Gloria House

Gloria House

October 20, 1925 – February 7, 2017

Gloria Edna Margaretta Fritz House was born October 20, 1925 in Point Pleasant, Ocean County, New Jersey, fourth child of John James Fritz and Bertha Louise Cross Fritz.   She died February 7, 2017, in Clearfield, Utah. Gloria married William Edgar House at Langley Field, Virginia July 27, 1945.  Shortly afterwards, they moved to San Francisco, California.  They had two children, Kathleen Dorothy House Petersen (Gary) of Kaysville, Utah, and Jeffrey William House of San Jose, California. Gloria & her husband, “Bill”, lived in Marin County, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Carmichael- all in California. In 1981, they retired and moved to Paradise Pines, an area of Magalia, California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  In 2008, Gloria’s husband was diagnosed with lung cancer and they moved into their daughter’s home in Kaysville, Utah.  Her husband died September 6, 2010 in Ogden, Utah.

Bertha Fritz named her daughter, Gloria, after her dear friend; Edna after her sister, Margaretta after her mother.  Her initials gave rise to her nickname, “Little GEM.”  She was the youngest of four children, all of whom shared a double bed in their two-bedroom home.  Her mother died when she was three years old.  She lived with her maternal grandmother in the Bronx for a time after her father was unable to care for her, before being sent to the Baptist Jennie Clarkson Home for Girls in Valhalla, New York.  She lived there until age 16 when she graduated early from High School.  Mrs. Wilson, wife of then President of General Electric, paid the costs for Gloria to attend The School of Nursing on the Ellis Hospital campus in Schenectady, New York.  She graduated three years later, at age 19 and worked as a Registered Nurse until her retirement in 1981.

Gloria joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1953 and served in Primary and Relief Society.  She was active in giving Humanitarian aid, sewing hundreds of infant gowns for newborn kits and working with dear friends in making and donating dozens of quilt sent all over the world to bring relief to people in need. She was shy and soft-spoken but loved others and shed tears frequently at the suffering of others. Wherever she lived, people were drawn to her when they needed help or a hug, which she gave freely.

Gloria was an expert knitter, able to create intricate patterns out of yarn.  She knitted baby clothes, baby blankets, ski sweaters, afghans and Christmas Stockings for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She and her husband travelled with their camp trailer, and once retired, spent summers on the Oregon Coast and winters in Arizona and New Mexico where they pursued their love of rock-hounding; and Gloria learned the art of silver-smithing from an 80-year-old Navajo man.  She gave away most of the jewelry she created.  She also learned to make stained-glass during her retirement and created beautiful objects for family and friends.

She loved having her grandchildren spend summers with them where she fed them cookies and hot chocolate and taught them to play word games. In the dedications in his first book, her son (teacher, lecturer, author) wrote to: “My mother, the word maven, who does crossword puzzles in ink, beats all comers in Boggle, and still owns the family’s original Scrabble dictionary.”  Her great grandchildren were the light and joy of her final years.  Her toy poodle-mix dog, Dolly, “the lap dog” was a wonderful comfort to her.

In 2015, Gloria moved into Apple Tree Assisted Living where she was cared for until the last two weeks of her life when she was moved into the Memory Care Unit of Chancellor Gardens because of her increased care needs.  In both homes, she was given tender, compassionate care which was greatly appreciated by her family.  Independence Hospice supported Gloria and her family through the difficult final months and we are grateful.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, siblings: Alice Barbara Fritz Wardell, Dorothea Adele Wardell and John Francis Burdette Fritz; and great-granddaughter, Elisabeth Marie Smith.

She is survived by her children; and her grandchildren: Michelle, Lisa, Wendy, David, Darlene, Christine and Cheryl; 16 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews, including, John and Milly Wardell of Point Pleasant, New Jersey whom she loves dearly.  She looked always looked forward to their yearly visits.

A private family service will be held for Gloria on Saturday, February 18 at Lindquist’s Kaysville Mortuary, 400 N. Main Street.  She will be interred next to her husband in the Kaysville City, Cemetery.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lindquistmortuary.com