Gwen Endrizzi

Gwen Endrizzi, known to many as Momma Gwen, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 10, 2008, at home. Gwen was born on June 26, 1917, at home, to Paul and Christine Glasscock in Waterville, WA. As a child, she lived in Anacortes, Sultan and Waterville. She graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1936, as Salutatorian of her class. After high school, she attended WSU and later met and married Joe Cearlock in 1938. Out of that marriage six children were born, Jim, Sheri, Dennis, Patty, Sharlene and Karlene. In August of 1957, she married Chet Endrizzi and they had a son, Dan, who was born in 1959. While raising the family, she also took care of many foster children. She became attached to all of them and it was difficult for her when it was time for them to move on. Chet and Gwen adopted two of the foster children later in life, Tim and Michael, who joined the family of now nine children. She also had a daycare for many years. In 1967, they moved to Leavenworth and she became known as Momma Gwen. She was very fond of the kids and many she had from a very early age and she followed their sports through high school, trying never to miss a game. Chet died in January of 1998, and she moved to Wenatchee, but that did not stop her from taking the Link Bus or getting a ride to Leavenworth to attend the games. She was an avid sports fan, taking the Senior Center bus to Seattle for Mariner games, attending the Apple Cup games with her grandsons, going to WSU games on occasion with her granddaughter and her husband, as well as attending the Apple Sox games. There was a lot of fun rivalry between the grandchildren WSU versus UW. On Apple Cup game days she would put on her WSU colors and the boys would put up purple and gold banners and they would yell and scream for their own team, but they always laughed in the end. She loved her daily trip to the Senior Center, where she took a lot of pride in helping to serve food to the others. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were very special to her and she always was happy when they were around and she looked forward to their visits. We were blessed to have her in our lives for as long as we did, but she will be missed by many. She is survived by her daughters, Sheri (Pat) Allen of Wenatchee, Patty (Dave) Sepanen of Renton, Sharlene (Don) Soltero of Sammamish and Karlene Bickel of Bothell; and sons, Dan Endrizzi of Whitefish, MT and Tim and Mike Endrizzi of Wenatchee. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Merrily Cearlock of Richland, WA; and 19 grandchildren, Teresa, Jim, Cheryl, Janice, Ken, Bo, Jody, Synette, Chris, Kelly, Kristi, Karri, Tara, Kristin, Molly, Jason, Stephen, Jennifer and Rebecca; 33 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her mother, Christine Wright in 1950; father, Paul Glasscock in 1923; stepfather, Glen Wright in 1962; brother, Dick Wright in 2006; husband, Chet in January of 1998; sons, Dennis Cearlock in 2007 and Jim Cearlock in 2007. We would like to give a special thanks to Carol Coston at Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and Dusty, Tera, Kim and Bree at NCW Hospital, who were always there for her and treated her with patience and kindness. A Reception to Celebrate her Life will be held for family and friends at the Bavarian Lodge in Leavenworth from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 23, 2008. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Knights of Columbus, at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Wenatchee. Wards Funeral Chapel, Leavenworth is in charge of arrangements. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

Published in the Wenatchee World from 11/15/2008 - 11/18/2008


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