Florence A. Roth

Florence A. Roth passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 14 in Kansas City, Missouri at age 94. Florence was born in Waterville, WA on March 18, 1915 to Henry and Ellen Murbach. Her family moved to Spokane when she was 7 years old. Florence, three sisters, and one brother were raised in a loving, religious, hard-working home.

Florence graduated from Eastern Washington University and began teaching 1st and 2nd grades in Quincy, WA in 1937. One of her biggest challenges was teaching music to ALL grades and directing large musical productions for the entire school — including “H.M.S. Pinafore.” She earned $100 a month for her first teaching job. Florence moved to Lind, WA (where she only had to teach first grade and NO music) so she could be closer to her family in Spokane. This is where she met and married Walter Roth in 1940. He took this “city girl” to live outside of Moses Lake on 26,000 acres of sagebrush — the Drumheller cattle ranch. It took that many acres to run their 1500 head of cattle. Their beautiful home, originally built by Lord Blythe, and much of the range land, is now at the bottom of O’Sullivan Dam Reservoir.

In 1943, they moved with their young daughter, Joy-Gay, to Baker, Oregon where they lived for 6 years. Their second daughter, Susan, was born while they lived in Baker. In 1949, they moved to Nyssa, Oregon. Florence was told that if she wanted her daughter to have a teacher, she would have to begin teaching again — so she did. They moved back to Moses Lake in 1960 where Florence taught 3rd grade for 13 more years.

After retirement, Florence and Walt began pending winters in the Palm Springs, CA area where they made many new friends and Happy Wanderer, a retirement community. Florence said she would never be happy living in a mobile home, but she adjusted just fine and enjoyed dancing, exercising, eating out and playing cards for 26 sunny years in California.

They took several cruises, traveled to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and to Europe where they visited relatives. But many of their favorite trips were in their motor home with the Sandy Sam’s Club, and with other friends and relatives.

Walt passed away in 1997 after 57 years of marriage. Florence continued to be active in PEO, the United Methodist Church and Rotary functions. She loved traveling with her daughters and sisters, playing bridge, attending concerts and eating out with friends. And, she loved her roses! Almost every summer day Florence would go into her yard and pick beautiful, long-stemmed roses that she put in vases all over her home. She also continued to spend her winters in the desert.

Florence moved to Kansas City in 2006 at age 91. She enjoyed two more active years at a retirement community close to her daughter’s home. She entered a skilled-nursing facility at age 93. Florence lived a long, fulfilling, happy life and she was ready to move on.

In the 50+ years Florence and Walt lived in Moses Lake, they witnessed the land change from sagebrush to fertile farmland and the population increase by thousands. They always enjoyed being active in the community and they were very blessed to have so many close, caring friends.

Florence is preceded in death by her husband, Walter Roth, a brother, Robert Murbach and a sister, Irene Strandberg. She is survived by daughters, Joy-Gay Pahl (Mrs. Dave) from Portland, Oregon, and Susan Cohara (Mrs. Frank) from Kansas City, Missouri; 6 grandsons (Brian, Kevin, and Mark Pahl; Matthew, Christopher, and Ben Cohara), 11 great-grandchildren and twin sisters Bunny Wold (Portland) and Gerry Collins (Spokane). Memorial contributions may be made to the Moses Lake Rotary Scholarship Foundation, PO Box 525, Moses Lake, WA 98837; or The United Methodist Church, 746 S. Ironwood Dr. Moses Lake.