Obituaries for Aug. 3, 2017

PAID PRINTED OBITUARIES James W. Vail January 10, 1921 ~ July 23, 2017 James W. Vail passed away at his home in Camas, Washington. He was born in Fairview, Montana to James Vail and Martha Vail (Hackett). He was the youngest of 8 children, 3 brothers and 4 sisters. He lived in Camas most of his life. After high school, he joined the Army and served in WWII, 1942-1945 in the 93rd Armored Field Artillery Battalion. He saw combat in 5 campaigns, Italy, France and Germany. He reached the rank of Sergeant and received the Bronze and Silver Stars. It was while in Germany that he met the love of his life, Hilda Raskopf. After the war ended they returned to Chicago and married in 1946. They were married 61 years when Hilda passed away in 2008. Jim worked at the Crown Zellerbach paper mill in Camas for 42 years, first in the converting plant and later at CRD, retiring in 1983. He and Hilda enjoyed traveling with friends and their trailers, bowling, fishing and gardening. He was and avid hunter and fisherman, enjoying fishing until only a few years ago. He was a skilled card player and loved playing with friends and family. He enjoyed watching all sports, spending time with family, and feeding the birds and squirrels. He was sharp witted and a great joke teller until the end! He is survived by his 2 sons, Gary and wife Karen, Jim and wife Sue all of Camas, 3 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all! A private inurnment will be at the Camas Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Straub’s Funeral Home & Columbia River Cremation in Camas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations may be made to any Military Veteran’s charity. To sign the guestbook or leave a condolence, please visit straubsfuneralhome.com. Ernestine ‘Ernie’ Marie Scarbrough June 6, 1932 ~ July 26, 2017 Ernestine “Ernie” Scarbrough passed away with her loving husband Dale by her side on July 26, 2017, in Vancouver, Washington, after complications from illness. She was born Ernestine Marie Michels in Stayton, Oregon, on June 6, 1932. When Ernie was three years old, her parents, Anthony and Mathilda moved to Washougal to take jobs at Pendleton Woolen Mills. As she was growing up, Ernie enjoyed the many shopping trips to Portland with her mother. They would ride the bus and visit the Tea Room at Meier & Frank and frequent the Charles F. Berg clothing store. Ernie graduated from Washougal High School and attended Washington State University. During the summer, she worked in the bag factory at the paper mill in Camas. After college, Ernie got a full time position at the mill and worked as the receptionist for more than forty years. During most of her career there, she managed up to 1,000 phone lines on the old style switchboard system. This was the perfect job for our “Ernie” who loved to talk on the phone! Ernie met Dale, the love of her life, at Washington State University, (WSU). Their first date was a boat ride on Lacamas Lake. Ernie and Dale were married on July 27, 1957, at St. Thomas Aquinas in Camas following a seven month courtship. At their wedding, they served Pink Champagne cake. The couple enjoyed many evenings of dancing fun, several river trips in Dale’s boat, fun times at the Sandy Swimming Hole in Washougal, and parties at local hangouts including the Wagon Wheel, The Showboat and Jantzen Beach Ballroom. Throughout her life, Ernie loved music. She loved to dance, dine out and entertain with their many friends from Camas and Washougal. One of her greatest joys was seeing the WSU Cougars win football games. For several decades, Ernie and Dale were avid fans and season ticket holders for the Seattle Seahawks and the Cougs! Although Ernie and Dale never had children of their own, they opened their hearts to touch many young lives. Ernie will be remembered for her beautiful smile and unwavering generosity to others. Together with her husband Dale, she was a frequent donor to the Washington State University Foundation, The Salvation Army and Veterans of Foreign Wars. It was not uncommon for Ernie and Dale to pay for college tuition for relatives and friends in need. When Ernie took trips, she always showered her friends with lavish gifts upon her return. She loved talking to friends on the phone to catch up on the latest news. She collected cookbooks and recipes and was always shopping for another handy kitchen gadget. For Ernie, her Catholic faith and her love of family and friends were her central focus. She will be missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her husband, Dale, of Camas, sister, Roberta Forbes of Vancouver, and two nieces, Catherine Post of Vancouver and Ann Petersen of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. A funeral Mass to celebrate Ernie’s life will be held Monday, August 7, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 324 NE Oak Street in Camas, WA. Memorial donations may be made to St. Vincent de Paul in care of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Camas. A gravesite service will be held immediately following Mass at the Fern Prairie Cemetery, 26700 NE Robinson Road in Camas. After the graveside service, a luncheon to celebrate Ernie’s life will be held at Shangri-La Farm in Fern Prairie. ADA parking is available at the farm, 26300 NE Third Street, Camas, WA. Overflow parking will be available at Grove Field Airport, 632 NE 267th Avenue, Camas, WA. Read the complete obituaries in the Aug. 3 print edition of the Post-Record. Janett K. Steinauer Janett Kay Steinauer died Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in Portland. She was 74. Janett was born to Myrl and Caryol (Baker) Bush on July 10, 1943, in Vancouver. There will be a graveside service on Wednesday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m., at the Camas Cemetery. Brown’s Funeral Home and Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements. Sign Janett’s guestbook at www.brownsfh.com. Kathleen Zimmer Kathleen Zimmer died on Wednesday, July 23, 2017. She was 71. Her life will be celebrated on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 11 a.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, 2204 N.E. Birch St., Camas. To send condolences or to sign the online guestbook, visit www.straubsfuneralhome.com. A complete obituary will be in next week’s paper. Read the complete obituaries in the Aug. 3 print edition of the Post-Record.

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