Elizabeth Ann Kistler's Obituary
Elizabeth Ann Kistler, 70 of Dallas, Texas passed away on November 18, 2019 in Carrollton, Texas of complications of the Carcinoid Cancer. She was born June 27, 1949 to Richard Gurley and Rayma Gurley in Ft. Smith Arkansas. She married Roger Kistler on May 23, 1970 in Galesburg, Illinois. She was retired from Alamo Real Estate Institute. She Volunteered at Medical City Lewisville.Beth led a nomadic life almost from the start living in many states across the US and in England and Germany due to her upbringing and her married life. She loved to travel often finding the off-the-beaten path the best to take. She trekked her children to just about every castle, cathedral, and museum she could while the family lived in Europe. She had an innate ability to make instant friends in every place she visited. People were drawn to her smile, laugh and warmth.Married to her husband, Roger, for nearly fifty (50) years, she was a dedicated spouse who loved him fully. They met at Illinois State University and were married right before Roger left for the Philippines to begin his life in the Air-Force. Once he returned from his tour of duty, they were rarely separated from each other for more than a few days. They walked through life as a dedicated pair. They made an excellent couple that was hard to think of one without the other.Beth was wonderful mom who loved her children deeply and who took the hard work of parenting seriously striving to instill good values, an open mind, and a courageous heart in her children. She was always willing to be a non-judgmental sounding board for her children and to provide them with a bit of motherly wisdom. She did the best she could on sometimes a shoe-string budget to make sure her children had a Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday every year. She let them be themselves, even when that was not an easy thing to do, and she created for them a safe haven for them to grow up.She was not just these things for her children, but she was these things for her children’s friends and her neighbors as well. Beth was a finder of strays who would always set an extra place around the table for anyone who needed a meal, a home, a family. And once you were “family” you were always “family” as she was fiercely loyal. She was famous for greeting people with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. She could sit for hours and visit, earnestly listening to all that was going on in someone’s life. For as much as she loved to travel and see the world, her favorite place to be was at home surrounded by her family and friends.This love and dedication was transferred to her “grand-babies” who brought her nothing but joy. Beth, or Gammie as her grandchildren call her, was incredibly proud of all of her grandchildren. They had her heart from the start and they made her heart full. She loved to go to their schools to eat lunch with them i n their cafeteria, and she would get so excited to host overnights for the grandchildren in her home that were complete with scavenger hunts!Beth was a woman of service. She served her children as a stay-at-home mom for much of the time her children were growing up. She served her country as the spouse of an enlisted Air Force man, and she was a proud patriot. She served her customers when she worked at Dillard’s and her students when she worked at the Alamo Real Estate School. She served in leadership roles at various times as Vacation Bible School teacher, Den Mother, field trip chaperone, and after she retired she loved to serve as a volunteer at Medical City Lewisville hospital. She served her mother, Rayma, as she was aging and dying. She served her family and friends all the years of her life. And she served legendary German Chocolate Cake.
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