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Lenard Violette
KENNEWICK - Surrounded by his loving family, Lenard Violette passed away on November 6, 2012, in Kennewick, Washington.
Lenard was born to Louis and Doris Violette on September 16, 1941, in Toppenish, Washington. The first of seven children, he attended school in Wapato and graduated from high school in 1960. During these years he enjoyed hunting pheasants with his brothers Jerry and Don after church on Sundays. Lenard was an active member of FFA as a young farmer, and won many awards for his farming talents. He was proud of his farming heritage and always held the Yakima Valley close to his heart. He enjoyed everything about farming, from driving the tractor to taking his children to the auction to buy calves. He also taught his grandchildren about horses and the farming lifestyle.
He started his career as a tire salesman and added a second job truck driving, working hard to provide for his family. Lenard fully transitioned to a truck driver and worked many years for Oak Harbor Freight Lines. He retired in 2002.
Lenard was a man’s man. All of the images conjured-up when you think of a man - those were Lenard. He wore many hats over the years. He was proud of serving his community as a volunteer firefighter, and enjoyed electrical work, woodworking, and welding. Lenard grew up believing a man wore a pair of jeans, boots, and a snap shirt, and it wasn’t until he met his loving wife Judy that he started to experiment with tennis shoes, trucker hats, and shorts (the latter only once or twice). He was quiet, but strong, and had core values respected by many.
Lenard is survived by three daughters, Debbie (Rob), Leigh Anne, and Cathy (Todd). He married his love, Judy, in 1986 and inherited a daughter and son, Debbie (Pat) and John (Hope), who he thought of as his own.
Lenard loved children, and could always be found with a baby in his arms. He was the proud grandfather of 17 grandchildren including: Jenna, Samantha, Kassandra, Aria, Melane, Tyler, Jamie, Cody, Joel, Alyssa, Makenzie, Emily, Collin, Connor, Chayse, Codi-Anne, and Kaj. In addition, he had five great-grandchildren.
Lenard is also survived by his three sisters, Rose, Sharon, and Irene; and three brothers, Don, Jerry, and Jim. His parents preceded him in death.
A celebration of Lenard’s Life will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at Mueller’s Tri-Cities Funeral Home, 1401 South Union, Kennewick, WA. Graveside services will follow. Please bring a photo and a memory to share.
His family wants to extend a special thanks to the nursing staff at KGH for their loving care and attention. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Lenard’s name to the Spina Bifida Association or the Benton/Franklin County 4H program through the Franklin County Extension office.
Charlotte Ann Reith Miller
MONROE - Charlotte (Char) Miller, 94, died at home in Monroe, WA, on Thursday Nov. 1, 2012, her daughters by her side.
Charlotte was a lifelong Sunnyside resident and descendent of pioneering family JB and Charlotte (Yetter) George. JB was one of Sunnyside’s first mayors and president of the Bank of Sunnyside.
Charlotte was born in Sunnyside, WA, on February 15, 1918, to Bernice (George) and Horace L. Miller. Char grew up in Sunnyside at a time when kids swam in the clear waters of the canal. A member of honor society, she graduated from Sunnyside High School in 1936 and attended the University of Washington pledging to Chi Omega sorority.
Charlotte returned to Sunnyside to care for her little sister and help her widowed father with his insurance and mortgage loan business, Horace L. Miller Agency. She earned her realtor’s license, which was unusual for a woman at the time.
Char met Johnny Reith, who was rooming across the street on Sunnyside Avenue, they married on July 8, 1943, and purchased their first home a few doors up the street. A year later John joined the Army and Char followed him to Texas and California working for the Red Cross while he was in training. She returned to Sunnyside when he was deployed to Europe during WWII. Afterwards the young couple purchased Charlotte’s father’s business in downtown Sunnyside and ran it until 1981 when Johnny died.
Being a dedicated mother, Char was one of the original organizers of Sunnyside’s first pre-school and kindergarten. She was an active member at Holy Trinity and St. Anne’s Guild. She helped to found Sunnyside’s Orthopedic Bridge Club, which donated money to the Orthopedic Hospital in Seattle.
In 1986 Char married Don Miller, owner of Airport Ranch. The couple enjoyed 22 years together spending time with their families and traveling to Hawaii each winter. In electing them Grand Marshals of the Lighted Implement Parade, the city honored their life-long commitment and love of Sunnyside.
Charlotte is survived by daughters Bernie (Bob) Barker, Sunnyside, Joann Kendall, Monroe, and Holly (Tom) Orgill, United Kingdom; two step-children, Mike (Kristeen) Miller and Chris (Kent) Smith, both of Sunnyside; 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grands; and younger sister Marilyn Arnold.
Charlotte was preceded in death by husbands John Reith and Don Miller and older sister Kathleen Graham Hamilton.
Many people will miss Charlotte Miller. She was a loving, good, & gentle spirit. She enjoyed life whether she was playing solitaire or bridge with long-time friends, reading a good book, dancing to Big Band music, or swimming in the ocean.
A funeral service, the Reverend Dr. Peter Kalunian officiating, will be held at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 327 E. Edison Avenue, Sunnyside, WA, at 1:00 PM on Saturday, November 17, followed by inurnment in the church’s Close and a reception in the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the children would prefer donations be given to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
George William Schrindel
YAKIMA - George William Schrindel, age 89 of Naches, died in Yakima at the Cottage in the Meadow Hospice on Friday, November 2, 2012. He was born in Sedro-Woolley, Washington on May 2, 1923 to Ludwig Lewis and Anna (Kohler) Schrindel.
He graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School in 1941, and served in the Navy during World War II in the South Pacific on the USS Oglala.
George started with the Washington State Department of Wildlife in 1947, thoroughly enjoying his 43-year career, with most of those years spent at the Oak Creek Game Range with the elk, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and his family. The family joke was George sat down to only three or four family dinners in those 43 years, because he was always being called upon to help someone stuck in a ditch or the snow, lost on Bethel Ridge or had elk getting through a spot in the many miles of fencing.
George married Hazel Wood on April 12, 1947, spending over 65 years together, nearly all of those in Naches.
He was a past member of the Toastmasters Club, member and past President of Naches PTA, member for 23 years and past President of the Naches Lions Club, served eight years on the Naches School Board. He was very proud to have helped establish a Model A Explorer post at the Oak Creek Headquarters.
George also had ties to Hollywood, having helped with “To Hell and Back” with Audie Murphy on Bethel Ridge, and was very involved in helping find locations for “The Hanging Tree” with Gary Cooper in the Little Naches area. George even got to be in scenes with Cooper, Karl Malden, George C. Scott and Maria Schell.
He is survived by his wife Hazel, daughters Lynne (Lonnie) Eaton and Lori Desmarais; sons Ty (Vicke) and Tim; grandchildren Jason (Jennifer), Brooke (Amar), Trevor, Quinn, Kylie, Cameron, Kyle, Tye, Kolby, Madison, Shane and Macy; and five great grandchildren.
A Celebration of George’s life will be held at Cleman’s View Sports Park, Naches, from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 10, 2012. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cottage in the Meadow or charity of your choice.
Gerald L. Ross
YAKIMA - Gerald L. Ross of Union Gap, 75, passed away November 2, 2012 at Cottage in the Meadow in Yakima. He was born March 2, 1937 to Carl & Jessie Tabor Ross in Walla Walla, WA.
He did farm work in Walla Walla as a young man. Gerald worked for Sundale orchards for twenty years following a heart attack he worked at Boise Cascade as a guard.
He is predeceased in death by his parents and two brothers John (Jack) and Arthur. He is survived by his wife, Genevieve; son, Robert McKinney; and six grandchildren.
A Graveside Service will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, November 9, 2012 at West Hills Memorial Park.
Helen C. Dudrey
YAKIMA - Helen C. Dudrey, 92, of Union Gap, passed away at Landmark Care Center on November 3, 2012. Helen was born in Grand Island, Nebraska at her grandparents’ home on November 25, 1919, to Everett W and Helen (Ludwig) Guilford. The summer after she was born, the family moved to Wyoming traveling via covered wagon, where her father purchased a ranch in Kara Creek near Sundance, WY.
As a young woman Helen grew up on a ranch and often rode a horse to school. After completing the eighth grade she started to work for a family in town, this allowed her to attend high school as education was something that she took great pride in. Often times the weather prevented her from making the trip back to the ranch for weeks at a time. She graduated from high school in 1937 and went to work full time for the social security office as a secretary. She later attended the Black Hills Teachers College (now the University of Wyoming) and graduated with a teaching degree and taught in a one room school house.
She married Joseph Dudrey on January 21, 1938 in Deadwood, SD after a whirlwind romance. They lived in Rock Springs, WY, Sundance, WY, and Fort Polk, LA, before moving to Washington State in 1952. They spent one year in Sunnyside before moving to Union Gap in 1953. Joe and Helen were married for 53 loving years, until his passing in 1991. She continued to live in the family home in Union Gap after his death until declining health required her to move to Landmark.
Mom enjoyed being a homemaker, she loved having big family dinners. Her homemade chicken and noodles were everyone’s favorite. She always had hot coffee and a plate of goodies ready for anyone who stopped by. She was a Bluebird leader and volunteered for the Cancer Society, March of Dimes, United Good Neighbors, and the PTA. She was an avid reader and enjoyed crossword puzzles. The most important thing in her life was her family, which she had a great love for. Her grandchildren were the center of all her affection. She loved playing games at holiday get-togethers. She bowled on a league for many years and loved to travel. Later in life Helen was a librarian at the Union Gap Library. She attended the Yakima Bible Baptist Church and was a cancer survivor.
She is survived by her daughters, Joellen (Jim) Bennett, Sheila (Ernie) Russell all of Yakima; six grandsons, Mike (Janet) Daniels, Mitch Daniels, Ralph Bennett, Andy (Lorie) Russell, Tom (Melissa) Russell and Joey Russell; 2 step-granddaughters, Rindy (Paul) Russell-Hutchinson and Landa Jeffery; 14 great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; one sister Karen Schwartz and one brother Jim Guilford.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband Joe and brother Gene.
The family would like to thank the staff of Landmark for treating mom like family during these past two years. She considered it her home. A special thanks to Conchita, Karen and Joey for the loving care you gave our mom.
Visitation and viewing will be Wednesday, November 7, 2012 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Keith & Keith Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be conducted Thursday November 8, 2012 at 11:00 a.m., at Keith & Keith Terrace Heights Chapel. Concluding services and burial will follow at Terrace Heights Memorial Park. To share a memory of Helen, visit www.keithandkeith.com.
She blessed so many with her generous spirit and loving nature.
