Mary Ann Christen was born October 5, 1923 in Hiltisberg Switzerland. She was premature and the midwife and her mother were not sure she would make it, but she was a fighter even then. She survived and thrived. When she was five her parents immigrated to the United States. One of her favorite stories was about the trip to the United States. Both her parents and her little brother were sea sick and wouldn’t leave their cabin. She was not sick and got hungry. She, a tiny five year old, went hunting for the dining room. The Head waiter spotted her as soon as she walked in. Rather than sending her away he seated her and let her order whatever she wanted. She always said those were the best eggs she ever ate. They moved from the forests of Switzerland to the heat and desert of the Imperial valley. The arrived just as the great depression started. In school she was always the smallest student in the class. In the late thirties they moved to Fontana.
During World War 2 she became as nurse cadet and started nurses training. The war ended before she could deploy, so she didn’t go to war, but she did become a nurse. She worked at the original Kaiser Hospital at the Steel Plant. She led the first strike at the hospital to get nurses better pay and working conditions. She eventually became a school nurse and then a teacher, but even when she was a teacher she was still a nurse.
In 1960 she married Donald Henry and became Marry Ann Henry. Three years later she had a daughter named Kathy. Mary and Don loved doing things together, and they took Kathy with them whenever they could. They flew through Monument Valley and Zion in Don’s little plane. Every year they went to the River at least twice to water ski. When a lot of the Henry family moved to Washington they built a home there. Once they were both retired they spent a lot of time traveling. She loved to stay in that home and visit all of the relatives and friends. One of her favorite trips was a small ship cruise to Alaska. She did that trip twice, once with Don and once with Kathy.
She was a strong woman that believed in family. She raised her own daughter and helped raise her nieces Lynn and Diana and her nephew John. She also took care of her parents in their old age. She would help anyone that need help. She was 97 when she died after two long battles with cancer. She was a loving mother and will be greatly missed.
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