Keith & Keith Funeral Residence
After an extended, full, and great life, Eileen Nordis (Drake) Reitmeier, 106, left us on October 19, 2020. She was all about household, mates, and church, and her little canine, Muffin. She was optimistic and at all times wanting on the brilliant aspect of every little thing and everybody. Eileen is the right instance of how a optimistic angle, train, onerous work and a life targeted on household, mates, and religion result in an extended and comfortable life.
Eileen was born in Spokane, WA on October 6, 1914, to Ernest and Alberta (Brydsen) Drake earlier than shifting to the Wenas Valley. Eileen was the eldest of seven ladies and two boys and rising up within the Wenas Valley within the early 1900’s was troublesome.
She might recount private experiences together with every little thing from dwelling through the Nice Melancholy, to witnessing the beginning and development of computer systems, televisions and watching the primary moon touchdown, and every little thing in between.
With 9 youngsters, there was at all times a child in the home. Eileen’s brothers died once they have been toddlers and she or he grew up along with her six sisters. She loved her youth although they’d no electrical energy, no indoor plumbing and no working water. They needed to carry water from a spring and wash garments in an previous wood tub.
Rising up, Eileen, at all times loved studying and enhancing. In highschool she took dwelling economics lessons. As an older sister, she made garments for her siblings and as a loyal homemaker and mom, she used this ability to make garments for her youngsters later in life. She additionally crocheted many afghans, doilies, and child garments.
Eileen graduated from Selah Excessive Faculty in 1932 and married Paul Reitmeier, who she met on a blind date, spent 30 great years with, and labored aspect by aspect within the orchard they owned of apples, pears, peaches and cherries.
In 1939, Eileen’s father and Paul constructed their dwelling on Reitmeier land the place her husband, Paul, was born in 1909. Eileen lived out most of her life in that very same home on what’s now known as Reitmeier Lane. When her youngsters have been rising up, the home always smelled of dwelling baked bread, pies, and was stuffed with flowers from her backyard.
When her beloved husband died of a sudden coronary heart assault in 1962 and left Eileen a widow, she continued to be taught and work onerous. Eileen ensured that the fruit was harvested that season and returned to highschool at Yakima Enterprise School to additional her training. She labored 22 years in Selah and Yakima for medical doctors as a nurse’s assistant and medical receptionist, retiring, nonetheless vibrant, on the age of 70. Eileen was an energetic member of the Washington State Society of Medical Assistants. She had many sufferers who beloved and remembered her for her regularly wanting on the brilliant aspect of every little thing and everybody.
The subsequent 30 years Eileen centered her life round her senior train class on the Selah Civic Middle and her water aerobics class on the YMCA, attributing her lengthy life to optimism and each day train. Eileen was Y Member of the Month when she was 97. She walked within the 7-mile Bloomsday in Spokane a number of instances and completed a 5 Ok in Oslo, Norway, whereas in her 90s.
Throughout her retirement, she traveled to Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland along with her daughter, Janice. Eileen additionally visited Hawaii and took an exquisite cruise to Alaska.
Not solely did she consider in common train and positivity, she additionally believed heartily within the church she attended. Eileen attended the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Yakima, participated within the evangelism committee, visited shut-ins, taught Sunday Faculty, and embellished the church with flowers. She always strived to raised the lives round her and located her life fulfilling within the course of.
In 2014, she rode within the Selah Group Day parade because the Honored Pioneer.
Eileen lived in her Selah dwelling for many of her ending years, along with her little canine, Muffin, who introduced her each day pleasure and extra goal.
Eileen actually beloved her household and the various reunions, events and particular events. Receiving and giving playing cards was so essential to her. She particularly appreciated her current 106th birthday on October sixth. The abundance of playing cards, letters, flowers and balloons gave her many smiles and emotions of gratitude. Eileen beloved dwelling in Selah and at all times stored up along with her youngsters’s classmates and supported her youngsters in all their actions… an all-around nice mom.
Her loving surviving members of the family are her daughter, Janice Brydsen of Selah, WA, six grandchildren, Pamela, Richard, Kevin, Scott, Heather, and Kara; seven great-grandchildren, 5 great-great-grandchildren, one great-great-great grandson and lots of great nieces and nephews.
Moreover her husband Paul, Eileen was preceded in dying by: her daughter, Doreen Lusby, who died on July 4, 1997; her son, Keith, who died on October 29, 2005; six sisters: Gladys Roberts of Yakima, Dorothy Paradis of Yakima, Virginia Puyear of Yakima, Betty Kuhl of Baker Metropolis, OR, Marilyn Lewis, DVM of Fresno, CA, Phyllis Day of Maple Valley, WA; and two toddler brothers, Charles Drake and Ernest Drake Jr., additionally, her dad and mom, Ernest and Alberta Drake of Selah.
Viewing and visitation will probably be held on Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 3:00 till 8:00 p.m. at Keith & Keith Funeral Residence, 902 West Yakima Ave. A Household Graveside Service will probably be held on Friday, October 30, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at West Hills Memorial Park. A celebration of Eileen’s life will probably be held at a later date in 2021. Memorial contributions honoring Eileen could also be made to Yakima Space Arboretum, Yakima Humane Society, or Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Thanks to Virginia Mason Memorial Hospice for his or her wonderful and compassionate care of Mom. A particular due to Cheri Alexander RN.
In the event you want to share recollections and condolences on-line for the household, please go to www.keithandkeith.com.
