Obituary: Dorothy Sander-Cederlof

Dorothy Ethel (Glasscock) Sander-Cederlof

1915 - 2008

Dorothy Ethel Glasscock was born July 6, 1915, in Rialto, California, the fourth child of Wilmer and Ethel (Musgrove) Glasscock. She died at 3:35am, April 28, 2008, in the Integrated Nursing and Rehab Care of Glendora (formerly Emmanuel Nursing and Rehabilitation Center), 805 W. Arrow Hwy, Glendora, California. She reached the age of 92 years, 9 months, and 22 days.

Dorothy was born and raised in Rialto. Her father was the mayor of Rialto 1918-1924; her mother, the President of the Women's Club. [See Wilmer Glasscock’s obituary.] The family home is still standing and being lived in at the northeast corner of 3rd street and Riverside Ave. Her wedding dress is kept in a display case at the Rialto Historical Society (201 N. Riverside Ave.), along with many school photos of her time spent there. This dress was also worn by her mother, Ethel Glasscock, at her wedding in 1904, and was made by Ethel’s step-mother Inez (Cook) Musgrove.

Dorothy married H. Walker Sander-Cederlof February 6, 1938 at the Congregational Church in San Bernardino, California. He was born May 8, 1913 and died October 8, 1979, both in San Fernando, California. They divorced in 1966.

In the 1950’s Dorothy went back to school and became a Licensed Practical Nurse. She worked for a while in a Tuberculosis hospital in Tallahassee, Florida. She continued her nursing career in California, working full-time at various hospitals and nursing homes until she was 77 years old.

On March 31, 1996, as she wrote in her Bible, she received Jesus Christ as her Savior, and was born again. Dorothy was baptized as a believer at the age of 83, on Wednesday, April 7, 1999. Before entering the waters she gave the following brief testimony: “As a child I went to Sunday School and learned about God and Jesus Christ, but as I grew older I didn’t nurture what I had learned. Always there was something lacking within me. On March 31, 1996, I got down on my knees and asked Jesus into my heart and accepted His forgiveness for all my sins. Since then, my life has not been the same. One change is that tonight I want to be baptized by immersion in obedience to God’s Word and to make a public declaration that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.”

She was preceded in death by her parents, Wilmer and Ethel Glasscock; brother, Richard Glasscock; sisters, Elizabeth Range and Lillian Serpa; a grandson, David Nathan Sander-Cederlof; a granddaughter, Nasha Crowell, and a great-grandson, Samuel Aiden Cole.

She is survived by her three children Robert Brian Sander-Cederlof of Rowlett, Texas; George Walker Sander-Cederlof of Littleton, Colorado; and Marilee Joan Crowell of Covina, California; 10 grandchildren (Patricia, Julie, Joanna, Edward, James, Debra, Theresa, Alicia, Leah, Shayna); 3 step-grandchildren (Matthew, Jason, Jeremy); and 24 great-grandchildren (Seth, Trevor, Alex, Jordan, Malcolm, Ian, Brandon, Rebekah, Jessica, Joshua, Tabitha, Carys, Rhys, Steven, Eric, Evan, Andrea, Breanna, Ethan, Kaden, Aaron, Kyla, Nathan, Adina). Another great-grandchild is coming soon, to be born in Israel.

The family received visitor’s Wednesday afternoon and evening at McNearney Family Mortuary, (909) 875-1123, 130 South Willow Ave., Rialto, CA 92376 Wednesday afternoon and evening, 4pm to 8pm.

A memorial service was held in the sanctuary of Christ Community Church, 1432 W. Puente Ave, West Covina, 9:00 am, May 1, 2008. The service included brief testimonials from family and friends, and a message by Pastor Lance Sparks.

