Obituary: Emily Leslie

That fall she moved to Kamola Hall, her first away from home, at Central Washington College, and established a relationship with the college (now university) that continues as a scholarship. She obtained her three-year Certificate in 1941.

She studied fine art; her wood block class project hung in all her homes. She loved to draw and sketch the rest of her life, and took trips with Elderhostel to painting classes, including some to Maryhill Museum, during her retirement.

Burlington, Wash., Grade Cchool District No. 4 was her first employer, a half day classroom and some half days teaching art to other classes.

She met Lynn R. Leslie at Central, and they were married Nov. 29, 1941. She quit teaching to follow his erratic path into the USAAC in World War II, to Kingman AAFB in Arizona, where her first child Susan was born, and back to Ellensburg, where Janet was born, and finally to Walla Walla in 1946, where Curtis, Gretchen and Cara were born.

She re-entered teaching in 1948 at Washington School in Walla Walla. She quit again in 1949, promised a move to Seattle that never happened.

She received her divorce in 1957, and on an emergency certificate began her seven years teaching at Prescott, Wash. In 1964, she began a 22-year career with Walla Walla School District No. 140.

Now on her own paycheck, she went to Central Summer Quarter and by correspondence, earning her Bachelor of Arts in 1960 and eventually a master's degree in 1966. She was forever grateful to Central for their start of and help during her life as a student and educator.

Her specialty field grew from her lifetime hearing loss. She was disabled by difficulty hearing the difference between consonants, j's and k's, t's and p's, and others. Her disability gave her a special interest in and compassion for children who needed remedial work. Her skill allowed many children to make proper progress through the grades.

She took a full retirement in 1986, and her home on Wallowa Drive for 40 years was a warm, pleasant welcoming little cottage to visit with a beautiful yard of trees and flowers to come home to. She stayed there 10 more years until the neighborhood gentrified and the community attitudes veered back to those of the '40s when she moved in.

In 1997, she bought a one level modern home in Pasco, Wash., safe, with access to modern public transportation including Dial-A-Ride. She spent 25 years on Baja Drive, with time in assisted living facilities that allowed her to live in and reconnect to areas she loved.

Hawk's Ridge in Hood River, Ore., allowed access to the Columbia Gorge of her youth. She had a chance to revisit Bonneville Dam on its 75th Anniversary Sept. 12, 2012. Her class had gone to see FDR dedicate the dam in 1937. Another trip was Timberline Lodge. Across the bridge(s) were White Salmon, Stevenson, Maryhill, relatively new in her youth, and a pleasure to revisit.

Lincoln City, where she owned property and wished to live on the Pacific Ocean Coast, had Lakeview Senior Living which allowed for easy day trips as far north as Tillamook, and as far south as Newport, and five minutes to the beach with her caregivers; a special thanks to them.

Upon her return to Pasco, she was very old, and her son helped her to remain at her home until she lost her balance and went into the system. To her dismay she could not get out before she passed.

Emily was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers, and three sisters, numerous aunts and uncles and cousins, all of whom were part of Klickitat County and the Columbia Gorge. Emily was the last of that entire generation.  

To paraphrase a nice paragraph in the 1982 History of Klickitat County, page 101 top right, "As several of us descendants of the Bertschis, Markgrafs,  stand on the meadows of Panakanic, or the White Salmon Cemetery, we realize that soon only the breezes will be transmitting back and forth the memories of a bygone community. (Now: Panakanic, pronounced PAN-a-ka-nic)." — By Emily's maternal cousin and friend, Lu Ellen Bertschi Ward         

Of her family, one daughter, Gretchen, preceded her in death. She is survived by three daughters, Susan, Janet, and Cara; her son Curt; and eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

She was laid to rest in the White Salmon Cemetery Monday, Feb. 13. At her request, there was no ceremony, rather a cordial professional final trip from Hood River across the singing bridge of her youth, up the Dock Grade Road she had walked with her mother, up Estes to DeWalt, a right turn to Main, Snowden Road of her youth out past Gardner's to a plot graced by a white oak from her lifetime of sketches. 

Thank you, Jack, Addison, Mayra and Pat. Your care, concern and attention to detail will always be remembered. Thank you, Carol and Mike, for your help locating her plot on short notice. Thank all of you for your kindness.

She is and will be missed. Go in peace, daughter, sister, mother, teacher, mentor and friend. May the Peace of God go with You, and Yours.

Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center • 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River. Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.