Monday, February 17, 2025

~  Christie  ~

Christiana Irene Noehren Fernandez

December 26, 1939 - February 17, 2024 


Paper flowers 
made by 
Christie

Today is the one year anniversary of our sister's death.
I am Christie's half-sister Molly, we share our mother. She was 18 years older than me and a bit removed from my life here and there, through different times. I am so happy to say that for the last 25 + years I have felt close to her.  I admired her determination to be independent and her amazing belief that she could do anything as long as she had the right information. She was an avid climber of roofs with no fear of falling, did amazing jobs of repairs for herself which I believe gave her a delight in her abilities.  She also had enormous creative abilities. Here is a bit more of her story.



Baby Christie on her mother's lap

Born to Walter Noehren and Virginia Louise Irvin (Noehren/Hagopian) in Hartford Conn, Christie’s parents were very young (by today’s standards), her mother had been a student at Bennington College, just shy of graduation by a single class when she was swept away by Walter Noehren, a near by student of medicine.  Within a year Christie was born and a year and one month later she had a brother Jamie (Jamison).


Walt and Virginia in the early years



Christie experimenting touching her baby brother



Christie seated, Jamie standing



Studio portrait of Jamie and Christie

When Christie was born, Walt was an intern earning his medical degree.  It was difficult for the family to live on a student doctor’s income. They moved around a bit, eventually moving to Vancouver, Washington where Walt became one of the first doctors for the newly formed Kaiser Foundation, while Virginia was the staff artist for the Portland Oregonian Newspaper.



I remember my mother talking about an old model A touring car they had.  The story she told me was that Christie was very happy where she was inside our mother,  so Walt would drive our mother  on the bumpiest roads in the area, in  that old car, to try and get her to come out!


This is a beautiful photo of Christie, Jamie, Mom and Walt on a hillside. 


How elegant was our mother, and a bit skeptical the children.



Christie



On the beach



Walt 




Christie made a series of paper faces, some of which she mounted on sticks.



Jamie, Paula, Walt and Christie



I love this photo of Walt with his kids.
My Sister-in-Law, Marie, has this guitar and uses it to this day.

The Noehren Clan with Christie and Jamie








Drawing of Christie by our mother, Virginia


Christie and Jamie in front of their home on Columbia River on a winters day

Christie was ten years old when her parents divorced.  Christie’s father Walt established a career in Sandy Oregon as a doctor, and mother Virginia moved her family to a beautiful rural spot along the Columbia river, very close to Portland where their mother was deeply engaged with the Portland art scene. They loved living there but when their home burned down Christie moved with her mother and brother to San Francisco. 


Walking on the beach in front of their home



The house on the Columbia river


Christie and Jamie on the front porch


Here is a drawing of the deck with Christie and Jamie. Our mother was never without her drawing pad



Funny shot!



Christie was the granddaughter of Rea Irvin and Dorothy Goodwin Irvin. Rea Irvin was the creator of the iconic “Eustice Tilley”, the top-hatted gentleman who graces the New Yorker magazine’s cover most Februarys. Rea was the “art director” for the New Yorker from its inception to well into the late 1940’s/ early 1950's.


Christie's grandparents, Dorothy and Rea



Grandparents Dorothy& Rea, Virginia, Aunt Barbara, Walt and Christie and Jamie



Lunch in the garden in Newtown, Connecticut

During the summers Jamie and Christie would spend summers in Newtown, Connecticut with their grandparents Rea and Dorothy. The Newtown house was a beautiful old house with a swimming pond, ponies, and plenty of land to roam around on.




Our Grandparents home in Newtown Conn.






Christie's mother Virginia went to work for the San Francisco Examiner as an on-the-spot illustrator, signing her work "Gini". You can still see Virginia’s art on the walls of the Buena Vista Bar and Grill on Hyde street just several doors down from the flat they lived in. They lived there until their father, Walt, came down and whisked them away when they were staying with a neighbor family for the night. This was confusing and hard for both children and a horrible trauma for our mother.  



