Nora McDowell

February 8, 1937 – June 23, 2023

Nora Lapriel (Tolley) McDowell, 86, of Moses Lake, Washington, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 23, 2023, from complications of Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia, having been lovingly attended to in her last days by her children and family.

Lapriel was born on Feb. 8, 1937, in Vale, Oregon to Merl Zenos Tolley and Fern Elizabeth Bendixen Tolley. Although named Nora Lapriel, she much preferred the name “Lapriel” over “Nora” which she considered plain. She was the seventh child, placing her toward the middle of a family of 12 children. Her family moved to Granger, Washington and then settled in Moses Lake, Washington when she was in the fifth grade.

At 17, before graduating high school, Lapriel met and fell in love with Francis Irvin McDowell, who was serving in the Air Force. They were married June 12, 1954, in the Rose Street Chapel in Moses Lake, Washington. Francis was deployed with the Air Force shortly thereafter, and Lapriel finished her senior year of high school, graduating in June 1955. After graduating, Lapriel boarded a bus by herself to move to California to be close to Francis (Mac). Upon completion of his term of service, Mac earned a bachelor’s degree in history and art from Fresno State College. Lapriel and Mac lived in a small apartment, and she earned rent money by caring for the gardens of a local family. A love of flowers and gardening remained one of Lapriel’s ways of finding and expressing joy for the rest of her life. Mac and Lapriel also welcomed three children during this time, Gwendolyn in 1956, Shairlyn in 1958, and Francis (Roger) in 1959.

After Mac graduated, the family moved to Olympia, Washington in the summer of 1960 where he began teaching and Carolyn was born. In 1963, the family moved to Moses Lake, and Mac began teaching at Chief Moses Middle School, and Terri was born. Lapriel stayed home with her young children until 1966 when she went to work for the Moses Lake School District, where she was a para-educator, librarian and building secretary for Garden Heights Elementary. Eventually, she went to the district office to oversee payroll, and later she became the benefits coordinator for Human Resources. She worked for the district until she retired in 2003. After retiring, she and Mac traveled a little and did lots of gardening, particularly loving their dahlias which they entered into the Grant County Fair every year.

Lapriel was preceded in death by her husband Francis in 2016; her parents; her sisters June, Grace, Mae and Sharon; and her brothers Joe and Dean. Lapriel is survived by her sisters Nellie Smith, Bonnie Wilks and Jerri Carlson and her brothers Steve Tolley and Rick Tolley.

Lapriel was the mother of five children, grandmother of 14, and great-grandmother of 15, grouped by children:

1. Gwendolyn Bruce of Moses Lake, Washington, four grandchildren- Joshua Bruce (Crystal) of Moses Lake, Washington, four great-grandchildren – Kamaile, Kalei, Kazen, Kaiden; Clairissa Bruce (Victoria) of Mount Vernon, Washington; Jacob Bruce of Moses Lake, Washington; and Nicole Bruce of Moses Lake, Washington.
2. Shairlyn Fish (Larry) of Moses Lake, Washington, three grandchildren – Morgan Fish of Moses Lake, Washington; Grant Fish (Kourtni) of Gainsville, Virginia, two great-grandchildren – Gavin and Kyra; and Lincoln Fish of Moses Lake, Washington.
3. Francis (Roger) McDowell of Yakima, Washington.
4. Carolyn Christensen (Richard) of Yakima, Washington, four grandchildren – Michelle LaTurner (Hyrum) of Crown Point, Indiana, five great-grandchildren – Lucy, Jack, Henry, Cora, and William; Danna Christensen of Yakima, Washington, four great-grandchildren – Riley, Graham, Oliver, Sawyer; Chase Christensen of Yakima, Washington; Valerie Wagner (Wesley) of Springville, Utah, 1 great-grandchild – Adeline.
5. Terri Barclay (Michael) of Camano Island, Washington, three grandchildren – Christopher Barclay of Camano Island, Washington; Steven Barclay (Shayanna) of Eagle Mountain, Utah, three great-grandchildren – Naomi, Evelyn, Carly; Traci Barclay (KC) of Paige, Texas, two great-grandchildren – Abby, Zachary.

Lapriel was an extremely loving and charitable person. Throughout her life she consistently found ways to help those in need and by quietly giving comfort and love. Whether people came and asked for light bulbs, toilet paper, or money, Lapriel was quick to offer whatever she had. Lapriel also started the Moses Lake Alumni Association, which now provides scholarships to Moses Lake High School graduates. She is also still in the Moses Lake High School Hall of Fame as an athlete in badminton.

A memorial service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 925 N. Grape Drive, Moses Lake, Washington on Friday, July 7. The family viewing and prayer will be at 10 a.m., and the funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Kayser’s Chapel & Crematory is in charge of arrangements. Burial will follow at the Pioneer Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Moses Lake, Washington. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be given to either the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation or the Moses Lake Alumni Association.