 on the dredge Kennedy; captain on the Ste. Genevieve in 1974; captain on the dredge Potter in 1985; retired from the Army Corps of Engineers in 1999.

He loved sharing his knowledge of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. He had every mile marker on both rivers memorized along with all critical data of the waterways, a truly amazing memory.

After retirement, he worked with his son, Chris, building the neighborhood development Sun Valley in the Fruitland area.

Geroid was always an extremely caring and giving person to all he knew. He will be remembered with great love by his family and friends.

His greatest joys were his wife, daughters, sons, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was affectionately known as "Cap" by his Corps of Engineers family.

Geroid also had a great love of nature and a gift for growing beautiful flowers at his home in Fruitland.

Loving survivors include two daughters, Kathy S. Lix (Alan) Jones of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Dana R. Lix Norris (Patrick) of Marion, Illinois; one son, Christopher A. Lix (Kim Baker) of Cape Girardeau; a daughter-in-law, Debbie Eldridge Lix of Cape Girardeau; eight grandchildren, Ryan A. (Nikki) Jones, Joshua Lix, Ethan Lix, Wyatt (Dana) Lix, Michael (Rachel) Norris, Mason Norris, Ryan Rhodes and Leah Eldridge; and nine great-grandchildren, Alexander Lix, Zoey Jones, Ava Jones, Ella Lix, Tristan Rhodes, Abby Rhodes, Lainey Rhodes, Joshua Rhodes and Cameron Eldridge.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Ella Marie (1932-1999); a granddaughter, Danielle Shontaye Jones (1982-2017); a son, Michael Geroid Lix (1959-2018); and a brother and sister-in-law, Willard and Geraldine Lix.

Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with burial following at Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to Crown Hospice.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by clicking on the "Tribute Wall" tab of Geroid's personal obituary page at www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.