Minta Louise (Coffman) Root

May 4, 1928 – December 11, 2015

Minta Louise Root, 87, was welcomed into the arms of her Heavenly Father on Dec. 11, 2015, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was the oldest of the three daughters of Walter Victor Coffmann and Ines Louisa (Harris) Coffman. She was born in Phoenix, Ariz. on May 4, 1928. For most of her childhood she lived in the Phoenix area, with a short time in Prescott, Ariz. She graduated from Phoenix Union High School in 1946, and Los Angeles Pacific College in 1948. She then attended Seattle Pacific College where she met Myron Root. They were married on Aug. 17, 1950 in Everett, Wash., with Myron’s father, the Rev. M.L. Root, performing the marriage ceremony.

Myron became a minister with the Free Methodist Church, and also served a church with The Evangelical Church of North America. With Minta by his side they served churches in Washington, Arizona, California, and North Dakota. Minta taught Sunday school and worked with the youth and women’s groups in the different churches where they served. In addition to her work with the church she raised four children and was also a foster parent for a time. She also cared for the family pets through the years. She liked animals and they loved her.

The Roots retired from the full-time ministry in 1993, and moved to Wilbur, Wash., where they soon became very involved in the community. Before being retired very long, Myron was called to serve as interim pastor at the Grand Coulee Church of the Nazarene, where they served several months. He has also filled in at several of the other churches in the area, including the Almira Community Church, where they have attended for a number of years. They became very involved with the Wilbur Senior Center, where Minta has been a volunteer in the thrift shop for several years. Despite the cancer, she continued to volunteer until very recently.

Minta was preceded in death by her parents Walter and Ines Coffman, and her two sisters, Ella May (Coffman) Hendrix and Cora Genevieve (Coffman) Conley.

Minta is survived by her husband of 65 years, Myron Root of Wilbur, Wash., her son Charles Root of Moses Lake, Wash., her daughter Candace (Root) Lewry (Trent) of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, her son Mike (Laura) of Oblong, Ill., and her daughter Virginia (Root) Kinyon of Airway Heights, Wash. She is also survived by ten grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Viewing time for Minta will be Dec. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Strate Funeral Home in Wilbur, Wash. The memorial service will be held Dec. 18 at 11 a.m. at Almira Community Church, with a private internment at Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Wash.