Justie E. Gist (1977)
GIST, GODBY, MOULDS
Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 12/5/2008 at 14:53:36
Earlham Echo – February 3, 1977
Obituary
“As for man, his days are as -------, as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.” This sounds like the description of one who very suddenly left this life, just as did our friend, Mr. Justie Gist. We sat together only a few days ago in their home, chatted and had prayer together, and that was our final visit here on earth.
Justie was born near Lake City, Iowa, on April 18, 1906. That was the exact day of the San Francisco earthquake, so he often referred playfully to his birth as an earth-shaking event. At his passing he had reached 70 years, 8 months and 5 days.
After receiving his elementary education at Lake City, he attended and was graduated from the University of Iowa at Iowa City. On August 19, 1930 he was married to Marjorie Godby, the wedding taking place in this very church were we are met today. Two sons were born to them, William and Robert. William lost his life in a tragic plane accident as he was returning from Egypt to attend high school here in Earlham. Robert lives near Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Gist’s only sister, Mrs. Ethel Moulds, preceded in death in 1973, but he leaves two nieces and a nephew and many other relatives by marriage.
In his occupation, he first worked for Western Electric, and following World War II got into the U.S. State Department Foreign Service and was stationed at American embassies abroad. These included Warsaw, Poland; Egypt; Tel Aviv, Israel; Tangier, Morocco; Paris, Abdijan or the Ivory Coast of Africa and finally Sofia, Bulgaria. He used to state that he both began and ended his assignments in countries dominated by Communistic influence.
After he officially retired from the State Department he worked for the Institute of International Education in New York. From there the couple moved to Green Forest, Arkansas for four years before coming to Valley View in 1972.
Justie was a man that moved with dignity and poise. His many contacts around the world and his voluminous reading left their imprint upon him. But he was also one with a big heart. He was quick to respond to any need among those with whom he lived. Perhaps his final neighborly deed was in using his car to bring one of our residents from the Health Center to her cottage home. This was done only hours before he was stricken, and it remains a symbol of his life. Justie had a ready sense of humor, and will be sadly missed by those who knew him.
We know his story would be incomplete without reference to his devoted wife and life companion, Marjorie. Through all their coming and going in this country and abroad she was able to maintain her composure and was a stabilizing force in the home.
May God’s peace rest upon all who remain and may Heavenly things even in these hours of bereavement come into the sharpest focus, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone,” says God, “and he that putteth his trust in him shall not be put to shame.”
Interment was made in the family plot here at Earlham.
Gravestone Photo
Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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