Dorothy Mcchristy Demarco

The world lost a bit of its sparkle with the passing of Dorothy Moore McChristy DeMarco on August 2, 2018 of natural causes at home. During her 96 years on the planet, she spread joy and beauty wherever she went.

She was born April 6, 1922 in Butte, Nebraska. She attended school in Butte until the family moved to Laurel, graduated from Laurel High School, and attended the University of Nebraska, and Wayne State College. She taught elementary through eighth grade in Laurel for her first year of teaching, spent 6 years teaching second grade in Culbertson, and then 3 years teaching in Columbus Schools. She met Roger Ellis McChristy, who was a watchmaker at Rogers Jewelers, and they were married June 22, 1947. McOfe Jewelers was opened in 1952 at 2517 13th Street with a business partner, and Roger subsequently bought out his partner and changed the name to McChristy Jewelers. She always thought of that corner in downtown Columbus as her corner. Roger died in 1971, and Dorothy ran McChristy Jewelers until 2006. She married Gregory DeMarco in 1982 and was the light of his light until He died in 2006.

She was predeceased by her parents, Joseph Vest Moore and Elva Kenaston Moore, Roger McChristy, her sister Alice Moore Ross, her brother Donald J. Moore, Gregory DeMarco, and his son, Ralph DeMarco, and is survived by her sister, Marjorie Pauline Moore Stover of Rockford, Illinois, her children and their spouses Susan McChristy Baldwin and W. Ludwell Baldwin of Glastonbury, CT, Charles Lee McChristy and Amy Hein McChristy, of Columbus, NE, and her grandchildren and their spouses Quint William Oga-Baldwin and Yuko Oga-Baldwin, Susan Hollis Baldwin and Ross Husted, Spencer Lee Baldwin and Stephanie Hemmes Baldwin, Hailey Sklenar, Darren and Sang DeMarco, and Elizabeth DeMarco. Her great grandchildren are Noah, Teo, Isla, and Luke Oga-Baldwin, Terran and Skyler Husted, and Sadie and Sawyer Baldwin, Analisa and Isabella DeMarco, Larissa Web and William Owens.. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews including Paul Ross, Andy Ross, Tom Ross, Tim Ross, Robert Stover, Sarah Delmont, Cindy Carlisle, Jeff Stover, Tony Stover, and their spouses and families.

Dorothy survived the Great Depression growing up on a farm, teaching school in a one room schoolhouse, teaching elementary school in Columbus during the Second World War, becoming a single-proprietor businesswoman upon the death of her husband Roger, raising two headstrong children, guiding her second husband Greg to his eternal rest, and bringing the McChristy Jewelers enterprise into the hands of the next generation. She did all this with grace and grit, all the while growing a showplace garden where she spent her last moments caring for her plants. She will not drive to her funeral, but many would not be surprised if she did; she still had her license . . . Friends who would like to join for reminiscences are invited to meet at the McKown funeral home on Wed, August 8 from 4 to 7 pm. Her memorial service will be held at the Federated Church in Columbus on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 10:30 am with luncheon immediately following. In lieu of flowers, donations may be offered in her memory to the Federated Church, Literacy Volunteers of America, Columbus Public Library, or a charity of your choice.