Willetta C. Eller

Willetta attended grade school at Fenn and high school at Grangeville, graduating in 1940. She married Dale Eller on Aug. 16, 1941, at Grangeville. Six children were born to this union, Sharlyne, Duane, Janine, Tim, Becky and Lori. A daughter, Kathleen Jo, was stillborn in 1957.

Willetta and Dale lived in the Grangeville-Winona area until February 1945, when they moved to Nez-perce. Willetta worked as a waitress and maid at the Nezperce Hotel and then she became a telephone operator. In 1957, she went to work at the Lewis County Assessor's Office, becoming deputy assessor in 1967. In 1974, she was elected Lewis County treasurer and retired from that position in July of 1985.

Willetta had an incredible love of music. She taught herself to play the organ, piano, keyboard and accordion. She had a vast collection of sheet music as well as compact discs. She was an organist for the Nezperce Christian Church, retiring from that position in 2010. She also had a great passion for art and was well-known for her oil paintings, watercolors, calligraphy and multitudes of other artistic media. She was a member of several art associations, including the Prairie Art Association. She loved sewing and did several types of needlework, including cut work, knitting and many quilts.

She was a Gold Sheaf member of the local grange, a 4-H leader for 17 years, a member of the Nezperce Christian Church and the Christian Women's Fellowship. She served on the Lewis County Fair Board and the Prairie Day committee. She was active in the Nezperce Senior Citizens and was a charter member of the former Nezperce Hobby Club. She and her family enjoyed trail rides with the Nezperce Riding Club. The family also enjoyed camping in the Selway, Lochsa and Red river areas.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and May (Hollingsworth) Carlson; her husband, Dale Eller; daughter Sharlyne Dinnell; grandson Michael Porter; son-in-law David Venable; sisters Luella Johnson and Delores Jensen; and brother Myron Gilbert.

Survivors are her children and their spouses, Duane and Joyce Eller of Dillon, Mont., Janine and Ron Porter of Coeur d'Alene, Tim Eller of Nezperce, Becky Eller of Lewiston and Lori Venable of Boise; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

The family suggests donations be made to the Nezperce Christian Church Memorial Fund or the Nezperce Ambulance Fund.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Christian Church in Nezperce. Interment will follow at the Nezperce City Cemetery.