(Aug. 4, 1924-Oct. 25, 2016)
Adele Ina Guisti passed away peacefully in her Lovelock home following a brief illness. At 92 years old, she was the family matriarch.
Adele is the daughter of Jim Crum and Mabel Dick,. Her siblings include Ray Crum (d), Charles Crum (d), Earl Crum (d), Christina (d) and Edith Louise Fisk.
Her family was her life. She and Walter Fisk raised nine children, six of whom were her stepchildren: Walter G. Fisk (d)(Louise) of Elko, Wanda Fisk(d) (James) of Lake Tahoe, Judith Fisk(d) (Denny) of Oregon, Merrilyn Hanson (Jerry)(d) of Oregon, Bonnie Dyer of Oregon, Warren Fisk (d) of Texas, Frank Fisk (Anita) of Lovelock, Robert Fisk (Shirley)(d) of Oregon, and Charles Fisk (d) and Cordelia of Fernley.
She was preceded in death by her husband Bruno Guisti, originally from Lovelock. Adele is also survived by her sister Edith Louise Fisk of Elko.
Adele was born in Battle Mountain, Nevada, and went to grammar school there. Her favorite teacher, Miss Black, encouraged her love of reading. Adele lived a great deal of her childhood in sheep camps where her parents worked long hours.
Books not only became her best friend since no other children lived at the camps, but they also became her constant companion throughout her life. She read on average two to three books a week. She also enjoyed music immensely and dearly loved little Tina, her miniature dappled dachshund. Adele spent many hours in her gardens. Flowers, especially roses, made the world a more beautiful place. One could always find a bird feeder or two in her gardens; both she and Tina could spend hours watching the birds as they fed.
During the war years Adele moved to San Francisco as a very young woman and learned to weld, but after earning many burn scars, she turned to taking care of children for working parents. She enjoyed being a nanny.
Eventually, Adele came home to Battle Mountain and waited tables in various restaurants until another opportunity to become a nanny presented itself. This was when she met and married Walter M. Fisk from Fallon. Eventually the family moved to Lovelock where they raised their nine children.
Adele spent 30 years, before computer search engines, gathering and carefully documenting family history. Her research proved beneficial for many extended family members needing to trace their family lineage. In Elko she was known as “Auntie and in Lovelock she was referred to as “Grandma.”
All who met her marveled at her beauty, strength, and wealth of knowledge and experiences. Adele leaves behind 33 grandchildren, over 50 great-grandchildren, and more than a dozen great-great grandchildren. There are numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins who delighted her every time they would meet. Adele would often share stories about her beloved grandmother and her cherished Shoshone culture. We loved her deeply and will miss her gentle smile and kind words.
