Gloria Christian

Hastings resident, Gloria Maye Christian, 89, passed away Monday, July 30, 2012 at Mary Lanning HealthCare, Hastings, Nebraska.

Services will be Friday, August 3, 2012; 10:30 A.M. at Grace United Methodist Church, Hastings with Rev. Dr. Lee R. Wigert officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Hastings, Nebraska. Memorials may be given to Grace United Methodist Church. Visitation will be Thursday, August 2, 2012; 9:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M. at the funeral home, and one hour prior to the service.

Gloria was born in 1922 on a farm in Aurora, Nebraska to Carrie VanWormer & Cyrus Carlson. Gloria Maye was the oldest of six children. Father Cyrus was a farmer until Gloria was 13. He then became a handy man. Gloria remembers both her father and mother tarring a roof in the heat of the summer. Gloria was baptized in the Swedish Evangelical Church in Aurora. Gloria graduated from Aurora High School as an honor student, in the top 10% of the class of 1939. There were few jobs in 1939. Gloria worked as a waitress for several weeks in Aurora and went to Omaha to baby sit for six months. She came to Hastings in 1940 and worked at the Cosmetic Counter in Woolworths. She was manager of that Cosmetic department for eight months. She and eight other girls roomed with a person from Aurora at 211 N. Briggs. Gloria made $8.00 per week. Mr. Fink, owner of a Hastings Shoe Store befriended the girls and knew that Gloria wanted an office job. He arranged for her to work in the Circulation Department of the Hastings Tribune. She worked there for one and one-half years. She met Richard (Dick) Christian at the Hastings Evangelical Church in Brethren. She was impressed with his handsome appearance while he was ushering at the church. They had their first date in April, 1941. They were married in November of 1942. Dick joined the Army and was transferred to Yuma, Arizona in May of 1943. She remembers being very disappointed in starkness of the Arizona desert. They moved from Yuma to Pomona, California, to San Bernardino, California, Pomona, and finally Long Beach, California. Servicemen could rent a bedroom with kitchen privileges. They were able to rent an apartment from a cousin of her Mother in Pomona. She states that all of those bases were connected. Dick spent close to one year in a base hospital as his papers had been lost and he was classified unattached and unassigned. Gloria says that he had to wear pajamas which she assumes was to deter them from leaving. Gloria says this was not usual for servicemen at that time. She would work during the day and then take the train to the hospital to be with Dick at night. One such job she remembers was in a shoe store. After being assigned and attached, Dick was assigned to the Transportation Division. He made $50.00 a month which was divided three ways between his grandmother, mother, and himself and Gloria. Seventeen dollars a month was difficult to live on. We had one meal per day. Upon their return to Hastings after the war, Dick worked for the Burlington Truck Company. Gloria worked for Hoagleroad Van and Storage for 10 years attaining the position of office manager. Jim was born in 1955. During this time and until she opened her own shop in 1964 she enjoyed handiwork, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and cross stitching. She taught lessons and sold yarn out of her own home. Gloria was an excellent seamstress and made most of her own clothes throughout her life. She owned her own store, the Knit Knook at 2nd Street and Hastings Avenue for 17 years retiring in 1981. She was baptized, confirmed and married in the Swedish Evangelical United Brethren Church in Aurora. She had always been interested in dolls and very much wanted a "mama" doll. Her doll collection began with someone coming into her shop and selling her a china doll head. She has a sizeable collection. She was in the church choir from 1946 to 2006; Church Treasurer 20 years; Finance Committee from 1946 to 2007; UMW President seven and one-half years; Charter Member Sunday School class; helped with Bible School at Grace Church; and Queen City Doll Club 20 year member.

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Christian; sister, Donna Lee; and brother, Warren Eugene.

Survivors include:
Son: James Christian - Hastings, NE
Sisters: Wynona Faye Troester
Caroline Isabele Wolff
Brother: Gerald Richard Carlson