Fern L. Waite died on Feb.1, 2013 at her home in Sheffield Manor in Prosser, Washington. She was released into death and the arms of a loving God after a difficult battle with cancer. Her family was by her side at her peaceful death. She was born in Plummer, Idaho on March 12, 1919 to George and Hulda (Triemer) Lowe and grew up in Kooskia, Idaho.
Fern attended North Idaho College of Education earning her teaching certificate in 1939. She married her childhood sweetheart, John Waite, on June 5, 1939. Music was a big part of her life. In high school, she played the trumpet and the violin. She also played the piano for two different church services while she was in H.S. Fern continued to play the keyboard in her apartment well into her nineties.
Fern began her teaching career in Genesee, Idaho, teaching 5th grade. Most of her teaching career spanning 27 years, however, was spent teaching first grade. One of her biggest thrills as a teacher was helping children learn to read. Her gift as a teacher touched the lives of well over a thousand youngsters.
Fern and her husband John retired from their careers in Oregon and moved to Yuma, Arizona. In the thirty years they lived in Yuma, they were very active making lasting friendships, joining several “coffee groups,” entertaining and enjoying the desert sunshine. They moved to Prosser, WA in 1999 to be near their son Loyd and his family when John’s health began to fail.
Throughout their life together Fern and John and their sons Loyd and Lyle had a love of the outdoors and spent many summers fishing throughout the Northwest and Alaska. Fern was known as the best fisherman in the family. It seems that she usually caught the first, biggest and last fish of the day. She always claimed that, “It was because I knew how to hold my mouth right.” One of the very few regrets of her life is that she was never able to land that sixty pound salmon.
Fern is survived by her sons Loyd (Kathy) and Lyle (Mary); grandsons Brian (Danielle), George (Jeannette), Steve (Melinda) and Joshua Waite and her sister-in-law, Edith Waite. Fern is also survived by nine great-grandchildren: Jared, J.P., Wyett, Maddison, Morgan, Brendan, Spenser, Kiernan and Parker John. She is survived by many nieces and nephews as well.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years John Waite, parents George and Hulda Lowe and her brother Loyd.
A memorial service celebrating Fern’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on February 12th at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 300 S. Euclid in Grandview, WA.
The family wants to express its profound thanks for the very kind, loving and professional care that Fern received for six years at Sheffield Manor, and the six months of wonderful care from the Lower Valley Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to a staff training and education fund at Sheffield Manor, 125 S. Wamba Rd., Prosser WA or to the Lower Valley Hospice, 3920 Outlook Rd., Sunnyside, WA.