Hank Christie, later Tarbox was born Henrietta Marie Mathias at home in her parents' bedroom at her parents' house at 213 Malacca Street in Akron, Ohio in 1921. She was named after her maternal aunt, Henrietta Epperson Bacon.
Hank, as she preferred to be called, was the oldest child of Mildred Estelle Epperson and Raleigh Shafer Mathias .
She was never fond of the name "Henrietta" and preferred the sobriquet, "Hank." The writer and his siblings always knew her as "Aunt Hank."
An above average student, Hank skipped ("doubled") two grades while in public school.
Following her graduation from the University of Akron, where she earned a degree in Home Economics, she worked for several years as a flight attendant for American Airlines.
In those days flight attendants weren't permitted to wear glasses, so Hank, who was near-sighted purchased an very early version of contact lenses. (This was in the middle 1940's.) These early contact lenses were appliances that covered her entire iris and most of her sclera. Hank always said that they were extremely uncomfortable and so she took them out just as soon as the last passenger departed the plane.
Hank was living in New York City at the end of the Second World War and she was among the celebrants in Times Square on V.J. Day in 1945.
She married Jack Christie, her first husband, in 1948.
The couple had three children: Carol Ann (1949), Scott (1950) and Jeff (1955).
Jack worked as a geologist in the oil industry. The couple lived in several locations in the midwest, including Whichita, KS. They eventually settled in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Jack died in Oklahoma City of lung cancer, complicated by myasthenia gravis in the late 1980's.
A few years after Jack's death, Hank was reunited with her high school sweetheart, David Tarbox, at her 55th high school reunion in Akron.
They were married within a year.
Hank and David maintained homes in Oklahoma City, OK and in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The couple enjoyed traveling and spending time with David's four children and Hank's three. Always a good sport, at the age of 74 she learned to drive David's Greyhound Bus-sized RV.
David died in 2005.
At the time of Hank's death, she was survived by her three children and by a granddaughter, Elizabeth.
The cause of death was cerebral vascular disease.
Hank was cremated and her ashes were given to her family.
A memorial service was held on March 18, 2006 at the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. Her two younger sisters, Gerry and Doris, survived but were unable to attend because of infirmity and distance.
Hank, as she preferred to be called, was the oldest child of Mildred Estelle Epperson and Raleigh Shafer Mathias .
She was never fond of the name "Henrietta" and preferred the sobriquet, "Hank." The writer and his siblings always knew her as "Aunt Hank."
An above average student, Hank skipped ("doubled") two grades while in public school.
Following her graduation from the University of Akron, where she earned a degree in Home Economics, she worked for several years as a flight attendant for American Airlines.
In those days flight attendants weren't permitted to wear glasses, so Hank, who was near-sighted purchased an very early version of contact lenses. (This was in the middle 1940's.) These early contact lenses were appliances that covered her entire iris and most of her sclera. Hank always said that they were extremely uncomfortable and so she took them out just as soon as the last passenger departed the plane.
Hank was living in New York City at the end of the Second World War and she was among the celebrants in Times Square on V.J. Day in 1945.
She married Jack Christie, her first husband, in 1948.
The couple had three children: Carol Ann (1949), Scott (1950) and Jeff (1955).
Jack worked as a geologist in the oil industry. The couple lived in several locations in the midwest, including Whichita, KS. They eventually settled in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Jack died in Oklahoma City of lung cancer, complicated by myasthenia gravis in the late 1980's.
A few years after Jack's death, Hank was reunited with her high school sweetheart, David Tarbox, at her 55th high school reunion in Akron.
They were married within a year.
Hank and David maintained homes in Oklahoma City, OK and in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The couple enjoyed traveling and spending time with David's four children and Hank's three. Always a good sport, at the age of 74 she learned to drive David's Greyhound Bus-sized RV.
David died in 2005.
At the time of Hank's death, she was survived by her three children and by a granddaughter, Elizabeth.
The cause of death was cerebral vascular disease.
Hank was cremated and her ashes were given to her family.
A memorial service was held on March 18, 2006 at the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. Her two younger sisters, Gerry and Doris, survived but were unable to attend because of infirmity and distance.
