Cora was born to Porine (Peter)(Sander) Saunders and Solome Herman on November 21, 1928 in Minatare, Nebraska. She was one of 13 children born to this couple. They moved from Kansas to Nebraska and eventually to Colorado. Cora attended school in Loveland and Longmont before she started working to make her way in the world.
She met and later married Jacob Elvin Gerstner on June 11, 1951 in Longmont, Colorado. To this marriage, four children were born: Marilyn Robb (Jim), Charles Gerstner, Eileen Gerstner and Dianne Novey (Ben). Cora was also a grandmother to four children: Steven Robb, Katie Robb, Madeline Noblett (Sam) and Andrea Novey (Sam). She was very proud to say she was a great-grandmother to Sterling Noblett and Maui Novey.
Cora was always looking for ways to provide for her family. She worked for the Longmont school district as a cook at the high school and later for Camp Seven, sewing sports clothing before going to work for a private company that made horse blankets. Besides working, she found time to crochet doilies, afghans, bedspreads and doll clothes. She sewed dresses for all three of her daughters and granddaughters. Every year at Christmas, she made sure all her god children had new flannel pajamas to sleep in. This tradition continued with her grandchildren and included a robe to really complete the outfit. Each gift was stitched with love and bore a tag that read, “Sewn with Love by Grandma.”
Cora had unwavering faith in God and, even in her 90’s, she attended the televised Mass at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Parish every Sunday. She would pray her rosary everyday and had a list of those who were apart of her intentions for that day’s prayers.
Cora loved to cook and feed her family. Another pastime included listening to country music and, in her younger days, she found joy in dancing to a good “Dutch hop” band. When her children were young, and as a stay-at-home mom, she would do daily chores to music on a record player she purchased with her Green Stamps. She would exercise to Jack LaLanne and watch her soap operas.
Cora was preceded in death by her parents, 10 siblings and her husband Jake of 65 years. She will be missed by all those who met her and, especially, her family.
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