Lois Maurine Van Eaton

Lois Maurine Webb Van Eaton celebrated her 94th birthday and answered Heaven’s call on March 20, 2013. She was born in Philadelphia, PA on February 27, 1919 to Thomas J. Webb and Sedalia Missouri (Watson) Webb. Maurine grew up mostly in San Antonio, Texas. She was an active member of Zion’s League in her church. She worked at Lackland Air Force Base in the Language School. At that time she joined a flying club, Texas Wing of Women’s Flyers, where she logged in 100 hours of flying time and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. In 1947 she married Wallace Van Eaton, a discharged B29 pilot of the Air Force, attending Texas Chiropractic College in San Antonio. They moved to Sedalia, Missouri where they had two sons, Randall Wallace and Thomas Guy. In two years they moved to Yakima, WA where their daughter Terry Sue (now Mrs. Pat Kraft) was born.

Maurine worked at the Yakima Valley College Library for 23 years. She liked working with students, teachers, and books. She was a member of the Sheep to Shuttle Club and, as Wallace made spinning wheels, she became a good spinner and dyed and plied different kinds of wool for yarn and learned to knit. Maurine attended a Spanish Club and enjoyed Toastmasters and a writing club. She enjoyed writing poetry and had her book, “Heaven’s Whisper”, published. Her book was composed of Christian writings, poems, short stories, and dramas. She had started another book, mostly of poems. Maurine took several Christian correspondence courses at her church, Community of Christ, on working with youth. She had groups of girls of the Skylarks and Orioles involved in drama and worship presentations. Every year she would write stories of dramas for occasions like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as well as other occasions. The programs involved children and adults. Many times

Maurine served as counselor to girls of the junior age at summer church camps. Every summer she would take a car load of kids for a week of Church Summer Camp. In between camps there were trips to the elk feeding grounds in the winter; in summer, overnight camps sleeping on the forest floor, listening to the night sounds, and watching the starry heavens. Many times at church the girls would be involved in drama competition with other churches, and a lot of times they were rewarded as the best and came home with the trophy, a statue of Moses. It was well worth the effort they thought. The group would also perform at nursing homes and hospitals. Wallace and Maurine were congregational ministers for the Ellensburg church for 16 years. Maurine was an ordained elder.

Maurine was preceded in death by her brothers, Edward and Derrel Webb.

She is survived by her husband Wallace Van Eaton; daughter Terry (Pat) Kraft; son Randall (Denise) Van Eaton; grandchildren Jacob and Stephanie Kraft; sister Imogene (Tom) Bacon; and sister-in-law Evelyn Webb and husband, Gailyn as well as many nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held at the Keith & Keith Ninth Avenue Chapel on Friday, April 12, 2013, at 12:00 p.m. Concluding services and burial will follow at West Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Outreach International, P.O. Box 210 Independence, MO 64051. To celebrate the life of Lois Maurine Van Eaton and share a memory please visit www.keithandkeith.com.