Glee Catherine was born in Osceola County, Iowa on 8 September 1903, she was the first daughter of Carl Jerry Bremmer and Lucy Methesmith Sharpe. The name Glee came from the heroine of a magazine loved story mother read during her pregnancy; the name Catherine was from Lucy’s mother.
Glee was a very pretty child with thick brown curry hair and big sparking brown eyes. Good natured and even tempered, she was the delight of my mother and the two grandmothers.
As she grew, she and brother Russ were very close, doing things together riding bikes, fishing, homework, ice skating in the winter. They were very a like in temperament.
During High School, Glee worked part time at the telephone office, this was the beginning of her long career as a PBX operator. After she finished school, she married Russell (Pat) Yost, the son of a high respected local family. The only problem was that he was “black sleep”, not too motivated nor ambitious so Glee supported him for years. After moving to Los Angeles, Pat worked for the Pacific Electric Railroad and Glee worked at the Stowell Hotel so life was much easier for her.
After Glee’s marriage broke up, she divorced Pat. A year later she married Joseph Karalis, a courtly gentleman from Lithuania. They lived in El Monte and soon owned three house on a good sized piece of property. By now, Glee was Chief PBX operator for General Electric, a wonderful place to work. Joe worked for the Pacific Electric Red Car Line until his death.
Glee and I had become very close after my marriage and closer still after my children were born. She was generous to a fault, and she gave them both necessities and luxuries. The children affectionately called her “Mama Glee”.
She accompanied us on our vacation trips through the years. Glee was a kind, generous woman with many friends and she literally had a heart of gold. When one of her tenants had a siege of bad luck, she allowed the family to live rent free for almost a year until they were back on their feet. Her neighbors knew that they could call on her night or day. She had a soft heart for cats and at one time she had sixteen abandoned tabbies lined up at meal time!
Her neighbors phoned me early one morning. They had broken into Glee’s house when she did not respond to their phone calls and door poundings. She was unconscious and the doctors order her to be taken to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. Vernon and I arrived there before the ambulance. She was comatose,the doctors said her only chance was for me to talk to her, and try to arouse her. For fourteen hours, I stayed by her side, talking, scolding, anything to get a response. She died three days later, with brother Russ, brother Earl and me at her bedside.
Her death certificate, died 3 Oct 1974, states cause of death: Cerebrovascular Accident. She is buried next to sister Lucille, and close by mother and dad at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California. Story was written by my sister Winnifred.
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