Obituary of Carmen Arlene Maher

Carmen Arlene Maher: Carmen was born January 20, 1921 on a farm in NE South Dakota to Peter and Etta Emily Mae (Masters) Gulsvig. They moved to the town of Britton where Carmen went to grade school. And then moved to Madison, MN where she went to Junior and Senior High School. After graduation she went to Mankato Commercial College in Mankato, MN. She went to Washington to work for the Office of Production Board October 28, 1941 and it was renamed the War Production Board after December 7, 1941. At the end of WWII she worked for the United Nations Relief and Reproduction Board and they transferred her to Shanghai, China early in 1946. Shortly after she met Bill Maher when she visited Nanking with two friends and they were married May 17, 1947 at the German Lutheran Church in Shanghai by a Baptist Chaplain. They lived in Nanking and Robert was born July 28, 1948. In November of 1948 Carmen and Robert were evacuated out of China due to the Communists and put on a ship for a 25-day trip back to the United States. Later Bill was sent back by air and arrived a week after Carmen. Their first assignment was to Biloxi, MS and then to Albuquerque, NM, Rapid City, SD, Montgomery, AL and Travis AFB, CA where Pamela was born in 1951. Next to Washington, DC and lived in Arlington, VA and it was here that Peter was born in 1955. Then, when Peter was ten months old we were transferred to Izmir, Turkey. Izmir was the Biblical City of Smyrna and we visited all the seven church sites that John wrote to in Revelations. While in Turkey, Carmen went on a Holy Land trip which was an outstanding and inspiring experience. Two years later after a 16-day tour of Europe they returned and were stationed in El Paso, TX for four years. Then a move to Weisbaden, Germany for three years and to Omaha, NE where Bill retired from the AF in 1967. We moved to Hampton, VA where Bill worked for the next years until 1975 when he was transferred to Fort Huachuca and we moved to Tucson in 1975 and we joined CPC that year. Carmen became a Presbyterian at an early age in Briton, SD, and had been blessed with many inspiring experiences including membership at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church when Dr. Peter Marshall was the minister. She has held many offices in various churches. One of the most interesting was President of the Protestant Women of Izmir, which included local Turkish women, wives of the tobacco employees there, English residents and people from the local Kiz (girl's) College. Such a diverse group, and yet so joined. She was President of the Women's Assn in El Paso, and taught Sunday School for many years. At CPC she has had many offices in the PW including Moderator, and also has been a Deacon and Elder. In every area that we have lived, we have been blessed with great supporting churches and church friends for which we are very thankful. Carmen's main interests are sewing, crafts, quilting, playing Bridge and traveling. She is survived by three children. Memorial Service 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 9, 2012 at Christ Presbyterian Church, 6565 E. Broadway Blvd. Donations in Carmen's memory may be made to NAMISA, 6122 E. 22nd Street, Tucson, AZ 85711.