Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Verna Mae was born December 27, 1928 in Yakima, Washington, and after over 86 years, died in Morton, Washington on June 26, 2015. She was the seventh of ten children born to Claude and Lillie (Gans) Shipley.
She married James J. Pink in Vancouver, Washington on April 10, 1948. David, Carol and Ed were born to them over the next couple of years. The family moved around a lot, often following work. Winlock, Tenino, Chehalis, and Yakima were all called home at one time or another. As a steeplejack, Mr. Pink painted and cleaned many of the smokestacks that were prevalent then, and cleaned windows on many of the tall buildings. The family raised mink for several years in Winlock, then moved the farm to the Tenino area. They had a small logging company for a season, thinned trees in the Olympics for one season, and for a couple of years owned and operated the Tenino Speedway grocery store.
After moving to Yakima, Mr. Pink died on July 15, 1986. Verna, who had not completed high school, at this time went back to school and completed her GED in 1987, then moved to Lacey.
On June 11, 1990, she married widower Lloyd Morehouse. The couple lived briefly in Tenino, then moved to Zillah and Selah before finally settling in Packwood on a lot near the Cowlitz River. The couple were active in the local community, and did volunteer work at various places, including the local Presbyterian Thrift store and the White Pass Historical Museum. Mr. Morehouse passed away on March 21, 2006.
On Valentine’s day, February 14, 2009, she married David Rollins. The couple continued to live in the Packwood home until April of 2015 when, due to failing health, they moved into the Heritage House assisted living facility in Morton.
No matter where she lived, church was always an important part of her life, and she always found a congregation to be a part of.
On June 26, 2015, a very bright and sunny day, several family members had gathered at her bedside, and others were on their way. She was not expected to live much longer.
Amy Frost, a granddaughter, was heading down I-5 when she noticed an interesting display of clouds in the sky: the clouds looked like a large gate had opened through which a long line of angels were crossing the sky. She sent a message to her sister Juli who was several miles behind her, also headed to Morton, and told her to look at the sky. Juli looked at the clouds, then turned to her children and said, “Look up there; the angels are coming to take Grandma home.� At about that time, Amy received a text message and Juli a phone call telling them that Verna had passed. The angels truly had come and carried her home.
She was preceded in death by two husbands: James Pink and Lloyd Morehouse; five brothers, two sisters and one great granddaughter.
She is survived by her husband David Rollins; two brothers: Ervin (and Jessie) Shipley of Selah and James (and Donna) Shipley of Boise, Idaho; one sister-in-law, Helen Shipley of Yerington, Nevada; three children: David (and Lora) Pink of Rochester; Carol (and David) Schlottmann of Olympia; and Ed (and Jan) Pink of Cle Elum; twelve grand children, twenty-eight great grand children, five great-great grandchildren and a great many nephews, nieces and friends.
