Mom, Gloria Gene (Goelitz) McGann was born to Walter and Hazel Goelitz in Rochester, NY on October 21, 1920. She spent her growing up years in Rochester and later, Long Island, NY. She also spent one year at Colby College in Maine, before marrying Douglas McGann.
Mom and Dad worked in the family candy business, Goelitz Confectionary, whose specialty was candy corn, and which later became the Jelly Belly Candy Co. Two children were born to them, Kenneth in 1942, and Lee in 1946. They were divorced in 1948 and Mom never remarried. Shortly after their divorce, Mom began searching for the Lord, and through friends and their pastor, became a believer in Jesus Christ and began a lifelong journey of faith in her Lord.
In 1956, Mom moved her small family to Missoula, MT to work in a photo lab that her brother-in-law, Phil Stanley, owned. She was a faithful member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church there. One of her life-long dreams was to become a nurse, and in 1969 she was able to take a Vo-tech course in Missoula and become an LPN.
She worked for a short time in Missoula before being asked to move to Plains to help open the new Clark Fork Valley Hospital, and was on staff there the day they opened the door in 1971. Her career life always involved organizational skills and in nursing it was no different—Central Supply, Surgical Nurse, and Medical Records. She worked in Plains for many years, ending her time there by volunteering at the hospital until the age of 93.
While in Plains she attended the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, and the Plains Bible Chapel, both churches being the center of her social and spiritual life. Ken and Mary also lived in Plains and kept her interested in their garden and sewing endeavors. As her health dwindled, she moved to Columbia Falls, MT to be near her daughter, Lee, and for the last 1 ½ years has lived with Lee and Britt.
The First Baptist Church of Columbia Falls became her church home and she was well-loved there. Mom had just finished a quilt a few days before she tripped and broke her hip at home. After not recovering from the surgery to repair the break, Mom was put into comfort measures and finished her journey home on April 21, 2018 at the age of 97.
Mom was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Hazel Goelitz, her two sisters, Sylvia and Jacqueline, and two great-grandchildren, Markkaya and Wesley. Survivors include son, Ken and wife Mary; daughter, Lee and husband Britt; grandchildren – Kevin, Kendra, Bob, Betty, and Cliff, with their spouses and children, which include 11 great-grandchildren, and 7 ½ great-great grandchildren. The memorial service to remember Gloria will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 at the Plains Bible Chapel at Plains, MT.
Turn left past the fairgrounds and continue to 8 E. Fork Combest Creek Rd. An ice cream social will be provided after the service, which was Gloria’s request. Any memorials could be in the form of donations to the Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Gloria’s name.
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