Joyce Rathbone

Joyce Rathbone, 83, long time Moses Lake resident passed away Thursday, January 31, 2013 at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee.

Joyce was born in Wenatchee, Washington to Ramie H. and Nellie I. (Parks) Hartmann. At the time Joyce entered school the family had an orchard south of the Orondo school house, where she attended grade school. The Hartmann family moved to Sunny Slope and were living there when Joyce graduated from Wenatchee high school in 1947. In the fall of 1947 she started school at Washington State College. That same fall she met her husband, William "Bill" Rathbone. The two were married in Wenatchee on January 1, 1949.

In December of 1949 their first child, and only daughter, Anne was born while the two were living in Wenatchee. Joyce, Bill and Anne moved to Lynden Washington, Bill's hometown, to work on the Rathbone family dairy. Todd joined the family in 1954 while they were living on the dairy. The family was back in Wenatchee by 1957 when Glen was born. In February of 1959 the family of five moved to Moses Lake, where Bill had taken a job as a machinery salesman at Thompson Equipment Co. the International Harvester dealer. In 1964 Doug became the last addition to the family.

With four children and a husband to care for, Joyce's early years in Moses Lake were occupied with family. By the early 70's, with the youngest in grade school and the oldest at college, Joyce took a job as a teacher's aide at Larson Elementary school. Bill started his own company in late 1975 and by 1979 Rathbone Sales had grown, and Joyce left the school district to work full time with Bill and the boys. Joyce worked with Bill until his illness forced their retirement in 2009.

It wasn't all work though. Joyce and Bill loved to dance. Dances at the Elks club, dance lessons and dance clubs were not uncommon for them. They were able to travel some in the course of business, but in later years they explored on their own, tracking down the family roots and distant relatives. Joyce is survived by her sons, Todd (Pam) and their sons Sam and Ben, Glen and his son Jason, and Doug (Denise) and their children, Scott, Courtney and Tabitha, as well as Anne's daughters Lisa Laughter and Sheila Richard (Rob). She was proceeded in death by her parents, Ray and Nellie Hartmann, brother Bill Hartmann, daughter Anne (Rathbone) Holloway and husband Bill Rathbone.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, February 9, 2013 at Kayser's Chapel of Memories, Moses Lake. Interment will follow in Pioneer Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Friday, February 8, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Please sign the online guestbook or leave a note for the family at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are in care of Kayser's Chapel & Crematory.