Mom grew up in the "dirty Thirties".  One of 13?  (can't remember how many exactly...) children in Idaho.  Her parents divorced when she was quite young, and both remarried.  So there were two "Brady-Bunch" families that Sonna was part of.

She spent quite a lot of time in what she affectionately called the "shack" in the wasteland of Idaho.  I've seen pictures of this house, and it is accurately named a shack.  However, she had many pets there and stories about her menagerie.

When her dad remarried Elsie, things seemed to change.  Mom was not pleased with this new arrangement, and it would appear gave Elsie a run for her money.  Elsie, by Mom's account, was not easy to get along with.

(Feel free to edit this story, guys, if you have more information or if I am wrong about something.  I just wanted to get something written here-)

Mom proudly served her country as a nurse in the Air Force, and had many adventures in Europe before coming back to the Northwest.  Mom trained as a nurse at Mercy hospital in Nampa, and worked in the hospital where she eventually met dad.  She often said that she wished she would have kept his letters to her, as he was a man of few words.

After they married, Dad started his schooling as an Electrical Engineer.  It was during these busy years that they had 4 children and Dad lost his leg below the knee due to a war injury sustained from his shrapnel injury during the Battle of the Bulge.

Raising 4 kids in Bremerton Washington proved to be one of her proudest accomplishments.  She would say " We raised 4 kids and they're all great. I must have done something right!"  Mom also worked as a nurse for over 40 years, retiring from Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton, WA in 1990.

I often asked her if she would have done anything different- reflecting upon this question just for a moment, she said " I'd have had MORE kids!"

Mom was truly exceptional as a mother and grandmother.  She was sacrificial in her time, her talents, and her money.  She learned many new skills in order to serve us.  She became a seamstress, a cake decorator, an excellent cook, a Scout leader, a 4-H leader, a Worm-Tamer.  There was nothing she would not tackle for her beloved family.  Mom also watched her grandson Sean for a year while Gretchen was in Korea, and formed a very close bond with him.

After we all left home, she and Dad sold the house, bought an RV and took off.  We never knew exactly where they were.  I think they secretly enjoyed that!

They had many years living the RV lifestyle and enjoyed each and every one of them fully.  During their RV adventures, mom and dad were campground hosts in several state parks, and enjoyed being "snowbirds," traveling between Chimicum WA and Benson AZ.  They stopped only when Dad became too sick, and eventually died in Hospital in Seattle October 1999. 

After Dad died, Mom went to live with Gretchen and Tammy in Kent, Washington and moved with them to Nampa ID.  During this time we celebrated mom's 75th and 80th birthdays, where the whole family gathered to surprise her.  At the 80th birthday party, Scott found an amazing cake decorator, who created an exact replica of the famous Miller sewing center - complete with a miniature Elna sewing machine.  It was really difficult to cut into that cake!

She loved staying with the girls but she developed many health issues and had a brief stay at an independent living facility (the dreaded Karcher) before moving to Spokane at Latah Cottages.

Sonna and Mark looked after Mom in Spokane while she lived on her own at her beloved little cottage with Kibbles and Bits, her two dogs.  Kibbles was tragically killed while in the care of a kennel- Mom never quite got over that loss.  Bits is now happily at home with Scott and Julie in Seattle.  Mom started falling a lot the last year of her life.  Her health continued to deteriorate until she died in the hospital November 19, 2014. 

We will always miss her.