Eileen Hoffman

Eileen was born in Brodulac, ND on January 20, 1921. She was the 4th oldest of 15 children born to John & Margaret Wolf. Her family farmed in Bordulac, and though Eileen grew up during the Great Depression she often spoke of how lucky her family was because they always had enough to eat. Eileen excelled in basketball during high school and was an all state player and member of the state champion team. She loved sports all her life and regularly attended the kids and grandkids sporting events.

After graduating from high school in 1938, she enrolled in nurses training at Trinity Hospital in Jamestown, ND. She graduated in 1942 and got her RN license.

Eileen served in the Navy Nurse Corps from 1942 – 1947. After basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Base outside of Chicago she was stationed in Norman Oklahoma Naval Hospital. In 1945 she was sent to Pearl Harbor after the bombing and was stationed at Base 8 and the Coast Guard Station. Her husband Harold (Dutch) Hoffman was a submariner on the USS Seahorse and they met when he was admitted to the hospital as one of her patients. Eileen finished her naval career at Oaknoll Naval Hospital near Oakland, CA in February 1947.

Eileen and Dutch were married in San Francisco immediately after Eileen’s discharge from the navy and a year later they moved back to Honolulu. During the first twenty five years of marriage they traveled extensively due to Dutch’s construction work. Besides living in Hawaii, they also lived in Turkey, the Marshall Islands, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Nebraska and Guam. In 1964, after surviving Typhoon Karen the family moved from Guam to Ellensburg. They lived for a short time with Betty (sister) & Bob Prall until moving to the family home on B Street.

Starting over in Ellensburg gave Eileen an appreciation for the generosity of others and she spent the rest of her life giving back to the community. Eileen and Dutch where long time members of the Ellensburg Eagles Lodge #220, where they loved to dance every Saturday night, and they actively volunteered for many fundraisers. Eileen and her sister Betty volunteered weekly at Gold Leaf Nursing Home where they ran a weekly bingo game. Bringing fresh fruit or homemade cake along with hand crafted gifts and prizes for the residents.

Eileen was a devoted Catholic and a member of the Altar Society for St. Andrews Catholic Church. She often volunteered for the church serving many funeral dinners and working at the annual October Festival. She found great comfort in prayer and daily mass. As a member of RSVP she volunteered for the American Red Cross Blood Drives and gave blood regularly, staffed the rest stop coffee stand at Indian John, sampling at Super One, and anything else that was needed. She volunteered at Head Start assisting her daughter Patti at the evening parenting classes by preparing and serving food, mending donated clothing, and making gifts for the children. She often asked her children, how can you be bored with so much to do?

After her youngest child Joe, started grade school, Eileen worked seasonally at Twin City Foods, retiring as floor boss after 20 years. Where ever she worked, she is remembered as hardworking and as a strong leader. The friendships she made at the cannery have been long lasting.

Eileen loved to sew and quilt and she made many quilts and fur blankets for her family and the church. Some of her quilts were blue ribbon winners at the Ellensburg Fair. During the summers Eileen grew beautiful Irises and she always had a vegetable garden. She taught her daughters and granddaughters to can and her apple butter was also a blue ribbon winner.

Eileen loved the arts and theater and volunteered at the Laughing Horse Theatre and the Western Art Show. She will be remembered for her love of card playing. She taught her kids to count by teaching them all the game of cribbage. Every family gathering would include games of pinochle or cribbage. For many years she would play cards weekly at the Senior Center and at Hampton Courts.

Eileen loved to walk, she walked everywhere around Ellensburg and on one of her walks she was struck by a semi truck while crossing University Avenue. She survived the accident at the age of 86 and after almost 2 years of rehabilitation was able to return to her home where she lived independently before moving to Dry Creek Assisted Living last year.

Eileen was preceded in death by her husband Harold (Dutch) Hoffman, her parents, John & Margaret Wolf, her brothers, Richard, Casper, Lawrence, Syril, John, Bud (Jerome), her sisters Rita, Betty, Cecilia, and June.

She is survived by her sisters Virginia Carr & Theresa Straley of Carrington, ND, Patricia Andes of Parshall, ND, Amelia Nevares of Tacoma, WA, daughters Margaret Foote of Glen Allen, VA, Patty (Roger) Canterberry and Jody (Bob) McClure of Ellensburg, Dotty (Brad)Hoffman-Barr of Maple Valley, WA and son Joseph (Gretchen) Hoffman of Ellensburg. Her grandchildren Ben (Amy) Foote, Sarah (Gage) Reeves, Maureen (Nate) Canterberry-Earle, Roger Canterberry Jr., Robert (Michael) McClure, Mark Zehnder, Jamie (Jason) Zeller, Heather (Jessie) Sizemore, Lauren Barr, Hartley Brown, David (Jen) Hoffman. Her great grandchildren, Opal & Lupine Reeves, Melissa & Marcus Zehnder, Sarah & Asher Sizemore, Abbey & Garrett Zeller.

Viewing will be held from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, December 9, 2012, at Steward & Williams Tribute Center. Rosary service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 9, 2012, at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, December 10, 2012, at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church. Burial will follow the service at Holy Cross Cemetery.

The family wants to thank Dr. Haney and the staff of Ellensburg Family Health Care, Monica , Lorie and the staff at Dry Creek Assisted Living, and Arlene Steinhart for her help the last few months of Eileen’s life. The family has requested in lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in her name to any of one of the following charities, Ellensburg RSVP, St. Andrews Catholic Church Funeral Fund, Ellensburg Hospice, and Elmview’s Meals on Wheels. Condolences can be left for the family at www.steward-williams.com.