EttaMae White Obituary (2016

Etta Mae White, 93, died at Parkside Nursing and Rehab Facility in Union Gap on December 29, 2015. She was born on the kitchen table in the family home in the Wenas to Floyd and Susie (Harrison) Taylor on October 2, 192 2, the youngest of four children. She attended Cowiche and Wide Hollow grade schools and Franklin Junior High. After a three month courtship she married E.O. 'Bob' White on June 29, 1939. In 1954 they packed up the kids and moved out to Gromore where they raised their children, various animals, primarily horses. In the early years they started the first West Valley horse 4-H club called the Hy-Riders, then helped start the 4-H Horse School. Later, they raised and Quarter Horses and thoroughbreds racing them at Yakima Meadows, Portland Meadows, Longacres in Renton, Playfair in Spokane, and down in California. The family spent much of the summers with the horses up at the cabin above Bumping Lake riding all around the area and packing in to the high lakes for several days and sleeping under the stars. The cabin was an old miner's cabin with no plumbing or electricity. The family joke was that we did have running water--we ran down to the spring and ran it back. Mom worked just as hard up there as she did on the ranch. Any laundry that needed to be done was done on a washboard, hung out to dry, and if needed to be ironed was ironed with an antique iron that had to be heated on the hot wood-burning cookstove. And all our meals were cooked and baked with that cookstove. In the evenings we gathered aroung the campfire roasting marshmellows and making s'mores while Dad played the guitar and harmonica and we all sang old songs. She is survived by her daughter, Beth (Gary) Titus of Yakima, son, William White of Wenatchee, four foster children: Manny Izquierdo of Tallahasee, FL, Mario Ramos of Hialeah, FL, Estrella (Rodriguez) Pereira, and Dr. Mercy (Rodriguez) Leiva, both of Orlando, FL; Eight grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews and a great many friends including Donna Miller, Phyllis Triplett, life-long friends and neighbors Bob and Eleanor Hester. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob White, son Dan White, brothers Harley and Harold Taylor, sister Dorothy (Taylor) Pierce, a grandchild and a great-grandchild as well as a great many very dear friends. Mom was a hard worker and had a great sense of humor. If anyone showed up at mealtime she made sure they ate, too, and no one left the table hungry. Mom and Dad adopted their three children. One each of their birthdays and on Mother's Day she would say a prayer thanking the birth-mothers for their sacrifice. Viewing will be Wednesday, January 6, 2016, from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, January 7, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Yakima. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.shawandsons.com.