Christine Gettert

Christine Gettert

Christine Gettert, age 92, of O’Neill, passed away Sunday, May 8, 2011 at the Tabitha Nursing Home in Lincoln.

Visitation was held on Thursday, May 12, 2011, from 7-9 p.m. with an 8:15 p.m. parish rosary at Biglin’s Mortuary in O’Neill.

Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 13, 2011, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in O’Neill.

Burial was in the O’Neill Cemetery.

Christine was born to Fritz and Gertrude (Drueke) Vogel on Oct. 14, 1918, the fifth of eleven children. Called a "miracle baby" when she was born healthy to a flu-weakened mother during the 1918 flu pandemic, she spent 92 years on this earth reminding us that miracles are all around us every day. She grew up on a farm northeast of Stuart where she developed her love and skill of gardening that stayed with her all of her life. She attended country school east of Stuart and St. Joseph's Catholic School in Atkinson through the 11th grade.

She worked at the Wilson Hospital in Stuart in the early 1940s, where, despite her limited formal education, Dr. Clark trained her in many aspects of medical care, including assisting in births and surgeries. It was one of those surgeries, a young soldier's burst appendix, that saved her future husband's life. She liked to tell their children that she had met the inside of their father before she met the outside. Her husband, Floyd Gettert, often added that he woke from surgery to find an angel beside his bed. They married in Atkinson on Oct. 11, 1948, and celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary a few months before Floyd passed away in 1997. To this union seven children were born.

Christine and Floyd farmed north of Atkinson for several years before moving to O'Neill in 1958. After their youngest child started school, Christine returned to working as a nurse's aide, this time at St. Anthony's Hospital in O'Neill. For many years, she balanced that work with caring for her family and home. She and Floyd planted one of the largest gardens in town each year, and Christine canned and froze what seemed like tons of vegetables each fall, enough to feed the family all winter and on into the following summer.

During the winter Christine always had a sewing or other household project underway. She made dozens of quilts, weaved rag rugs, created beautiful embroidery, and made clothing for her children and their dolls. She baked regularly, mouth-watering bread and rolls, cakes and pies, passing on to her children and grandchildren the baking traditions of her German ancestry. After her children were grown, Christine mothered many of her grandchildren. Her house was an after-school program for the family where homework was completed and snacks were always available.

In later years, her most diligent labors were directed to the prayer requests of family. We depended on her prayers to get us through the hard times of life. Whether those times meant a difficult test at school or the loss of a loved one, Christine listened to the trouble and prayed for our relief. Even in her final hours she was praying for her family.

In 2005 she moved to Lincoln to be close to family members, including two daughters and grandchildren from each of her children's families. Despite poor health and limited mobility, Christine continued to make friends and build a community around her at Tabitha Nursing Home where she lived for six years. Many of the staff at the nursing home treated her like their own grandmother and mourned with the family at her death.

Christine was a long time member of St. Patrick's Parish and a member of the VFW Auxilary.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd P. Gettert; her parents; siblings, Katherine (Sr. Amator) Vogel, Ray Vogel, Frank Vogel, Leonard Vogel, Ed Vogel, Lawrence Vogel and Agnes (Vogel) Wengert.

She is survived by five daughters, Linda Kallhoff and her husband Ron of O’Neill, Joan Gilbreth and her husband Brad of Lincoln, Sandra Bates and her husband Graydon of Biloxi, MS, Karen Shoemaker and her husband Dave of Lincoln, Barbara Waterman and her husband August of O’Neill; two sons, Duane Gettert and his wife Arlene of Columbus and Larry Gettert and his wife Jill of O’Neill; 20 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; one sister, Irene Wilson of Hayward, CA; two brothers, Elmer Vogel and his wife Doris of Stuart and Gerald Vogel and his wife Dorothy of St. Louis, MO; and four sisters-in-law.

Memorials may be directed to St. Mary’s Schools, St. Patrick’s Church or Tabitha Nursing Home in Lincoln.