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Lettie Elizabeth Law Stutsman

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Lettie Elizabeth Law Stutsman

Birth	:	21 Mar 1909 Washington, USA
Death	:	24 Apr 2008 Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA
Burial	:	Calvary Cemetery, Walkerton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate	:	44.1134260, -81.1467700
Description	:	Lettie Elizabeth (Law) Stutsman was born March 21, 1909. It was the first day of spring — and the hope and promise of spring set the tone for her life. She was the only daughter of Harvey and Rosie Law (deceased), who owned an apple orchard at Sunnyslope, WA, just north of Wenatchee. Lettie had seven brothers: Orville, Delmer, Raymond, Walter, Glen (all deceased); Russell of Oakland, CA and Noble Law of Tonasket, WA (surviving). Since she was the next to oldest child (and the only girl), she started young to share in the care and raising of her... Read More	Lettie Elizabeth (Law) Stutsman was born March 21, 1909. It was the first day of spring — and the hope and promise of spring set the tone for her life. She was the only daughter of Harvey and Rosie Law (deceased), who owned an apple orchard at Sunnyslope, WA, just north of Wenatchee. Lettie had seven brothers: Orville, Delmer, Raymond, Walter, Glen (all deceased); Russell of Oakland, CA and Noble Law of Tonasket, WA (surviving). Since she was the next to oldest child (and the only girl), she started young to share in the care and raising of her younger brothers. As a girl, Lettie attended the Sunnyslope Church of the Brethren. Her Christian faith was the well spring of her character and she faithfully followed her Lord Jesus Christ each day of her life. Her warmth and generosity, positive outlook and sunny disposition drew family and friends to her all her 99 years. At a time when an education for women was neither the norm, nor encouraged, Lettie was determined to graduate from high school. The obstacles were enormous. Not only was there housework, cooking and laundry to assist with, there were no school buses at the time. Each morning, she would start three hours early to walk or hitch hike (if she was lucky) to Wenatchee High School, eight miles away, arriving half frozen at the school house door in winter. As a further challenge to her determination, in the fall she had to miss school to help with the family harvest. Upon returning to class months later, she would be given all the assignments she had missed, plus current daily lessons, which she would do each night — by lantern light —following her evening chores. There was no electricity, no telephone, no running water and no indoor plumbing in the countryside where she lived and transportation was mostly by horse and wagon. She graduated in 1928, number five in her class. By graduation, Lettie was an educated, petite, lovely lass who had captured the heart of Dewey Stutsman, a handsome young man from Manson, WA. They were married a month later, on June 10, beginning not only a 48 year marriage, but a lifelong love affair. They started their life together in Manson, WA, in a tent overlooking Lake Chelan, while they built their first home. For recreation, they backpacked the Cascade mountains. In 1929, their daughter, Barbara Miller of Houston, TX, was born. At a very young age, Barbara saw the tops of the high peaks of the Cascades from the papoose position in the back of one of those backpacks. Their second daughter, Margaret Rose, followed two years later. She lived only ten months and her death was devastating. In 1932, their son, Jim Stutsman, of Wenatchee, WA, joined the family. By this time the country was gripped in the tight fist of the Great Depression. Jobs were scarce, and cash was scarcer. So Lettie and Dewey decided to advance their education. They loaded up their Model A Ford and drove to Manchester, IN, to attend the Church of the Brethren College there. With them were not only their two small children, but Lettie's brother, Ray Law. They arrived with $21.00 remaining among them — and that was stolen before the day was over. The plight of this attractive young family came to the attention of some of the townspeople and members of the faculty. By the end of the week, they were housed, had jobs and were enrolled for classes. They juggled school, work and babysitting for the next two years, attending classes during the day and working at night. They prayed for snow so that Dewey (in addition to his night job of shoveling coal into the college furnace for 25 cents an hour), could, in the early dawn light, shovel sidewalks and driveways at the college and faculty homes. When they finally left Indiana, the almost six foot tall Dewey weighed 135 pounds — but he had his degree. After college, they lived in Wenatchee, WA, where Dewey worked for Fruit Sales Co. Their third daughter, Donna R. Smith of Spokane, WA, was born in 1938, just prior to World War II. As the War progressed, the demand for apples grew. In 1943, Dewey and Lettie moved to Tonasket, WA, where he oversaw the building of Regal Fruit Co. He served as manager of that warehouse for nine years. Lettie did her part by working as a stamper in the warehouse every fall, raising their family and growing one of the finest "Victory Gardens" in the area. Gardening was one of her passions. Her strawberries were juicier, her tomatoes larger — and her flowers caused cars to slow down and back up to admire them. In 1953, the family moved back to Manson, WA, where Lettie worked ten years as a Nurse's Aide at Chelan Hospital. When Dewey took over as manager of Manson Grower's Coop, Lettie became bookkeeper for the company. For the fourth time in their lives they built a home, this time at Willow Point on the north shore of Lake Chelan. Once again, Lettie's prowess with flowers caused transportation changes — as recreation boats drew near and tour boats slowed in admiration. In addition to his years in the apple industry, Dewey was an ordained Church of the Brethren minister, like his father and grandfather before him. Renowned for his speaking skills, Dewey was co-pastor at the Sunnyslope Church of the Brethren for many years and later preached, married and buried, all up and down the Wenatchee/Okanogan Valleys. Dewey's death in 1976, caused Lettie to move to a smaller home in Chelan, WA, where her gardening skills were transferred to dozens of blooming African Violets. In her 80's, Lettie (together with her beloved Violets) took up residence at Colonial Vista in Wenatchee. In 1996, she moved to a retirement home in Houston, TX, to be near her daughter, Barbara. She passed away April 24, 2008. Lettie was a beloved and extraordinary lady. Her 99 years spanned a momentous century. From early Wenatchee pioneer days, through the Great Depression, two World Wars, the invention of antibiotics, television, airline travel, microwaves, endoscopic surgery, and cell phones — to men on the moon — the world changed dramatically during her lifetime. For her children to have Lettie for a mother, was to be blessed indeed. She is survived by two daughters, Barbara Miller (husband, Jack) of Houston, TX and Donna Smith (husband, Skip) of Spokane, WA; one son, Jim Stutsman (wife, Nancy) of Wenatchee; two brothers, Russell Law (wife, Maxine) of Oakland, CA and Noble Law (wife, Ardith) of Tonasket, WA; nine grandchildren; and 19 great grandchildren. In addition, she is survived by numerous nephews and nieces in the Wenatchee area. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Margaret, in 1931; her husband, Dewey, in 1976; and five of her seven brothers. The family wishes to thank the staff of Treemont Health Care for their devoted and loving care of Lettie during the last seven years of her life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Staff Christmas Bonus Program at Treemont Health Care, 2501 Westerland Drive, Houston, TX 77063. Graveside Services will be held at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery on Friday, May 30, 2008, at 1:00 p.m., with Pastor Jerry Beebe officiating. Services are under the direction of Jones & Jones ~ Betts Funeral Home, Wenatchee.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Lettie Elizabeth Law Stutsman's memorial?
Lettie Elizabeth Law Stutsman's memorial is located at: Calvary Cemetery, Walkerton, Bruce County, Canada.
When did Lettie Elizabeth Law Stutsman death?
Lettie Elizabeth Law Stutsman death on 24 Apr 2008 in Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Lettie Elizabeth Law Stutsman's memorial?
Latitude: 44.1134260
Longitude: -81.1467700