Virginia, Christie and Jamie living on Hyde street, San Francisco



Christie shining shoes & Jamie reading the news


Finished drawing for publication


Christie and Jamie at the piano and bench I still have



Creative Christie drawn by her mom





Stepsister, Christie, Stepmother and Jamie

Christie’s father remarried three times and had six other children (some came with the marriages), Becky, Shelly, Lynea, Darin (who passed at an early age), Carrie and Paula.  Paula, Christie and Jamie, being the oldest were counted on to help in all ways with the household. After Walt’s wife passed away in her early 30’s from cancer, Christie may have had the role of “den mother” as the one of the oldest of a large brood of kids. I know that both she and Jamie were counted on to take care of the family. 




While living in San Francisco Virginia met and married Robert James Hagopian.
Their child was me, Molly Rea (Hagopian/Morgan)


Christie and Jamie visiting their mother and new born baby sister Molly


Christie and Jamie 


Christie moved to San Francisco and worked as a secretary before she met her future husband 
Jim Fernandez




Christie, Mom and an insane looking Molly




Christie and Jim Fernandez were married in a civil marriage in San Francisco
 I believe this photo was taken in Las Vegas on their honeymoon.


Jamie, Christie and Jim at Timberline Lodge in Oregon where Christie and Jamie 
worked the bar for many summers


Visiting Mom in the hospital, Christie, Mom, my dad Bob, and me



Dinner at Christie and Jim's: 
Jamie, Molly, Mom and Christie 


Christie in her Hill St. kitchen in SF



Mom cooking with her two daughters, Christie and Molly




Jim took a job working for the IRS in Washington state. Below are photos of Christie's beloved home in Kenwood, Washington {circa early 1970's}. She and Jim purchased this house before it was completed and found deep satisfaction there.






Living room with forrest valley view


Christie in her kitchen making her Christmas cards


I so love how playful Christie was.






Christie had a dear friend in Switzerland, this is Christie and Jim visiting her there

Christie married Jim Fernandez in the early1960’s, they were married until his death in 1990. 

Christie seemed happy in her marriage to Jim, although for many in her family we felt as though we had lost our sister. It was many years before we once again were a loving family (I think this was somewhat true for both sides of her family, the Noehren clan and my mother and I). After Jim died it seemed that she was open to being with family again.  Christie came back to us in a very loving way, embracing us all. Her kindness to our mother and willingness to help, come to visit and just be there for her mother was very wonderful to see for all of us. She made it possible for Larry and I to go on a long planned trip to Europe by volunteering to come and stay with our mother for which I will always be grateful to her. Another beautiful trait she had was her ability to just send love to her nieces and nephews, no matter where they were in life, something I wish all people could give their family members.


A wonderful picture of two siblings


Molly and her kids Ryland, Haley visiting Christie in Washington State




A sweet photo of Jamie, Mom and Christie


Jamie, Mom, Christie and Lynea



A wonderful cat which Jamie and Marie have had hanging on their wall forever

Christie was a wonderful artist.  She seemed to stop her pursuit of drawing after meeting Jim but dived into making her paper flowers, charming and fun cards with all sorts of animals--real and made up--and carrot peel caricatures, all very playful and colorful.  I remember as a teenager I was blown away by her creativity.


Christie and Lynea





At our house in Marin county, we often have musicians come to play, here Chrisite and Mom are sitting on the front porch next to our friend Martha Shaw on fiddle.



In front of the Koffee Klatch restaurant



I love this picture!



Christie's visit to celebrate her mother's 80th birthday



Christie with her niece Haley



A happy mother with her children
My husband Larry, Jamie, Me, Christie, Mom and Jamies's wife Marie in front.



