Chris Bodine, 1919-2015
One of the sweetest people to ever walk the earth is gone. Friend to thousands, family matriarch and great-great grandmother, Chris Bodine of Bishop passed away at the Bishop Care Center on August 17. She was 96.
Gramma was so sweet she gave cavities, and her hands were soft and inviting. Those hands worked the land in her birthplace of Lindsay, Oklahoma, knuckles swollen with arthritis, but they were always open, holding a plate of food or waiting for another hand to hold.
She was born to Charles Cunningham and Mary Rogers. Charles died when Chris was young and her much older brother, Cecil left to see the world leaving Chris and her mother (known affectionately by the moniker Ms. Crum) to fend for themselves. Ms. Crum was a real cowgirl, standing less than five-feet tall, and was the town’s pig butcher, enjoyed a pinch of snuff or bourbon with her milk. Chris would bring home stray dogs and cats that she made her friends and would always have a soft spot in her heart for animals and critters.
The Dust Bowl chased Chris and Ms. Crum to California where they suffered Grapes of Wrath-style discrimination, jobs were few and far between, she was called a “scab” and an “Okie,” a moniker that made her shudder well into her tenth decade. In her later years, she became a historical resource for book authors writing about the era.
During World War II, she was “Rosey the Riveter,” assembling bulletproof gas tanks for fighter airplanes. At the same time, she met John Bodine in Southern California and married in 1942, living in Bell. She and John used to dance to Benny Goodman’s band and dug sandy beaches during the grunion runs. Gramma loved the ocean and seagulls.
The newlyweds moved to the suburbs, Saugus, bought a house and a car, with son John Charles coming in 1944 and daughter Terry followed in 1950. It was as a mother and caring for a family that Chris found her calling. Always with an apron and a smile on, she was the best cook ever, even after losing her sense of smell when she was in her 50s. Her recipe for biscuits and gravy is a family heirloom. And there was always plenty to go around.
An active volunteer, she helped start a Candy Striper’s organization in Santa Clarita. She was still volunteering well into her 80s, helping Alzheimer’s patients at the Bishop Methodist Church. She was older than most of the people she was caring for. Gramma loved to read, working on three of four books at a time along with the Bible. But, what she loved most was her family and friends.
John and Chris moved to Bishop in 1980, John Jr., and, son John Sr. along with grandson John Jr. and Mike ran West Line Texaco and Hi-Mountain Rentals in Bishop for years. Gramma went back to work at the age of 60 in the billing department at Northern Inyo Hospital, the first time she had to punch a time clock in four decades. John and Chris moved to Oregon briefly, but returned to family and Bishop for the rest of their days.
Gramma had a grace and generosity that was genuine and never lost to age. She could make friends in an instant and had thousands of them. She had friends from second grade that still kept in touch.
“She was one of my best friends and has been such a part of my life, I want to go to her and tell her that I’ve lost this beautiful person in my life and have her hold my hand and tell me ‘It’s going to be fine, Honey,’” said grandson Mike Bodine.
Chris was preceded in death by her husband John A., brother Cecil Cunningham, son John Charles, daughter-in-law Diana Mae Bodine and nephew Brian Heller. She is survived by her daughter Terry and son-in-law Jim Pledger of Newhall, grandsons Mike Bodine of the Eastside and Charlie Bodine of Agua Dulce, great grandchildren Diana Bodine of Bishop, J.C. Bodine of Agua Dulce, along with Jonathon, Megan, Sara and great-great granddaughter Maya, other family members, Rita Heller of Michigan and Claudie Montgomery of Oregon and numerous friends.
Donations can be made to one’s favorite charitable organization in memory of Gramma, Chris Bodine. Or in a true memory to her, just be nice to someone, show some compassion, offer them something to eat, tell someone things are going to be alright, Gramma would approve.
