Gloria Jean Christle

About Gloria

Gloria Jean Christle, 80, of Park Rapids, MN passed away Friday, January 19, 2024 in her home under hospice care after a recent illness leading to her rapid decline in health.

She was showered with much love by her husband, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, siblings and friends in the month leading up to her death.

Gloria was born May 15, 1943, in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of Clifford Maynard Schneider and Violet Lucille Schneider-Hiltz (Barclay). She spent part of her childhood in Tower, Minnesota, but grew up and attended Central Elementary and Bemidji High Schools, graduation in 1962.

Her first job was at Wisniewski Resort on Lake Plantagenet, near Bemidji. She then moved to the Park Rapids area where she spent the remainder of her life. She worked at the Wringer Sewing Company for a time.

She married Donald Fred Hemenway on April 4th, 1964. They lived on the Hemenway Family Farm Southeast of town. She worked at Heritage living Center in the Laundry department for many years while raising their five children. She attended Wadena Technical College in the 80's and earned her Home Health Aid Certification.

She later married Marvin "Murf" Floyd Christle on January 24th, 2003, at Essentia Health, Fargo ND. They built their home together on Stoney Lake and lived there until 2018 when they moved to their retirement home closer to town.

Gloria enjoyed houseplants and flower and vegetable gardening. While raising her family she planted and managed two large gardens and canned and preserved food for her family who enjoyed her home cooked farm style meals all those years. She also enjoyed baking bread, cinnamon and caramel rolls, pies, and many other baked goods. She enjoyed music and back in the day always had a stack of records, 8 tracks, or cassettes playing polkas, waltzes, and other such music going in the home. She played multiple instruments but enjoyed playing the organ.

She enjoyed feeding the birds and the deer. She spent hours upon hours fishing. Either from the shore or on the lake. Hosting fish fries was a joy to her. She taught some of her grandchildren to fish and clean fish. She enjoyed berry and mushroom picking as well. She enjoyed knitting and crocheting and made many crochet projects including angels, afghans, mittens, hats, vests, sweater, Strawberry Shortcake dolls and her famous pot scrubbers! She also enjoyed sewing and made many baby sleepers, jogger suits, and pajamas for her grandchildren as well as baby bibs and dishcloths. She sewed pontoon covers, as well as tent canopies, and reupholstered motorcycle and snowmobile seat cushions. She cross-stitched or made a childhood blanket for all of her grandchildren and many others. She made many quilts and hand stitched them together on a rack in her living room. She made fleece hats, mittens, and blankets. She donated hundreds of fleece blankets to hospitalized children.

In recent years she enjoyed diamond art projects. Gloria loved a project of any kind and never turned one down. She processed many pounds of venison on her kitchen table and made it into sausage links, jerky, and summer sausage. She made homemade ice cream and root beer, hominy, deep fried corn nuts, and any other neat project that came along. If there was a need, she could rig up something to fix it like the upside-down end table turned bird feeder outside her picture window at the farm for years! She absolutely loved giving anything she had to anyone she could her whole life. Even on her death bed she gave away many items to those who visited her.

She is survived by her husband, Marvin; 8 siblings, Marlys, Judith, Donna, Mary Lou, Peggy, Bob, Ralph, and David. Her five children, Kevin (Laura), Kerry (Shanette), Kathy, Karla (Scott), Kenny (Denise). She has 19 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents Clifford and Violet, two siblings, Janet and James. As well as her first husband Donald Hemenway and two great granddaughters.

memorial service

There will be a celebration of Life at Heartland Park this summer at her request. Please let her family know if you wish to be notified of the date and time yet to be determined.

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Cease Family Funeral Home