Grief and a desire to help others leads Rehrig down volunteer’s path.
by Van Mitchell, staff writer
Through grief and a natural desire to help others, volunteerism is a part of Glo Rehrig’s daily life.
“I just like to help people. I do not want to just sit and do nothing,” Rehrig said.
Born in Oklahoma City, Rehrig, 95, has spent most of her life in Oklahoma County. She attended Oklahoma City and Putnam City Schools before graduating from Northeast High School.
She studied at Oklahoma State University for three years, got married, and had two sons. She earned a cosmetology license and operated a shop for several years.
Rehrig, a resident of Villagio of Bradford Village Independent Living in Edmond, taught cosmetology at Central High School for five years while attending OSU, where she earned a degree in Trade and Industrial Education.
She continued her education at Central State College (now UCO) in Edmond and earned a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling. She served as a counselor at Foster Estes Vo-Tech, Putnam City High School, Edmond Mid-High, and Edmond Memorial High School where she retired in 1990.
“I enjoyed cosmetology, and I enjoyed the counseling,” she said. “I have run into lots of my students still, and they remember me. And we have a good relationship with each other, and I’ve enjoyed that.”
Rehrig’s two sons Alan and Phil were the lights of her life. They were very active in sports, and she happily watched as the boys started on Edmond Memorial’s basketball teams; both were part of Oklahoma All-State basketball in high school.
Alan, the younger son, played basketball all four years at OSU and football for one year. Sadly, Alan was murdered in 1985, and the case is officially unsolved.
Rehrig formed a support group and attended training to facilitate helping families of homicide victims. She worked with the Oklahoma City Police Department, the District Attorney, and the state Medical Examiner for 10 years, helping many families adjust to the tragedy of losing a loved one so abruptly.
Mercy Hospital’s NICU unit was the next volunteer spot for Rehrig. She rocked premature babies twice a week for 5 years. She completed her volunteer career by spending 5 years at the OSBI Forensic Center (just south of UCO’s University Center) where she led tours of the facility and reprised her work with a Homicide Family Support group.
“Because OSBI just opened their forensic center, and I went over to talk to them to see if they would take me on,” she said. “They had never taken volunteers before, but they took me. I scheduled meetings and did work with the victims because I’m a victim.”
Phil, Rehrig’s first son, taught and coached basketball at Christian Heritage Academy for many years. He succumbed in October 2017 after a second-attempt bone marrow transplant.
She said her faith has been a guiding light for her in dark times.
“For all my life, my faith has carried me through. The death of my sons was the worst thing that I’ve ever gone through,” he said. “It (son’s murder) still has not been settled. I’m still praying for it. I hope it will happen before I die.”
Rehrig has 8 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, most of whom live in the Oklahoma City area.
Rehrig and her husband George traveled to Europe in 1975 and to Hawaii in 1976. They were married for 16 years; among her memories included his joy with the children, and that he shared her love for basketball! After his death, she continued to travel with friends going to Alaska and on other cruises.
Rehrig is blessed with a wide circle of friends from teaching school, OSBI work, First Christian Church in Edmond, and those she has met at Results Gym.
Bradford Village resident Winnie Hall is her sister. In the past, she made tables from barn wood and professionally hung wallpaper. She anticipates showing her love for gardening by establishing a flower garden at her cottage.
“I’ve enjoyed being up here at Villagio of Bradford Village Independent Living. I like this facility and what they do with us and what they plan for us. They work so hard to keep everybody busy,” she said.