Hank Christie, later Tarbox was born Henrietta Marie Mathias at home in her parents' bedroom at her parents' house at 213 Malacca Street in Akron, Ohio in 1921. She was named after her maternal aunt, Henrietta Epperson Bacon.
Hank, as she preferred to be called, was the oldest child of Mildred Estelle Epperson and Raleigh Shafer Mathias .
She was never fond of the name "Henrietta" and preferred the sobriquet, "Hank." The writer and his siblings always knew her as "Aunt Hank."
An above average student, Hank skipped ("doubled") two grades while in public school.
Following her graduation from the University of Akron, where she earned a degree in Home Economics, she worked for several years as a flight attendant for American Airlines.
In those days flight attendants weren't permitted to wear glasses, so Hank, who was near-sighted purchased an very early version of contact lenses. (This was in the middle 1940's.) These early contact lenses were appliances that covered her entire iris and most of her sclera. Hank always said that they were extremely uncomfortable and so she took them out just as soon as the last passenger departed the plane.
Hank was living in New York City at the end of the Second World War and she was among the celebrants in Times Square on V.J. Day in 1945.
She married Jack Christie, her first husband, in 1948.
The couple had three children: Carol Ann (1949), Scott (1950) and Jeff (1955).
Jack worked as a geologist in the oil industry. The couple lived in several locations in the midwest, including Whichita, KS. They eventually settled in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Jack died in Oklahoma City of lung cancer, complicated by myasthenia gravis in the late 1980's.
A few years after Jack's death, Hank was reunited with her high school sweetheart, David Tarbox, at her 55th high school reunion in Akron.
They were married within a year.
Hank and David maintained homes in Oklahoma City, OK and in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The couple enjoyed traveling and spending time with David's four children and Hank's three. Always a good sport, at the age of 74 she learned to drive David's Greyhound Bus-sized RV.
David died in 2005.
At the time of Hank's death, she was survived by her three children and by a granddaughter, Elizabeth.
The cause of death was cerebral vascular disease.
Hank was cremated and her ashes were given to her family.
A memorial service was held on March 18, 2006 at the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. Her two younger sisters, Gerry and Doris, survived but were unable to attend because of infirmity and distance.
Hank, as she preferred to be called, was the oldest child of Mildred Estelle Epperson and Raleigh Shafer Mathias .
She was never fond of the name "Henrietta" and preferred the sobriquet, "Hank." The writer and his siblings always knew her as "Aunt Hank."
An above average student, Hank skipped ("doubled") two grades while in public school.
Following her graduation from the University of Akron, where she earned a degree in Home Economics, she worked for several years as a flight attendant for American Airlines.
In those days flight attendants weren't permitted to wear glasses, so Hank, who was near-sighted purchased an very early version of contact lenses. (This was in the middle 1940's.) These early contact lenses were appliances that covered her entire iris and most of her sclera. Hank always said that they were extremely uncomfortable and so she took them out just as soon as the last passenger departed the plane.
Hank was living in New York City at the end of the Second World War and she was among the celebrants in Times Square on V.J. Day in 1945.
She married Jack Christie, her first husband, in 1948.
The couple had three children: Carol Ann (1949), Scott (1950) and Jeff (1955).
Jack worked as a geologist in the oil industry. The couple lived in several locations in the midwest, including Whichita, KS. They eventually settled in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Jack died in Oklahoma City of lung cancer, complicated by myasthenia gravis in the late 1980's.
A few years after Jack's death, Hank was reunited with her high school sweetheart, David Tarbox, at her 55th high school reunion in Akron.
They were married within a year.
Hank and David maintained homes in Oklahoma City, OK and in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The couple enjoyed traveling and spending time with David's four children and Hank's three. Always a good sport, at the age of 74 she learned to drive David's Greyhound Bus-sized RV.
David died in 2005.
At the time of Hank's death, she was survived by her three children and by a granddaughter, Elizabeth.
The cause of death was cerebral vascular disease.
Hank was cremated and her ashes were given to her family.
A memorial service was held on March 18, 2006 at the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. Her two younger sisters, Gerry and Doris, survived but were unable to attend because of infirmity and distance.
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