Mrs. Erma Christian

Although Erma Christian valued many things throughout her long life, none were more important than creating close relationships with the family she treasured so deeply. She was a loving wife, devoted mother, and proud grandmother and great-grandmother who laced her days with great color and vibrancy. Erma was a woman of great strength who worked hard throughout her life, but she fostered a great spirit of fun too, even square dancing in the middle of the Mackinac Bridge on one occasion! Erma was a woman who persevered through trials that came her way, always remaining true to the joy that was in her heart. If you could turn back the hands of time to the year 1913, you would see a life quite different from what we experience today. The automobile was just becoming available on a larger scale, ocean liners, also called floating hotels, were all the rage, and Americans were dancing the Fox Trot and the Tango from coast to coast. It was also during this year that in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Harry and Emma (Bayes) Gilson were celebrating the birth of their daughter, Erma, on November 5th. Erma was raised on the family farm in Holt, Michigan, the means by which her father provided for his family while her mother was a homemaker. Erma was joined in her family by two brothers and three sisters, and of course, dogs and cats. During this generation farming was usually a family affair, and that was certainly the case in the Gilson family as everyone pitched in to care for their farm that consisted of corn, potatoes, wheat, cows, and a large garden. Erma also helped her mother inside with the chores and canning. Due to a family conflict, Erma moved out of her family home as a young teenager and moved to Lansing where she lived with the Calladers family. She performed a variety of domestic chores for their family including canning, cleaning, cooking, and childcare in exchange for her room and board for high school. Erma shared a wonderful relationship with their family and easily adapted to their way of life. She attended high school in Lansing which is where she met the young man with whom she would share a love story for over 40 years. The young man was Charles Christian and he was in some classes with Erma. Eventually Erma caught his eye and he asked her out. A dating relationship ensued that even continued while Charles attended Michigan State University. After graduation, Charles asked Erma to be his wife and they were married on October 8, 1938 in Lansing. The newlyweds honeymooned in Muskegon where they stayed at the Occidental Hotel. Unfortunately, Erma got sick from eating mussels, and spent the remainder of her honeymoon very ill. While Charles was at Michigan State, he had been in the ROTC program, and soon after they were married, he was commissioned into the Army as a second lieutenant. Consequently, the couple moved around a bit to various bases and during a stint in Iceland, Erma moved in with her sister Vernice and then her mother-in-law. In 1944, Erma and Charles welcomed son Dennis into their hearts and home, followed by their son Douglas in 1946. When Charles was discharged from the Army, their family settled in Imlay City, Michigan, located in the eastern portion of the state. Charles began working for the phone company on the lines, and as a result, their family moved around a bit. Erma always remained a homemaker. No matter where their family called home, their family was always a place of discipline, laughter, and love. On one occasion when Dennis and Douglas were very young, Dennis loaded up his little brother into the wagon and was going to run away. They got about a block away when their plan was thwarted. After receiving their spankings neither boy could sit down for a week, and they never again tried a stunt like that! The Christian family loved to camp in their tent together. On one particular camping trip, dads cot ripped and he fell right through, leaving one of the boys to surrender his cot to their father. Ermas boys loved her refrigerator cookies so much that when she made two batches, she had to hide the second batch or the boys would devour the raw cookie dough! Both parents were very involved in the boys lives Erma became a Cub Scout Master and Charles helped with their Boy Scouts. Around the Christian house, everyone pitched in and helped out with the various duties, and eventually they settled in North Muskegon. After their boys left for college and then the Army, Erma and Charles continued to pursue activities they enjoyed. They loved to square dance and when they were walking the Mackinac Bridge on one occasion, they square danced in the middle of the bridge with a large group. Erma and Charles also liked to travel and visited destinations such as Europe, Hawaii, California, and Florida. Erma loved to sew and Charles constructed a homemade camper for which Erma did all the sewing. Together they were members of Community United Methodist Church where Erma was very involved. She was also a lifetime member of the Imlay City Friendship Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. Erma especially loved being social. She and Charles had many friends from work and church, and she was also part of a social group called the 39ers, a senior fellowship group through church which met for lunch monthly. When Charles retired, the couple looked forward to some exciting adventures, however, their plans were drastically changed when Charles died from a stroke when he was just 67. She continued on with life, although it was never the same. During the past few years of her life, Erma became gripped by dementia. There were good times throughout her battle where Erma seemed to remember things a bit more, and the family is now so thankful for those precious few moments. Erma Christian was a woman who was all about family togetherness and surrounding herself with both the family and the friends whom she held so dear. With a life that spanned many decades and experiences, Erma was shaped into an extraordinary woman who now leaves behind the lessons she learned in hard work, compassion, and love. Those who will miss her dearly will forever hold her in their hearts. Erma C. Christian died Monday, September 14, 2009. Ermas family includes her sons, Dennis (Mary) Christian of Jenison, Douglas (Lois) Christian of Branch; grandchildren, Cathy Christian, Lisa (Trevor) Peck, Kevin Christian, Craig Christian; 9 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles in 1982; siblings, James Gilson, Emogene Gurk, Flossie Imhoff, Vernice Gilson, & Faye Gilson. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2009, 4:00 p.m. at Clock Chapel - Muskegon with Dr. Robert Lynch officiating. Interment at Chapel Hill Cemetery, Lansing. Visit with Ermas family on Saturday, 1 hour prior to the service at Clock Life Story Funeral Homes Muskegon location Muskegon, MI. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory or photo or make a memorial contribution to Faith Hospice, 2100 Raybrook St., Grand Rapids MI 49546.