Family Members:

Parent

Harvey McKindry Law

(1875 - 1948)

Rosa May “Rosie” Baughman Law

(1888 - 1967)

Spouse

Dewey Landon Stutsman

(1906 - 1976)

Siblings

Delmer J. Law

(1911 - 1985)

Children

Rosa Margaret Stutsman

(1930 - 1931)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Calvary Cemetery
Walkerton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1134260, -81.1467700

2. Walkerton Cemetery
Walkerton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1160316, -81.1448898

3. Presbyterian Pioneer Cemetery
Walkerton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1302500, -81.1407000

4. Anglican Pioneer Cemetery
Walkerton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1380939, -81.1438976

5. McLean's Cemetery
Brockton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1295962, -81.1863350

6. Bethel Methodist Old Pioneer Cemetery
Brant Township, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1298270, -81.1863640

7. McDuff's Corner Cemetery
Brockton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1090000, -81.1987000

8. Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery new
Carrick Township, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0637740, -81.1029190

9. Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery Old
Carrick Township, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0672000, -81.0833000

10. Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Cemetery
Formosa, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0674591, -81.2140503

11. Salem Evangelical United Brethren Cemetery
Carrick Township, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0678000, -81.0784000

12. Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Cemetery
Carlsruhe, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1108856, -81.0459747

13. Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery Lot 20
Brant Township, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1922600, -81.1401700

14. Greenock Methodist United Church Cemetery
Greenock Township, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1007540, -81.2556340

15. Brocklebank Methodist Cemetery
Brockton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1812000, -81.0884000

16. St. Matthews Lutheran Cemetery
Mildmay, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0338000, -81.1252000

17. Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Cemetery
Mildmay, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0328000, -81.1243000

18. Mildmay United Church Cemetery
Mildmay, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0356900, -81.1068600

19. Saint Ignatius Roman Catholic Cemetery
Deemerton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0473747, -81.0746384

20. Carrick Baptist Cemetery
Carrick Township, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.0729880, -81.0438580

21. First Saint Peters Lutheran Cemetery
Brockton, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1827640, -81.0731150

22. Crispin Cemetery
Hanover, Grey County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1372700, -81.0276000

23. Hanover Cemetery
Hanover, Grey County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1382408, -81.0263901

24. Saint Peter's Lutheran Second Cemetery
Brant Township, Bruce County, Canada
Coordinate: 44.1891070, -81.0636100