Marie and Christie clowning around



Family lunch, we are a lot happier than we look!
Haley, Ryland, mom's friend David, Larry,  Christie, Mom and me


Mom with two of her children, Christie and Jamie and Jamie's wife Marie


Christie with her mom


Christie with grandnephew Kaden

Christie has several grand nieces and nephews.  Molly’s children, Ryland and Haley Morgan. (Ryland’s son, Christie’s grandnephew, Kaden), Lynea and her husband Jim have one daughter, Anna, Carrie has a daughter Hunter and Paula and husband Tony have a son Johnnie.

 

Christie and I had so many conversations on ways to join a local community, which she quietly always said she did not need and was fine on her own. I must admit I was worried for her and felt the distance. I was so very glad when she did decide to purchase a computer as this seemed to open up a new door in her life.


Christie and Dennis at their favorite hang out by the bay


We are very happy knowing that Christie had such a wonderful time with Dennis, her partner of twelve years. Christie was a very shy person and for her to take Dennis’s hand when he reached out to her was very brave. Dennis was able to give Christie just what she needed. His love of adventure and driving, his friends from everywhere, were all things that created a space for Christie to thrive. She absolutely loved being with Dennis. I think his adoration of her and acceptance of just who she was, was very healing for her. 



Art by Christie on the walls of Dennis's home


Christie enjoying her glass of wine


Another sweet picture of Christie and Dennis




When Christie started feeling her pain she did all the right things, went to all the doctors and sought all the advice she could get. Dennis was her champion. Christie fell through the medical cracks. Even with Dennis railing and trying to find help, the misdiagnosis and lack of paying attention to Christie’s decline was truly devastating.  The fact that she was in such pain for so long is unconsciousable. I, and Christie’s whole family, are astounded at the medical mishap and the amount of misinformation. Christie died of Pancreatic cancer. It breaks one’s heart and makes one burn with rage. One hopes that -they- the medical professionals, will learn……….


I know that Christie would like me to acknowledge Ms. Pepper, 
her beloved cat who now lives with Dennis
She was SUCH A CAT LOVER!!!


Watercolor of ginger cat by Christie



Jamie's wife Marie, a member of our family for 52 years

I truly am grateful that our sister-in-law Marie was able to be with Christie and Dennis as she drifted away. Marie is remarkable in her ability and strength to care for those who truly need it. She is an amazing woman.

Shelly, Carrie, Becky, Lynea, Molly, Paula and Christie at our brothers memorial 

I was grateful for the time we spent in Christie’s home as a final goodbye. Having Dennis, Lynea and Carrie there was a gift, as I had never really spent any time with Christie’s’ sisters or Dennis. While we were clearing her home, we discovered drawing pads of incredible medical drawings with muscle and bone anatomy. So detailed and correct. We also found drawing books of cats and other beautifully detailed drawings. A treasure trove of art by Christie.  It was rather wonderful to be working in her home and find all these gems including all the little post-its with explanations of what each item was, or what it was for, or when it would expire. She was a meticulous person in all ways.

It was hard and uncomfortable work made positive by all the love we shared for Christie. 


My older brother and sister meant a lot to me. They were 18 and 17 years older than me, and while I never lived with them, I was so grateful to have them in my life. Christie’s Noehren family was very important to her. I know she enjoyed the yearly family get-to-gather’s and keeping in contact with the extended family. Christie was an avid letter writer, she loved to keep in touch and was very prolific. We found boxes full of copies of the letters she wrote to everyone. She was very loved by her whole circle of family and extended community that Dennis introduced her to. If I find more of her art work I will post it here.


Our Valiant sister

It was so good that we, her sisters, were all able to see her before her death. I loved that when my husband Larry walked into her room at the hospital she lit up! It looks to me like she had a special place in her heart for him. She could tell what a good guy he is! It was heartwarming to see her embrace Lynea, Carrie, Marie, Larry and I as we all visited her in the Port Angeles hospital. She was very glad to see us and that was very special for us all. Christie was game to the end.

Chrisite’s bubbly nature, her laugh and her breathy way of asking questions were unique to her. We will miss her funny sense of humor. We loved her.