Verla Grace Keith
Verla Grace Keith (Garrison) 89 of Othello WA, died Friday May 13, 2011 at her home in Coventry House with her son by her side.
Verla was born on her family's farm site in Happy Township, Graham County Kansas on July 26, 1921 to Cecil and Zephie Garrison (Wagoner).
Verla was a child of the Great Depression, and survived drought and severe dust storms in the Midwest states during the 1930s. Unfortunately, the family farm did not survive, so she and her parents and younger siblings, Leo, Deloris, and Shirley moved to Hill City, Kansas where Verla graduated from high school. She married her sweetheart, Floyd L. Keith in March 1941, and son Leroy was born April 1942. They were also proud parents of a daughter Shelia, born June 1949 who tragically died in 1954 at five years of age from leukemia. As members of The Greatest Generation, they like others of that generation, sacrificed much for the cause of freedom. Floyd was in the US Army Air Corps and served in the 8th Air Force Bomber Wing stationed in England. He was separated from his family for three years. During that time, Verla returned to her family and took classes in office skills, including clerk typing, stenography, and bookkeeping. She became a meticulous bookkeeper and utilized those skills throughout her life. In Hill City, Verla worked as a city clerk and then as a bank teller.
In 1956, the Keith family was chosen through a lottery drawing for WW II veterans to purchase 120 acres of sagebrush in the Columbia Basin Project. They chose a unit on the Royal Slope near Royal Camp, and joined the last of the Great American Western Migrations. After a year of clearing sagebrush, leveling land, and installing irrigation systems, the first crops were grown. They bought an additional 90 acres adjoining the farm in 1958, and were one of the few successful small farm families in the Columbia Basin Project. During this time, Verla worked for the phone company in Othello, and then as a clerk for the Bureau of Reclamation. She went to work for the Royal City Bank in 1962 and retired in 1964. All the while, Verla worked as a farmer's wife, driving trucks, helping with harvest, and meticulously watching the farm finances. After leaving the bank, Verla worked full time on the farm. Floyd and Verla leased the farm out in 1985 and retired. After retiring, they enjoyed traveling in their motor home, and puttering around the farm where they continued to live until 1995. Floyd passed away in July of 1996.
Verla enjoyed working with her hands and excelled at many different crafts: knitting, sewing, crocheting, card playing and quilting to name a few. She was an avid gardener and took great joy in her vegetable garden and keeping the farm adorned with flowers. In later years, Verla decided to learn how to play the organ and again did well with that. She and Floyd loved dancing, and looked forward to the Saturday night dances in Othello and Royal City.
Verla was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Floyd, and her daughter Sheila. She is survived by her son Leroy on Mercer Island, Washington, two grandsons Jerry and Brad, and precious great granddaughter Megan in the Seattle/Bellevue area, and younger sisters Shirley (Dan) Dever of Othello, and Deloris Clark of Wichita, Kansas.
A time for final visitation will be held at Stevens Funeral Chapel on Thursday, May 19, 2011 beginning at 3:00 p.m. and continuing until 7:00 p.m. A celebration of her life will be held at the Coventry House at 430 North 2nd Avenue on Saturday May 21, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer's Association in Verla's name.
Donations can be made by phone at 1.800.272.3900, or Mail by sending a check to Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011 or online at https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?idb=410140663&df_id=1740&1740.donation=form1