Christina Marie Musclow, 87, of Clearwater and Leesburg, FL, passed away on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, at the Brookdale Beckett Lake Assisted Living Facility. She was born on Mother’s Day in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and named after her mother. While she officially moved to Florida in 2014 from Flint, MI, she and her husband were winter visitors in Leesburg, FL for almost ten years.
When Christina was 10, during the depression, her dad found work with family in England. So they took the ship “Empress of Australia” to Addlestone, where her parents were originally from. Less than a year later, the family moved back to Hamilton, Ontario where she continued her schooling and took piano lessons.
She grew up attending Delta Tabernacle where she got saved, taught Sunday School, and met her future husband. At age 16, she walked to Ottawa Street to work at the Royal Bank of Canada. There she was nicknamed “Sunshine”. Her smile would light up a room and everyone who knew her commented on her beautiful smile.
She married Robert “Bob” Norman Musclow in 1950. Six (6) months after she was married they moved to Brantford, Ontario. She worked as a secretary for the accounting firm Glendening, Jarrett, Gray, and Roberts. Within a year they moved to Three Hills, Alberta, near Calgary, to work on staff at Prairie Bible Institute. Robert worked in the print shop and she worked in the school office.
They moved to Flint, MI, three and a half years later because of health reasons. Christina had to live at Bob’s parents’ farm until she gained US citizenship. She moved to Flint just in time to have Kent, her oldest son. “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus” became one of her favorite hymns to play on the piano during this time. Laura was born 3 years later, then Terry one year after that. In Flint, she attended Riverside Tabernacle where she taught children’s church and sang in the church choir. She was also a successful Antique dealer in Flint after her kids were grown.
Christina and Bob started Graphic Press and retired in their 50’s to volunteer for MAPS. They traveled helping missionaries and churches across the U.S. While wintering in Clearwater they attended Clearwater First Assembly. Eventually they purchased a home in Leesburg for the winter months and attended Trinity Assembly of God for almost 10 years. Christina sang in the choir at Hawthorne in Leesburg and belonged to the quilt club. She loved to sew and was very creative. Bob passed away in 2011 and Christina continued to travel back and forth – summers in Flint and winters in Leesburg.
Even though she was not well, Christina held Bible studies in her home in Flint during the summer months. She sold her home in Flint in July, 2014 and moved into Brookdale at Beckett Lake Assisted Living Facility in Clearwater to be near her daughter. She attended Clearwater First Assembly when her health allowed.
After a month long battle in and out of the hospital with elevated CO2 levels, she came home to Brookdale under Hospice care where she passed away five days later. In the ALF she smiled and told everyone “Jesus loves you”. She gave away her Bibles to residents and prayed for them. In the hospital she smiled and told every doctor, nurse and assistant “Jesus loves you”. She sang hymns and choruses even though every breath was a struggle. The sparkle in her eyes and the smile on her face revealed who was living in her heart. Her whole life was wrapped up in Jesus.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Marie Hack; her husband of 61 years, Bob; and her brother, Lloyd Hack. She is survived by her sons, Kent (Norma) of Otter Lake, MI and Terry (Laurie) of Morris, IL; daughter, Laura Sebold of Clearwater; sister-in-law, Elizabeth Lackey (Rev. Earl Lackey) of Caledonia, Ontario; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial Services are scheduled for August 1st at 11:00am at Riverside Tabernacle in Flint, MI.
Please take time to leave a message in the guestbook for the family.
Your family are in our thoughts and prayers. She will be missed.
Dan and Charlotte Congdon
Norma, Kent and family,
So sorry for your loss. I never knew Kent’s mother but she sounds like she was a wonderful person and I’m sure she will be missed by many.
My condolences,
Carol Delidow
Sorry to hear of your moms passing.
She is with Jesus!
Valerie Schaefer
So sorry for your loss, what a pleasure your mother was. Only knew her since 2011 and enjoyed our visits. She still has that beautiful smile in heaven. Prayers are with you.
You are all in our prayers. Chris loved to reminisce about our snowmobile trips. We sure had fun!
We’ll always remember that beautiful smile!
Sorry to hear of your loss, Laura. I don’t think I ever had the privilege of meeting your mother, during our high school days at Prairie, but I feel like I have known her, as, in reading the tribute, there is so much of her in you. I know you and your family will find comfort in the promise of eternal life with Jesus that was so evident in your mom’s life. Your friend, Marion
Dear Laura, Kent, Terry & families,
What a joy it was to know your mother thru the years at Riverside Tabernacle, & also in Florida where our Riverside snow birds got together for many years at Hawthorne park, for our soup & salad suppers, songs & game night.
Your mom was a special lady with God given talents, & love she displayed toward others. She will be sadly missed by so many, but for those of us who know Jesus as our savior, we know we will see her again someday soon.
Our love and prayers go out to all your family.
Wilma & Rick Key
Laura, your Mom was such a sweet lady and she always took time on Ladies Bible Study days to come into my office and talk and always gave us a smile and hug on Sunday mornings. When she moved to Clearwater, your Mom still sent letters to the church and I. Your Mom will be missed so much by so many but she most certainly is in heaven with Jesus smiling down on us. God bless you and the family.