Wilma Arlene Laufer

Wilma Arlene Laufer was born on November 2, 1933, to Harley and Coza Addington in Isonville, Ky. Her family moved out west in 1934, and she married her first husband, Ed Castle, on January 4, 1952.

Wilma and Ed had two children, Gary and Gail, and the family, including Ed's three sons, David, Toby and Roger, lived in Fernwood, Idaho, and then Spokane, Wash. Wilma and Ed lost their oldest son, David, in 1954 to a logging accident. Wilma then lost Ed to a logging accident in 1957, and her stepson, Toby, died in 1972.

Wilma then went to work at a nursing home in Spokane, and worked there until 1961. During that time she met a farmer from North Dakota, James R. Laufer, and they were married on February 15, 1962. Wilma and Rudy took Gary and Gail to North Dakota, and added to their family with three more children, Keith, Kim, and Valerie.

In 1971, Rudy and Wilma again moved west, and established a home in Ritzville, Wash., where they raised not only kids, but also cows, sheep, turkeys, chickens and pretty much anything that could be grown out of the ground. Wilma was always busy, and loved the farm life. On their little farm in Ritzville, Wilma and Rudy raised their own beef, milked up to five cows, butchered umpteen turkeys and chickens every spring, had a Holstein calf barn, and sold fresh eggs to the neighbors.

During the 19 years she spent in Ritzville, she made many close friends, and was always known for her ready smile and generosity. Her five kids kept her running, and between them and the demands of her little farm, she had little time to herself, but she did manage to fit more into her schedule with different forms of employment. She worked in the nursing home as well as a local restaurant and store. During the summer months, she spent all her spare time in her kitchen preparing her delicious and memorable canned fruits, vegetables, jam, jelly, juice, and sauerkraut.

In 1990, Wilma and Rudy gave up their farming way of life in Ritzville, and moved to Moses Lake, Wash. Wilma was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the summer of 1990. Even though Wilma struggled with the debilitating disease, she did not let it slow her down. She no longer had the animals or the extensive garden she had in Ritzville, but she traveled all over the country looking for fresh fruit and vegetables to can. Nothing made her happier than being able to box up her canned goods and give to friends and relatives.

Wilma is survived by: her husband of 42 years, James Rudy Laufer; five children; 15 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

She fought the effects of the disease for many years, and died in her home on July 20, 2004, with her husband at her side. Funeral services will be held at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church on Friday, July 23 at 10 a.m., and will be followed by a luncheon.

Burial services will be held at the City of Ritzville Cemetery at 2 p.m.