Ethelyn Faye Christeson

YOUR LIFE WAS A BLESSING, YOUR MEMORY A TREASURE.

YOU ARE LOVED BEYOND WORDS, AND MISSED BEYOND MEASURE

Ethelyn Faye Christeson  of Spokane,  left us on May 20, 2020.  She missed her 90th birthday by 10 days.

Faye was the only daughter born to Mac Briggs and Essie Lena Mathis on May 30, 1930.  Her three brothers were ecstatic because they thought she would immediately take over the hated chore of raking the yard, her Mother was thankful for her lovely healthy girl and her father was completely smitten.   He gave his daughter a name he had heard in Europe during WW1, Ethelyn.   The Mathis home was a farm, complete with pecan trees, chickens, guinea hens, vegetable gardens and lots of hard work.

After Faye graduated high school, she worked as a nanny in Philadelphia before attending and graduating from business college.  She got a job as manager of the Moody Air Force Base Officers Club, and it was there she met the man who would run away with her heart.  Mere months later, she was on the road to Washington State to marry the man with whom she shared 64 years of wedded bliss, Gerald L. Christeson (forever known as Chris).   She was going by her middle name Faye at the time, as she found Ethelyn a bit cumbersome.  Much to her surprise (and her new husbands shock) her Mother- in- law shared that cumbersome name. 

The little country girl from Georgia saw the world with her pilot husband while building their family of four boys and one girl.  Her children were born in Georgia (Greg) Arizona (Chris jr.) Japan (Karen and Eric) and the Philippines (Jon).  She was the ultimate Air Force wife, able to pack up a whole house and be ready to move in mere days.  She was the consummate mother, making Halloween costumes, birthday cakes, curtains, whatever was needed. She always had a pot of homemade soup on the stove and she was an outstanding cook, whether the cuisine was Mexican, Japanese or Southern. 

After 30 years as an Airforce wife, She and Chris Sr. settled in Spokane, Washington.  He went on to fly for United Airlines and she took up hobbies including macramé, silk flower making, redecorating her new permanent home and cultivating flower and vegetable gardens.

After Chris Sr. retired from United Airlines, and the grandbabies started coming, Faye threw all her love and effort into the babies, providing loving daycare, visits, care packages and chocolate chip pancakes.

All the work Faye did to keep the extended family healthy and happy took a toll on her body, and she was in pain for much of her later life.  The pain did not keep her from loving her large brood, and she lived for the time spent with Chris Sr., her five children, nine grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

Faye was preceded in death by her loving parents, Mac and Essie Mathis, and her 3 brothers Ted, Scotty and Mac jr.  She is survived by her husband, Gerald L. Christeson (Chris Sr.) her five children: Gregory Brian (Phillis), Gerald Lloyd Jr (Elisabeth) , Karen Ethelyn Swanson  (Rick Swanson) , Eric Alan (Kim) and Jon Evan (Wendy), her nine grandchildren  five great grandchildren and many loving extended family members. 

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