Florence Wendt, 88, a former Baker County resident, died Nov. 15, 2003, at San Rafael, Calif.
There will be a memorial service celebrating her life with family and friends this summer.
Florence was born at Carbondale, Pa., on April 24, 1916, to Mary and Charles Gillen. Florence moved to New York City during her adolescence and lived with her Aunt Kitty. Upon graduating from high school in New York City, she immediately entered medical school to pursue nursing.
Upon her completion of Kings County Hospital’s nursing program, she received her credentials as a registered nurse and was stationed at Panama. It was in Panama City that she met and married Harlan Wendt.
After the war, Florence moved to the Baker area. She spent time during her early married years on the Wendt Brothers cattle ranch at Bridgeport. She then moved the household to Baker City in 1958 where she spent the majority of her years. During her later years she moved to San Rafael, Calif., to be closer to her children.
Florence was dedicated both as a mother of five children and a grandmother, who all have great love for her. One of her great joys was baby-sitting for the neighborhood children. She always felt blessed with having many dear friends from all walks of life, they were a joy to her.
Being a devoted Christian, she had an uncompromising love for the Lord Jesus Christ. “Should there ever be an angel on earth and soldier of God, Florence would be that angel,” her family members say.
Survivors include her children, Eric Wendt, Kereen Stohl and her husband, Richard, and son, Sasha, Mary Wendt and Henry Wendt, all residing in the San Francisco Bay area, and Charles Wendt and his wife, Darlene, of Federal Way, Wash.; grandchildren, Jared Wendt of San Francisco, Monique Montgomery and her husband, Michael, of Lakewood, Wash., and Clare Bruce and her husband, Patrick, and two great-grandchildren, Hailey and Connor Bruce all of Cove.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, February 27, 2004
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor