Cora Evelyn (Bittel) Flora was born April 8, 1931 near Quinter to Anton and Katherine (Dreiling) Bittel. She was the 6th of 8 children. She passed away on December 19, 2016 at the Gove County Long Term Care at the age of 85 with her daughters at her side.
Cora grew up on a farm south of Quinter. She attended grade school in a one room schoolhouse, Harmony School. She lived in Quinter with friends of the family so she could earn her high school diploma from Quinter High School. She graduated in 1949. After graduation, she worked as a bookkeeper at Younger Accounting and then at the Quinter Coop Office. There she met a young man, just home from the war, who also worked for the Quinter Coop. The young man would swoop over her family’s farm in a plane to impress her but didn’t impress her father.
October 21, 1950 Cora married that young man, the love of her life, Lowell Flora at St. Michael Catholic Church in Collyer. They moved to the Flora farm seven miles northeast of Quinter where they raised their 3 daughters and farmed until 2008. Cora’s specialty was cooking for the hired men who worked on the farm. She raised chickens, pigs and gardened. Cora also loved to sew and embroider towels which she usually gave away. She also liked to read and watched or listened to all the news channels and EWTN.
1966 Cora started working at the Gove County Long Term Care as a nurses aide. She worked as a nurses aide, scrub tech and in central supply and sterilizing for Gove County Medical Center for 44 years. She was a member of the Great Plains Society for Hospital Central Service Personnel. Her last years at the Gove County Medical Center, she worked at the Tender Hearts Day Care where she took care of the babies in the nursery. After retiring Cora was involved with the GCMC Auxiliary and volunteered for the Senior Companions.
Cora was baptized in the Catholic faith. She belonged to St. Micheal Catholic Church, Collyer, Ks and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Park, Ks. She was a member of the Sacred Heart Altar Society. Cora always felt she was called to bring young people to Christ. She always encouraged young men to be priests.
She never tired of praising God and talking about Jesus to her grand and great grandchildren and anyone who would listen.
Cora is survived by her daughters, Gayleen Bernal and husband Jesse, Garden City; Coleen Tummons and husband Dwight, Quinter, and Mickie Mason and husband, David, Mulvane. 11 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Charles Bittel and wife Pat, Blue Springs, Mo. Her sister in laws, Rosa Pyles, Denver; Sara Lee Bentley, Shields, Angie Fishburn and husband Alvin, Lawrence; Elsie Bittel, Wakeeney and brother in law Sylvus Flora and wife Martha. She was preceded in death by her parents, her spouse of 66 years, Lowell; siblings, Elmer and Wilbur Bittel; Marietta Younger, Viola Michel, Ruth Von Lintel, and Bertha Schertz Moore.
Cora will be missed greatly by her family and the staff of the Gove County Medical Center Long Term Care and Hospital. She always had a smile and a positive word for everyone. She is now home with Jesus and the love of her earthly life, Lowell. She will be especially missed by her grandchildren and great grandchildren, whom she loved so dearly and prayed for often.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, December 22, 2016 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Park. Burial will be in the Baker Township Cemetery, Quinter.
Visitation will be Wednesday evening, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a parish vigil and rosary to follow at 7:00, at the funeral home in Quinter. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Gove County LTC to be used for the beauty shop rmodel.
Checks made to the organization may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 South Main, Quinter, KS 67752. Condolences may be sent by signing the guest book at www.schmittfuneral.com.