Eugenia "Jeanie" Marie (Geiser) Huelsman, 58, a beloved wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, godmother, niece, cousin, and friend, passed away Dec. 19, 2023, surrounded by family at her home in Boone, North Carolina.

Jeanie was the loving wife of Tim Huelsman for 31 years and a devoted mother of Calvin Huelsman, her pride and joy of 21 years. She was born in St. Louis on July 31, 1965, the oldest of three children to Jerry and the late Nancy Geiser. She was the dear sister of Laura Geiser and Tom (Kristina) Geiser; daughter-in-law of Jim and Percilla Huelsman; sister-in-law of Laura (Doug) Smith; aunt of Emily (fiancé Peyton Jackson) Prendergast, Luke Prendergast, Zoe Geiser, and Ryan Geiser. Jeanie always remembered their birthdays.

She grew up in south St. Louis with an enthusiasm for the St. Louis Cardinals, brick storybook houses, and local culinary delights such as Imo's pizza, Gus's pretzels, toasted ravioli, and Ted Drewes hot fudge sundaes. She was an usher for several seasons at Busch Stadium and saw her beloved Cardinals play in two World Series. Growing up, she organized yard sales for her parents, listened to musicals with her sister, and made her little brother cool in the 1980s by sewing him Jams pants.

Jeanie was a graduate of St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic School and Nerinx Hall High School, where she played on the tennis team. She attended Saint Louis University, earning a marketing degree in 1987 and, more importantly, finding her true love, Tim. Together, they enjoyed going to Saint Louis Billikens basketball games, listening to Sting, and discussing politics and current events.

In St. Louis, Jeanie worked as a manager at Famous-Barr and Dillard's department stores, eventually becoming a clothing buyer at Dillard's. After relocating to Boone in 1998, Jeanie was a dairy buyer for Institution Food House and a fashion buyer for Mast General Store.

In 2002, Jeanie gave birth to Cal, her sweet, talented, brainy son who attends the prestigious textiles program at North Carolina State University and made Jeanie so proud. This past spring, Jeanie and Tim visited Cal in Prague during a study abroad program. Cal inherited Jeanie's love of fashion and bargain hunting, her strong work ethic, and her big heart and open mind.

In Boone, Jeanie thrifted, organized garage sales with friends, and sold her wares online and at a booth in an antique mall. She also played for the Deer Valley Tennis Club team and served as a longtime board member and volunteer for the OASIS women's shelter in Boone.

Jeanie courageously fought breast cancer for nearly two decades and received excellent care from the team at Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, N.C. Her last act was a noble one: she donated her body to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine to help scientists find life-saving treatments to defeat breast cancer.

An open house celebration of Jeanie's life will be held at the Valle Crucis Apple Barn (4730 NC-194, Banner Elk, NC  28604) on Saturday, January 27, 1:00 until 4:00 pm.

A memorial Mass will be held at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in St. Louis at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6. A Boone memorial is being planned.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to Boone's OASIS women's shelter or to the Jeanie (Geiser) Huelsman Tennis Scholarship at Saint Louis University.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.hamptonfuneralnc.com

Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.