Claire Christine Adams Bliss' Obituary
Our beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great-great grandmother and foster mother, Claire Bliss, passed away on September 21, 2016, in Tacoma at the age of 92.
Claire Christine Adams was born August 19, 1924, to Gertrude Dorothea Adams and Karlos Birney Adams in Seattle at Providence Hospital. Claire is the granddaughter of Washington State pioneers who settled in the area prior to November 11, 1889. Claire had three siblings: Birney, Howard and Gwen. The family moved to Barrier Island in Alaska for a fox-farming venture in 1926. This venture folded with only enough money remaining for passage home. Karlos scratched out a living until 1931 when he abandoned the family. This was during the great depression and there was not enough money for even basic housing. Those were difficult years. For a time, home was in an old chicken coop. Then a local church allowed the family to move into two small Sunday school classrooms. On Sundays the family had to vacate their “home” for weekly services. Finally, Claire was placed with relatives until 1935. At that time, Washington passed a law providing for assistance to needy families. Gertrude began receiving $25 a month to assist in supporting the family–an enormous boost from nothing.
Claire attended many schools in her early youth due to family relocations. In her first six years of schooling, she attended Bryant or Grant, Central, Northeast Tacoma and Fern Hill. Her education continued at J.P. Stewart Middle School, and concluded with graduation from Lincoln High School in 1942.
Claire married Kenneth Jay Bliss, September 26, 1942, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tacoma. They remained married for 55 years until his death May 12, 1998.
Claire was a quiet, kind girl and an active, enthusiastic member of the Girl Scouts. She became a Brownie, then Girl Scout and, as an adult, a leader for her daughters’ troops. In 1963 and 1964 she was Cookie Sale Manager for the Tacoma Girl Scout Council with responsibility for all phases of the sale.
In earlier years she worked as a Sales Clerk for the Bakers and Rhodes Brothers Department stores and J.C. Penney Company.
She felt a strong compassion for people and when her family was completed, she cared for numerous foster children over a ten-year period. In 1969 she worked as a nurses’ aide at Orchard Park Convalescent Hospital while pursuing classes to become a Licensed Practical Nurse.
In 1970, she completed her course, ranking first in her class on the Practical Nurses State Board Examination.
She was one of the LPN birth room technicians for Tacoma General Hospital from 1970 to 1972. She left that position to work in the Psychiatric Unit at Western State Hospital. In 1976 she completed an Associate degree in Mental Health Technology from Fort Steilacoom Community College, where she maintained a 4.0 overall average. Later in life she opened a gift and thrift shop in Parkland named The Rainbow’s End.
Gardening was Claire’s passion, and she always maintained a plant “hospital” with a variety of starts in plastic containers. Her green thumb was legendary, and she generously shared advice and plants with others. Her large yard had many rock paths; she had a knack for finding the right size stones to fit in the places where they were needed. She moved the paths many times but kept at it until she was satisfied. Her garden was a perennial joy. Each year she waited patiently for spring and summer to bring a bounty of flourishing blooms. Poppies, Peones, Calalilies, and Bellflowers were among her favorites. Even elusive Triliums blossomed in her loving care.
Claire is survived by her sister Gwen Cail; sons David (Pat) and Gary; daughters Anita Bliss (Dan), Marlene Morris (Tom) and Joanne Foster. In addition to her five children, Claire will be mourned by 15 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great grandchildren.
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