ForeverMissed
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Her Life
July 14, 2016

On October 22, 1918, Ella Genevieve O’Connor was born on the kitchen table of the family homestead in Pompey’s Pillar, Montana. Because the Great Flu Epidemic was in full swing, her mother (Julia), a nurse anesthetist, handled her own delivery, giving Gen’s father (John) instructions to boil water, fetch clean towels and a kitchen knife for cutting the umbilical cord. Gen was the youngest of four girls. Her beloved sisters were Phyllis Rees, Betty Greene, and Jane Long.

After enduring the hardships of life and farming on the remote homestead, dubbed “Stony Lonesome” by Gen’s father, the family moved to Billings, then Redlodge, Montana. Gen had wonderful memories of her life in Montana, filled with numerous outdoor activities. After graduating from Carbon County High School, she attended the University of Chicago on a full scholarship. In her senior year, she decided she’d had enough of the Chicago weather and joined her mother and sisters in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She worked as secretary to the president of UNM, then finished her final year of college there, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

Subsequently, she took a job as a secretary at Kirkland Air Force base in Albuquerque. It was there that she met her future husband, Army Air Corps Lt. Jack Carlisle. They wed on July 31, 1943, and shared many adventures during their long life together. 

 In 1948 they built their home in Redondo Beach. There they raised their three daughters, Annie Paine (Frank), Teresa Rankin (Clyde) and Catherine Carlisle (Doug Rovens). Jack, a marine biologist, surfer and swimmer, introduced Gen to the ocean and together they instilled in their daughters a love and appreciation for the ocean and nature in general. The family spent nearly every Summer camping, especially in Kings Canyon, joined by family friends, a tradition that has carried forward and been shared with later generations.

 After 50 wonderful years with Jack, Gen became a widow. A few years later, she was fortunate to meet another kind and loving gentleman, Ken Norris, with whom she enjoyed a 16 year relationship, until his death last year.

 During her long life Gen taught school and owned a couple of businesses, among other pursuits. She traveled, played tennis and was an avid bridge player. She also enjoyed a life-long love of learning. A voracious reader, she cofounded a local chapter of Great Books. She pursued a master’s degree while raising her daughters and, later, joined Omnilore, an organization offering college courses for seniors.

 Gen was able to stay in her own home until her death on July 10th thanks to the loving care of her family, especially daughter Teresa and granddaughters Julia Burke and Hannah Rankin, along with two loving caregivers, Gladys de Maria and Cecilia McMurry. She will be missed by her 3 daughters, her 7 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren.

For those who are interested, the family suggests a donation in Gen’s name to Heal the Bay, a cause near and dear to her heart. donate.healthebay.org