Carol Ellen Sterner

March 9 , 1941 - July 5, 2008

Carol Ellen Sterner of Moses Lake, died Saturday, July 5, 2008, at Spokane's Deaconess Memorial Hospital following a courageous fight with esophageal cancer.

Born March 9, 1941, in Deer Lodge, Mont., to Cecil and Marjorie Wyrick, Carol was the youngest of four children. She was preceded in death by both of her parents; sister Shirley and brother Gene. Carol spent her early years on a farm in Charlo, Mont., and then later moved with her family to Missoula, Mont., where she attended Hellgate High School. At the age of 19 she met and married Claude William Sterner of Kalispell, Mont., (with his five young children from a previous marriage) and remained his bride for nearly 48 years. Together, they raised another five boys (eight boys and two girls in all) and traveled most of the Northwest from Montana, Idaho, and Washington, to Valdez, Alaska. In her later years, Carol and her husband Claude semi-retired to Moses Lake to be close to family. Always restless however, she soon began working within the Moses Lake School District as a kitchen assistant; and eventually obtained her high school G.E.D. at the age of 62.

Carol enjoyed the outdoors and loved camping, hunting, and fishing. She also enjoyed watching her children play competitive sports where she would not only review their performance with the same critical eye of a coach, but also the encouragement of a loving mother. On many an occasion, she could be heard well above a throng of fans and players across a crowded football field, basketball or volleyball court, bowling alley, baseball or softball diamond giving both instruction and support to all her family's athletes.

Carol lived a full life that included hosting Congressional Medal of Honor recipients with her husband Claude at official Medal of Honor Society functions, hunting big game in Montana, deep sea fishing in both Washington and Alaska and traveling throughout most of the western United States, Alaska and Hawaii for both work and pleasure.

Carol is survived by her husband of nearly 48 years, Claude Sterner of Moses Lake; her sister Norma Venable (Montana); Aunt Virginia Beausoleil (Oregon); sons Douglas (Colorado), Roy (Nevada), David (Oregon), Ken (Moses Lake), Chilly (Centralia, Wash.), Gene (Pacific, Wash.,), Larry (Moses Lake), and Barry (Moses Lake); daughters Robin (Chehalis, Wash.,) and Sue (Idaho); all of their spouses and partners; 33 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and numerous cousins living throughout the Northwest.

At Carol's request, no services will be performed. Instead, from her lips these words will always serve as her lasting memorial … "It was good!"

Cards and letters of sympathy and support to the family are welcome. They may be sent to 901 West Fourth Avenue, Moses Lake, WA 98837.