Gladys Chamberlain

On Sunday, September 14, 2014, Gladys Erna Moeller Chamberlain, widow of the late William F. Chamberlain, quietly passed away. Gladys had been a resident of Kerrville since 1957 when her husband accepted a post at the U.S.D.A. She was active in many community activities and had a gregarious personality. Gladys was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Morris and Ida Moeller and though her birth certificate lists September 11, 1920 as her date of birth, she was in fact born on October 8, 1920. There is an amusing story about her father meeting the doctor who attended her home birth, in a tavern the following spring to fill out paperwork, before registering it at the courthouse. When Morris returned from his errand Mrs. Moeller berated him soundly for not accurately remembering his daughter's birth date.\r\n\r\nThe Moeller family moved south to Idaho and then on to the Pacific Northwest, finally settling in Portland, OR, where Gladys attended primary through high school. She was petite in stature but resilient and irrepressible in nature, having grown up on a farm with two brothers. In an era most women did not attend college, Gladys found a way to follow her dreams, earning a B.S. degree from the University of California at Berkeley in Home Economics, in 1944.\r\n\r\nWhile attending U.C. Berkeley, she met a handsome graduate student named Bill at a folk dancing class. That was the beginning of a partnership that lasted over sixty years. The two were wed on Friday, December 21, 1945 in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Berkeley, California. Gladys worked her way through school and afterward while Bill completed his doctorate. As a new bride she worked at the Donut Corporation in Berkeley. The couple left their Alma Mater when Bill accepted a teaching job in Clemson, SC, at Clemson Agricultural College, an all-male, military college; presently a co-ed institution named Clemson University.\r\n\r\nOnce settled in SC they began construction on their first home; it had a unique staircase, a giant fireplace, and a great room large enough for energetic folk dancing. Every free moment the young couple spent working on the house, dancing, or gathering insects for their extensive collection. In anticipation of eventually returning to the west coast, Bill and his growing family moved west to Kerrville. Gladys left her beloved house behind and focused on making new friends in Texas. She joined a local chapter of AAUW (American Association of University Women), an organization she belonged to for over fifty years.\r\n\r\nGladys chaired a major fundraiser for AAUW held each year at the Texas Arts and Crafts Fair, and worked the ice cream booth tirelessly, alongside club members and family. The Chamberlains started a folk dancing club which met at Dietert Claim for decades. They danced locally and performed in San Antonio at regional folk dancing events, even into their eighties. The late Betty Casey authored a book on international folk dancing and traditional costumes, featuring the Chamberlains dancing in traditional garb. She enjoyed playing canasta for fun and friendship but also played to win. Anytime that she could leave the other team holding a large number of cards put a smile on her face.\r\n\r\nGladys supported her children and grandchildren in their education and extracurricular activities, embracing a wide range of interests from 4H to Scouting. She could always be counted on to go camping at a minute's notice, bake three dozen cookies in a pinch, feed the kids' pets, chauffeur her children and their friends to games, slumber parties, after-school events, and more. She was patient, kind, and thoughtful in mentoring the children who came and went in the Chamberlain home. Gladys opened her home to foreign students attending Schreiner University, hosting repeating exchange students from Thailand. One month out of each year Bill and Gladys took their children on a road trip, camping across America, Mexico, or Canada. On those travels they collected insects, rocks, arrowheads, date nails from train tracks, explored the U.S. parks extensively, witnessed monuments, battlefields, and historical artifacts.\r\n\r\n Gladys often joked that her hobby was baking (true indeed!). As soon as her grandchildren were old enough to stand on chairs and see over the kitchen counter, Gladys had them making cookie dough. When anyone walked into her kitchen they would see multiple measuring cups, baking sheets, cupcake liners, spatulas, all in use and dusted in a light coat of flour. She was equally athome in the forest assisting Bill with light traps for nocturnal insects. The two of them collected insects in multiple countries on multiple continents. Aside from the insects, Gladys took an interest in the native flora that was part of the ecosystems they were in. She was an ardent supporter of Xeriscaping and rainwater catchment systems. Texas A & M University is the recipient of the Chamberlain insect collection. The head of Entomology there commented on the exquisite condition of the mountings and painstaking labels, as well as the scope and variety of the insects. Gladys had the honor of having an insect paratype named after her.\r\n\r\nGladys was predeceased by her parents: Morris and Ida Moeller, her husband: William Francis Chamberlain, her brothers: Robert and Vern Moeller, a sister-in-law Alice Moeller, and a premature great granddaughter: Katherine Elizabeth Rice.\r\n\r\nShe is survived by three children and their spouses: Mike and Lou Chamberlain, Carl and Elizabeth (Muir) Chamberlain, and Lynn and Ronny Gazaway, grandchildren: Chelsea (Chamberlain) McDonald, Roxane Rice (Clifton Copple), J. Patrick Goodman, Joseph Goodman, Wesley Gazaway, Andrea Gazaway BruneIli (Patrick), and Danielle Gazaway, great grandchildren: Gage Goodman, Hunter McDonald, Addison BruneIli, and Kylie Dru Goodman, sister-in-law: Phyllis (Childs) Moeller, M.D., and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and numerous friends.\r\n\r\nAs per her wishes there will be no services. Donations may be made in her memory to the Dietert Center or a charity of one's choice.\r\n\r\n[contact-form-7 id="73" title="Send Condolences"]\r\n\r\n