Christine Jo McQuiston

Christine Jo McQuiston, 67, died at 6:55 p.m. on Friday, December 12, 2014, at Flora Gardens Care Center in Flora, Illinois.

Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, at Kohn Funeral Home in Flora.  Visitation will be on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, from 12-1 p.m. at the funeral home.    Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery, Flora.  

Chris McQuiston was born February 18, 1947, in Berwyn, IL, to Robert Hugh and Helen Riggs McQuiston.  Both her McQuiston and Riggs grandparents lived nearby and were greatly involved in her growing-up years.

Her education included grade school and high school in LaGrange Park, IL; Cottey College in Nevada, MO., with a PEO scholarship, for her freshman year; and then Illinois State University, Normal, IL, where she completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History.

At age 22, she had her first and only job interview and was hired on the spot for her first and only job, at Flora High School, where she taught Social Studies and English for the next 34 years, 1969-2003.  When she came to town in 1969, she drove a Volkswagen, which students often lifted from street parking in front of the school to the sidewalk.

In the classroom, she blended what she had learned from books with what she experienced first-hand as a world traveler to the UK, Germany, France and Italy.  Also, she drew heavily on the World War II service of her father and his brother, who were in the Navy.  One of the highlights of the school year for her was her annual World War II Day, when she displayed and talked about her personal artifacts from that time.

As Sophomore Class Sponsor for many years, Miss McQuiston spearheaded the successful yearly magazine subscription sales drives to make money for the Junior-Senior Prom.

Her first 13 years at FHS were in Old Building B, “a building with character,” as she spoke of it, which contained the women’s lounge, dubbed the Harpies’ Nest.

Meticulous in her teaching, Miss McQuiston used copious hand-written lecture notes in a loose-leaf notebook each day.

Important organizations to her included Daughters of the American Revolution; PEO Sisterhood DT Chapter in Salem; Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, Foundation; Friends of the Flora Library; Clay County BPW; and the National Education Association.

Baptized into the Presbyterian Church in LaGrange Park, IL, she most recently was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Flora.

Miss McQuiston was a constant reader, particularly enjoying books and magazines about American and European history.  In addition, she loved to cook, quilt, sew, and knit.

Memorials may be made to the Flora Gardens Activity Department or Clay County Hospice.

Her grandparents and parents preceded her in death.  However, her second family was her school family.  From Flora High School, she is survived by special friends Nancy Clark, Steven Lee, Don Talmant, and Bob Elliott.  Also, she leaves behind her dedicated caregivers at Flora Gardens Care Center and Clay County Hospice.

A host of students, as well, fondly remember The Divine Miss M.

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