A graveside service at 1:00 pm was held the same day at Rialto Park Cemetery, 200 N. Willow Rialto, CA 92376 - 909-820-2626. Tom Mason, a close friend from Christ Community Church, led the service. At the close individual flowers were placed on the beautiful pink casket by each of those attending, the casket was lowered into the grave, and everyone was invited to place a shovel-full of dirt into the grave. Everyone stayed and some shoveled until the grave was filled. Dorothy’s grave is near the southeast corner of the cemetery. [ See Findagrave Page ]

Dorothy at Memorial Day 2007 Celebration

At a Memorial Day celebration back in 1925 at this same cemetery, Dorothy recited the poem “In Flanders’ Fields”. She was nine years old. Then again, at another Memorial day celebration in 2007, she read the same poem. She began with, “I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Rialto.”

After the Graveside Service, the curators of the Rialto Historical Society Museum (John Adams and Jean Randall) opened the doors and allowed the family/friends to view the interesting items and to see Dorothy’s wedding dress within the glass display case.

Ties to Rialto went back decades

82 years separated Glasscock's roles in Memorial Day events

Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell, Staff Writer

Published in Redlands Daily Facts on 05/19/2008

In 1925, Dorothy Glasscock was part of the Memorial Day celebration at Rialto Park Cemetery. The 9-year-old girl quoted the poem “In Flanders Fields.”

Her ties to the city were so strong that last year she was again part of the same celebration, this time a larger event with parades, speakers, flags and music.

She read the poem again, this time from a large-print copy.

“It was like she had come full circle from where her life started to where she ended up,” said her daughter, Marilee Crowell of Covina. “It was a very special moment for her.”

Glasscock died April 28 in the Integrated Nursing and Rehab Care of Glendora. She was 92.

She was born July 6, 1915, in Rialto, the fourth child of Wilmer and Ethel Glasscock.

Her parents, who came to Rialto in 1907 to raise oranges, lived in a grove, and she spent many long and happy hours playing with friends there.

But when a big freeze killed the orange crop, the family had to look for other ways to make a living.

Her father soon found one: He went on to devote most of his life to the Pioneer Title Insurance and Trust Co.

The family was also involved in the community from early on.

Her father was mayor of Rialto from 1918 to 1924, and her mother was president of the Women’s Club.

Her parents emphasized the importance of getting an education to their four children, and all of them went on to college.

She was working in a five-and-dime store when her future husband, Walker Sander-Cederlof, strolled in. “He walked in, saw her and decided she was the one for him,” said her son, Bob Sander-Cederlof of Rowlett, Texas.

In 1938, the couple were wed at the Congregational Church in San Bernardino.

The wedding dress she wore was the one her mother, Ethel Glasscock, wore in 1904. It was made by Ethel’s stepmother, Inez Musgrove.

The dress is now in a display case at the Rialto Historical Society, along with many school photos of her time spent there.

Her new husband had a number of occupations in the couple’s early years.

They included working as projectionist in a movie house (where he reportedly heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor), as a roughneck in the oil fields, and in construction.

His work took the couple and their three children to Bakersfield, Compton and other California cities.

During World War II, he joined the State Guard in California while she dealt with the hardships of war such as rationing, her son said.

She was busy raising her children and with community activities.

Around this time, they began operating a small motel in Tallahassee, Fla. Their big innovation at the time was installing black-and- white televisions in every room.

Also while in Florida in the 1950s, she went to a vocational school to become a licensed practical nurse. She worked in a tuberculosis hospital there.

Her husband went overseas to work, and the marriage did not last. They were divorced in 1965. He died at age 66.

She did not remarry.

She continued her nursing career in California, working full-time at various hospitals and nursing homes until she was 77.

Her mother spent the last seven to eight years of her life in a nursing home in the suburbs of Los Angeles, and she got a job there.

“Here she was working as a nurse and being paid for being a caregiver for her own mother,” her son said.

She became a Christian in 1996 and was baptized in 1999 at age 83.

She remained active in the church until she needed to be helped into a pew, said her son.

Glasscock kept up her ties to Rialto and returned to the city for the Memorial Day celebration a year ago.

“It was very nostalgic when she got in front of the microphone, and her words were, ‘I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Rialto,’” her daughter said.

She is also survived by her son, George Walker Sander-Cederlof of Littleton, Colo.; 10 grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service was held May 1 in the sanctuary of Christ Community Church.

A graveside service was held the same day at Rialto Park Cemetery.