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Melba Withrow
YAKIMA - Melba Withrow, 74, of Yakima was reunited with her husband, sister, parents, and other loved ones when her spirit left Earth on January 6, 2009. Melba was born to Milburn and Elsie (Stage) Estes on October 14, 1934 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
When she was a child, she moved to Toppenish with her family, where she attended Toppenish schools. Melba worked as a nurse's aide at the brand-new Toppenish hospital before moving back to Poplar Bluff, where she went to school to become a nurse. After completing her schooling, she worked in a hospital and clinic.
While she was working at the hospital, she met and fell in love with one of her patients, Jess Withrow. Melba and Jess were married in Hernando, Mississippi in June 1956. Together, they raised three daughters on their farm in Hillard, Missouri, where they also raised cattle and horses.
In 1966, the Withrow family relocated to White Swan, Washington, where Melba worked as an industrial nurse in the Sno Kist and Del Monte canneries. In 1970, Jess and Melba bought the Shady Lane Motel in Union Gap. Melba quit working and oversaw day-to-day operations of the motel while Jess worked.
In 1972, Melba's first grandchild, DJ, was born and she was thrilled. She relished the role of grandmother, getting very involved in the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. At different times, each of her grandchildren lived with her and enjoyed being spoiled and treated like the most important person in the world. She enjoyed shopping for others and going to yard sales and would often surprise her family members by showing up at their house with bags full of goodies. She loved to garden and was proud of her roses, flowers, and vegetables. She was even clever enough to convince her grandchildren that it would be "fun" if they each chose a flower garden to weed and water. Melba loved nothing more than to have a house full of family. She'd spend all day in the kitchen cooking elaborate meals.
Her family loved to get phone calls telling them to come over to eat because she'd made pigs in a blanket, jambalaya, biscuits and gravy, her famous green beans, apple pie, and so many more delicious dishes. She also loved to read cookbooks and would often pass on recipes to her family.
Melba had a giant heart. She loved her huge extended family and along with praying for her children and grandchildren, she would pray for each sister, niece, and nephew by name every night. She was a very generous woman. Anyone who knew Melba knew that they could come to her anytime they needed help. As a child, she worked to buy her younger sisters clothes and coats and even gave her shoes to a girl who didn't have any; as an adult, she was known to take in people who didn't have anywhere to go and let them stay at her motel. She would also cook for them and hire them to do odd jobs. Melba always looked out for the underdog and taught her family to do the same. If there were kids in school who didn't have a friend, Melba would become their friend and even got gloves and hats for friends who didn't have any. She wanted to help as many people as she could and dreamed of ways to give to others.
She helped finance the youth center at her church, Breakthrough Christian Center, and dreamed of getting well enough to cook for the youth.
Melba looked forward to Sundays when her daughter Rebecca would take her to church. In fact, on the Sunday before she went into the hospital, she was thrilled to be able to go to church and out to lunch with her sisters afterward.
Melba is survived by three daughters, Diane (Brian) Janz of Selah, Rebecca Withrow of Gleed, and Patricia (Jack) Garner of Yakima; four grandchildren, DJ (Jennifer)Baldoz, Amber (Robert) Masters, Jason Baldoz, and Jackson Garner; great-grandchildren, Olivia Schantz, Cole, Alexandra, and Madeline Masters, Giovanni, Daniel, and Anthony Baldoz, Brooklyn and Jackson Garner, and the twins she kept herself alive long enough to meet, Brady and Isabella Baldoz; five sisters, Dorothy (Lonnie) Campbell, Peg Orr, Pat (Archie) Curtsinger, Judy (Dan) Johnson, and Kathy (Randy) Peough, and many nieces and nephews.
Melba was preceded in death by the love of her life, her husband of 51 years, Jess Withrow; her parents, Milburn and Elsie Estes; and her beloved sister, Wanda Leslie.
Visitation will be today from noon until 8 p.m. at Valley Hills Funeral Home in Terrace Heights.
A service in celebration of Melba's life will be held at noon on January 10 at Valley Hills Funeral Home in Terrace Heights, with entombment at West Hills Memorial Park.
After the services, friends and family are invited to celebrate Melba's life at a reception at Le Chateau, 15 North Naches Avenue.
Antonia Amaro
Antonia Amaro, 61, of Prosser died Saturday, January 3, 2009 in Seattle.
She was born in Toppenish. She worked at Grandview Middle School as a teacher's aide.
Survivors include 12 siblings, Frank Amaro Jr., Daniel Amaro and Cecille Amaro, all of Seattle, George Amaro of Oregon, Joe Amaro of Burlington, Wash., Fernando Amaro, Mary Fortier and Sally Chavez, all of Toppenish, David Amaro of Spokane, Lucy Mora of Zillah, Linda Amaro of Bellingham, Wash., and Vicky Amaro of Sunnyside.
Recitation of the rosary will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 8 at Valley Hills Funeral Home, Zillah. Mass of Christian burial will be at 1 p.m. Friday, January 9 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Granger, with burial to follow at the Zillah Cemetery.
Mayme Leola Poteet
Mayme Leola Poteet, 87, of Grandview died Saturday. January 3, 2009.
She was born in Stilwell, Okla. She moved with her husband and children to the Yakima Valley in 1957.
Survivors include five sons, Curtis, Darrell and Jerry Dale, all of Grandview, Charles James of Vancouver, Wash., and Carl of Kilaua, Hawaii; six daughters, Carol Smith of Ephrata, Wash., Velma Mears of Grandview, Tommie Herd of Westport, Wash., Ruby Williams of Yakima, and Juanita Hill and Rosalie Auffet, both of Stilwell; two stepdaughters, Joanne Willams and Bonnie Pipes, both of California; one sister, Lucille Baker of Stilwell; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 7 at the Grandview Cemetery. A memorial service will follow at Valley Life Baptist Church, 609 Bonnieview Road in Grandview.
Valley Hills Funeral Home and Crematory, Sunnyside is in charge of the arrangements.
Mildred Grogan
Mildred Grogan, 92, of Prosser died Saturday, January 3, 2009.
She was born in Dickinson, S.D. She was a school teacher. She lived in the Yakima Valley more than 50 years.
Survivors include two daughters, Sandy Goodboe of Grandview and Joy Mount of Prosser; nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 10 at the Grandview Nazarene Church.
Valley Hills Funeral Home and Crematory, Sunnyside is in charge of the arrangements.
Frank Allen Bayne
Frank Allen Bayne, 66, of Yakima died Friday, January 2, 2009 at Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center.
Mr. Bayne was born in Yakima and served in the Navy. He was employed as a finance manager in the auto sales industry.
Survivors include a daughter, Marci Woods of Longmont, Colo.; two brothers, Francis Jennings Jr., of Everett, Wash., and Kenneth Jennings of Pasco; a sister, Barbara Gaberdine of Seattle; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A private family service will be held.
Valley Hills Funeral Home and Crematory in Yakima is in charge of arrangements.
