Humphries, Christine

Christine Humphries, a renowned church organist and pianist, died Tuesday at her home in Solon, Iowa. She was 56.

Christine was born Jan. 17, 1955, in Macon, Ga., to Roland and Marion Paulson. She grew up in Cocoa, Fla., and graduated from Cocoa High School. She learned to play the organ at an early age, and taught students piano and organ while still in high school.

In 1974, she married Raymond Humphries and moved to Orlando, Fla. Three months after they were married, Christine was critically injured in a tragic fire when a gasoline can, they were keeping in the bedroom because of the gas crisis, exploded. She was flown to a hospital in Charleston, S.C., where doctors said she had little chance of surviving. Christine surprised doctors when she survived and resumed playing the piano and organ, despite her badly burned hands. She moved to Iowa for medical care and joined the Coralville United Methodist Church in 1989, and went on to become church organist and a devoted church member. She also cowrote a book about her experiences, titled ``Never Let Me Ask, Why Me.''

Survivors include two children, Shawn Humphries of Newton, Iowa, and Amanda Calek of New York; granddaughters, Chloe and Ella Humphries; her brother, Steven Paulson of Arvada, Colo.; and a sister, Sandi De Felice of Pinellas Park, Fla.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, at the Coralville United Methodist Church, where visitation will be one hour before the services and following with a reception.

A memorial fund has been established in Christine's memory.

Online condolences may be sent for her family through the Web at .

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for her family and services.

Published Sept. 3, 2011, in The Gazette