A correspondent who worked for The Republican-Herald and its predecessors for more than 40 years passed away Friday and will be remembered by many for her contributions to the county and beyond.
Ione Kotch Lilienthal Geier, 86, of Pottsville, passed away Friday at Schuylkill Center, Pottsville, where she was a guest for a short time, according to Schlitzer Allen Pugh Funeral Home, Sixth and West Market streets, Pottsville.
During her time with the newspaper, she authored more than 2,000 features and columns, while garnering various writing awards.
According to an obituary that Geier left with The Republican-Herald in 1999, she was born in Frackville, a daughter of Stephen A. and Margaret Bonin Kotch.
She was a graduate of Frackville High School, where she was editor-in-chief of its newspaper, then attended Cedar Crest College, where she was also the newspaper editor-in-chief.
Geier graduated with a degree in philosophy and religion from Davis & Elkins College, West Virginia.
In 1969, Geier went on to join The Republican and became a prize-winning journalist, winning numerous awards including Keystone Press, Pennsylvania Bar Association William A. Schnader and Pennsylvania Business and Professional Women's Club first-place awards.
Geier wrote of moments in life, sharing stores of herself, her family and countless other families from throughout the county in her columns.
She wanted to be remembered for the research of the history of every house on Mahantongo Street from Centre to 15th streets used for the three walking tours held in conjunction with John O'Hara conferences sponsored by the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts.
Among Geier's thousands of columns, she had written about topics such as how 1960s Mahanoy City was "an exciting place," Lithuanians visiting Schuylkill County, "you are what you collect," the disappearance of Easter bonnets, the life of women at home during World War II, county women who enlisted in the military and young Jehovah's Witnesses in Minersville shunned and threatened at school in 1935 over the Pledge of Allegiance.
With the stories she wrote, she released a book in 2011 that was a compilation of all her columns called "Schuylkill Stories: The Chronicles of Ione Geier."
The book focuses on subjects from the scandalous to the sublime, the everyday to the unusual, providing an intimate glimpse into the county's past that can't be found in most history books. The book also raised funds for three worthwhile local organizations, according to newspaper archives. All money raised went directly to either the Frackville Free Public Library, the Pottsville Free Public Library or the Schuylkill County Historical Society, depending on where the book is purchased.
Among the many people she met during her career that will be remembering her is friend and neighbor Pat Jones, Pottsville, aunt of U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III, Pottsville.
"We've been neighbors since 1954," she said. "After the children were raised, she and I had lunch every Friday at the Pottsville Club."
Jones reminisced Saturday that Geier was her "creative friend," and she would call her about such things, while she was who Geier would call about practical things.
"The fun part towards the end was listening to her talk about childhood," Jones said. "You could sit and talk to her for hours. She knew a lot of things. She had fun doing research and getting the information from the library."
With the Pottsville Free Public Library being one of her favorite places, where she was vice president of the board, Jones said that Geier was instrumental in enlarging and remodeling it.
U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III also said that to him, Geier was "a marvelous person and a great friend."
"I thought her ability to capture both personalities and history of Pottsville and Schuylkill County was without equal," he said. "I loved everything she wrote, and I think that in terms of writing about the history of our area, we probably won't see the likes of her again."
Jones said he was honored to be able to be the subject of a number of pieces that she wrote and is also part of her book.
"If I ever achieved anything or showed up in another newspaper, such as the New York Times, she would clip the article and send it to me," he said.
Former Pottsville Mayor John D.W. Reiley said Saturday that Geier always wrote interesting articles, which a tremendous amount of research went into.
"She was a great lady," Reiley said. "She was very involved in researching history, not just in Pottsville."
Along with being on the board at the library, Geier was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Association of Women in Communications, Current Events Club, Schuylkill County Historical Society, Schuykill County Council for the Arts, Chi Omega Alumnae Association, the Pottsville Club and the Schuylkill County Club.