| Sources |
- [S182] Social Security Applications and Claims Index 1936 - 2007, (www.ancestry.com).
Name: Kelly Ann Garthoffner
[Kelly A Garthoffner]
SSN: 560751437
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birth Date: 9 Mar 1983
Birth Place: Loma Linda, California
Citizenship or Alien Status: U.S. citizen.
Death Date: 25 Jan 2005
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Additional Information: Birth record established before age of 5.
Notes: 13 Jun 1983: Name listed as KELLY ANN GARTHOFFNER; 15 Feb 2005: Name listed as KELLY A GARTHOFFNER
- [S927] Obituary.
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2005 12:00 am
By Joan Moseley | 0 comments
The mystical life force may quietly have left 21-year-old Kelly Ann Garthoffner on Tuesday morning, Jan. 25 but the light she left behind will never be extinguished by those who loved her and were inspired by the courage she showed - particularly during the last years of her life when she put up a valiant fight against brain cancer. Kelley died at home in the mountains she loved.
Born on March 9, 1983 at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Kelly spent her entire life in the mountains where she attended Lake Arrowhead Elementary School, Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate School and was a proud member of the 2001 Rim High School graduating class. During her years at the intermediate school she had the distinction (and probably fun) of attending school where her sister, Melissa Daniels, was a teacher.
Following her graduation from Rim High, Kelley attended Riverside City College.
Always active, she played on the Rim High Lady Scots volleyball team and enjoyed long walks, even dragging her father out of bed sometimes to go with her, and she learned to enjoy the relatively new sport of kick boxing.
A young woman with a great deal of faith, Kelly was a member of Lake Arrowhead Community Baptist Church and it was the love and prayers from church members and many other mountain friends who helped sustain the family when she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 2002.
Pastor Mack Braden at Lake Arrowhead Community Baptist Church couldn't say enough about Kelly's strength and personality.
"She was quite a girl. She never quit. In fact, once people found out she was ill they would tell her they'd pray for her. She'd say, "GreatŠ Now what I can pray for for you?" Braden recalled.
"When I first moved to Lake Arrowhead two years ago, Kelly was going to have surgery at City of Hope. I visited her and it was remarkable how quickly she was back at church, kickboxing, getting out and exercising. She never gave in to her illness. She was truly amazing!"
Kelly underwent brain surgery on Nov. 6, 2002 and remarkably the family was able to take her home from the hospital just five days later. However, the prognosis wasn't good. A series of doctor's visits, chemotherapy rounds and more operations were ahead.
Throughout the years her father, Rolf, kept friends and relations abreast of his daughter's health issues through his own website.
By 2003 Kelly seemed to be doing well and was coping with the loss of her hair (as any young woman would be) but she had a lot of support and loving parents who were a huge comfort and source of strength.
On the anniversary of the day Kelly learned she had brain cancer a "Celebration of Life" was held for her, her family and friends. Although she was originally only expected to live just a few months she was able to be there and participate with everyone for two straight years in 2003 and 2004.
In addition to her parents Rolf and Karen, Kelly is survived by her sister, Melissa Daniels of Crestline; a brother, Greg Merrill of Yucaipa and a grandmother, Elisabeth Garthoffner of San Pedro.
To honor Kelly's life a memorial service will be held in the Rim High School gym at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29 when her friends and family can share their memories of Kelly's short but meaningful life.
In lieu of flowers the family asks friends to donate to one of the following organizations: Lake Arrowhead Community Baptist Church, P.O. Box 880, Lake Arrowhead, Ca. 92352; The U.C.L.A. Brain Tumor Research Program, Kelly Garthoffner Fund, 710 Westwood Plaza, Reed Building, Ste. 1-230, Los Angeles, Ca. 90095; or by logging onto www.braintumor.org, the website for the National Brain Tumor Foundation.
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1983 - 2005 (21 years)