July 2, 2005

Pauline Noles Floerchinger

“Polly” Pauline Noles Floerchinger was born in Providence Forge, W.Va., on Dec. 8, 1920. She was one of seven children born to Mark Hall and Bessie Cannon Noles. At age six, after the death of her mother, she and her siblings lived in a local orphanage until her father remarried and the family was reunited.

Polly was valedictorian of her high school class and was honored with a college scholarship. She did not take advantage of the scholarship, but instead moved to Baltimore with her older sister, Frances, to work for Glen Martin Aircraft. When WWII began, Polly joined the Women’s Army Corps, receiving training as a radio operator. She was stationed at the top-secret installation at Two Rock Ranch, north of Petaluma, Calif., where she worked throughout the war intercepting enemy messages. The many stories she told about her years there were repeated to family members at periodic WAC reunions by the lifelong friends she made during her time there. While at Two Rock Ranch, she met “Gene” Eugene Carl Floerchinger, who she married when the war ended. They celebrated their 60th anniversary on Feb. 4, 2005. The work conducted at Two Rock Ranch was recorded in 1999 by a Department of Defense historian during a reunion of the Two Rock Ranch WAC group.

Polly and Gene lived in Petaluma, San Francisco, Arcata, and Red Bluff, Calif.; Hanksfield and Ogden, Utah; Whitehall, Mont., and Ajo and Prescott, Ariz. – moving in response to Gene’s work for the Civil Aeronautics (Federal Aviation) Agency. They finally settled in Prescott in 1957.

Polly and Gene had four daughters – one born on each of the four borders of the U.S. Elizabeth (Liz) in Butte, Mont. She often chuckled that in addition to being born on the four borders of the U.S., they had four different “flavors” of hair – licorice (black), strawberry (red), chocolate (brown), and vanilla (blonde)!

Although her work at Two Rock Ranch was a source of great pride, Polly’s goal in life was to become a nurse. After a circuitous route, involving working her way up from laundry worker to secretary to CNA at the Northern Arizona Veterans Administration Medical Center in Prescott, in 1974 she graduated as a registered nurse from Yavapai Community College. She spent her nursing career first at Yavapai County Community Hospital, followed by Northern Arizona Veterans Administration Medical Center, and finally as a private duty nurse.

Polly had many interests in life beyond her family and work. She was an avid reader, consuming two newspapers a day and several books a month. She could often be found sitting in her rocking chair engrossed in a book. She also loved to sew, and took pride in making school clothes, Easter dresses, Christmas pajamas and prom dresses for her four daughters and two granddaughters. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, rug hooking and embroidery. She loved to cook and could be counted on to make a variety of cookies and candy for Christmas celebrations, homemade bread, jam, ice cream and other goodies. Dinner was always served at 6:00 – with no excuses for being late.

Always the adventurer, Polly loved to travel. She twice took her children on cross-country trips. When Carol and Ginger were two and four years of age, she traveled with them cross-country by train to visit her best friend and sister-in-law, Katherine Noles. She repeated the trip by car 15 years later with Ginger, Barbara, and Liz in tow. Memorable adventures included rafting the Grand Canyon in 1981 with her brother, Lee, sister-in-law, Katherine, and daughter, Barbara, and son-in-law, Ed. In addition to annual family vacations, she and Gene took many road trips throughout the U.S. and an occasional cruise. She loved to talk about their camping and fishing trips, especially if she caught more fish than Gene.

Walking and hiking were a way of life for Polly. She frequently walked to work and, after she retired, often walked in town. She also enjoyed hiking in the Prescott area (Thumb Butte, Granite Mountain) in addition to Havasupai (1975), rim-to-rim Grand Canyon (1988), and Zion (2000 – 2002). She loved to tell a story about hiking in Alaska when a bear came up onto the trail. She stood still, eye-to-eye with the bear, until it moved off the trail and she continued on.

Polly was preceded in death by her oldest daughter, Carol Jean Topping.

She is survived by her husband, Gene; daughters, Ginger, Barbara and Liz, grandsons, Marshall and Gene Topping; granddaughters, Elizabeth and Allie Gorton; six great-grandchildren; older sister, Frances; best friend and sister-in-law, Katherine Noles; special nephews, Eldred (Nada) and Arnold (Sallie), and many nieces and nephews.

Contributions may be made to the VAMC Hospice Unit, Prescott, in remembrance of Pauline Noles Floerchinger in care of Bettie Robbins.

At her request, no funeral services were held.

(Information provided by survivors.)

Margaret Christine Staranick

Margaret Christine Staranick, age 87, died June 27, 2005, at the Scottsdale Health Care Osborn Hospital. She was born Nov. 19, 1917, in Prescott, to Joseph and Josephine (Bursanti) Chiantaretto.

She had owned a small grocery store in Prescott and then worked many years for Lantz’s Grocery in Prescott. She was a life long member of Sacred Heart Church in Prescott.

Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Joan and Wayne Anderson of Scottsdale; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Patti Staranick of Tulsa, Okla.; sisters-in-law, Mary Staranick, Margaret Sandstone, and Doris Chiantaretto; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Pete, and brother, Harry Chiantaretto.

Mass of the Christian burial will be held Tuesday, July 5th, at 11 a.m., at the Sacred Heart Church. Interment will be in the family plot at the Mountain View Cemetery.

Hampton Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements.

(Information provided by survivors.)


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