Greta Marie Head, 103, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 in Modesto where she had lived for about the past 12 years. For the past five years, she was a resident of Pacifica Senior Living, Modesto.
She was born Greta Marie Bantly in Oakley, Kansas on Sept. 10, 1908.
She attended college at the University of Kansas, graduated with a degree in nursing and served as an RN for almost 50 years. When World War II broke out, she was assigned overseas duty in the China-Burma-India theatre. She was in the first group of Army nurses to fly over the Himalaya Mountains into Burma where she served close to the front.
She returned to Bakersfield, California where she served as a nurse with Kern General Hospital, finishing her time with Kern General as the Director of Nurses for the Tuberculosis sanitarium in Keene, Ca.
While at Kern General, she met and married James Head. After James passed away, she went back to work as a charge nurse in a convalescent facility where she worked into her seventies.
She loved her family and remained close to her brothers and sisters-in-law and their families, enjoying family reunions and get-togethers. She loved going out to dinner with friends and family. She especially loved breakfast at Denny's after a ride, hot dogs, Fritos, Pepsi, and Fiddle-Faddle. She was a strong Christian and was a member of Valley Baptist Church of Bakersfield.
Survivors include her brother and sister-in-law John and Ione Bantly of Concord, CA; her son and daughter-in-law Mike and Kim Caskey of Escalon; daughter-in-law Debbie Thornhill of Bakersfield; two grandsons, two granddaughters, two great grandsons and two great granddaughters.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Elvis Head, her son Robert Allen Head Sr., brothers and sisters-in-law Van and Julia Bantly and Jim and Jean Bantly.
Services were held at the Chapel at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mortuary in Bakersfield on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Donations in her memory may be made to the VFW-Tehachapi (Post 5948) or VFW-Bakersfield (Post 3741), the American Red Cross, the Humane Society, or Valley Baptist Church of Bakersfield.
Arrangements by Deegan Funeral Chapel.
The Escalon (Calif.) Times
Nov. 9, 2011
She was born Greta Marie Bantly in Oakley, Kansas on Sept. 10, 1908.
She attended college at the University of Kansas, graduated with a degree in nursing and served as an RN for almost 50 years. When World War II broke out, she was assigned overseas duty in the China-Burma-India theatre. She was in the first group of Army nurses to fly over the Himalaya Mountains into Burma where she served close to the front.
She returned to Bakersfield, California where she served as a nurse with Kern General Hospital, finishing her time with Kern General as the Director of Nurses for the Tuberculosis sanitarium in Keene, Ca.
While at Kern General, she met and married James Head. After James passed away, she went back to work as a charge nurse in a convalescent facility where she worked into her seventies.
She loved her family and remained close to her brothers and sisters-in-law and their families, enjoying family reunions and get-togethers. She loved going out to dinner with friends and family. She especially loved breakfast at Denny's after a ride, hot dogs, Fritos, Pepsi, and Fiddle-Faddle. She was a strong Christian and was a member of Valley Baptist Church of Bakersfield.
Survivors include her brother and sister-in-law John and Ione Bantly of Concord, CA; her son and daughter-in-law Mike and Kim Caskey of Escalon; daughter-in-law Debbie Thornhill of Bakersfield; two grandsons, two granddaughters, two great grandsons and two great granddaughters.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Elvis Head, her son Robert Allen Head Sr., brothers and sisters-in-law Van and Julia Bantly and Jim and Jean Bantly.
Services were held at the Chapel at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mortuary in Bakersfield on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Donations in her memory may be made to the VFW-Tehachapi (Post 5948) or VFW-Bakersfield (Post 3741), the American Red Cross, the Humane Society, or Valley Baptist Church of Bakersfield.
Arrangements by Deegan Funeral Chapel.
The Escalon (Calif.) Times
Nov. 9, 2011
