Obituaries

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Verna Jo Kinkela

November 12, 1943 - September 6, 2018

Burial Date September 15, 2018

Obituary Viewed 7285 times

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Verna Jo Kinkela, of Lacey, Washington, passed into the Lords arms at the age of 74 surrounded by her loving family on September 6, 2018.  Verna was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and moved to Tacoma, WA with her mother Mabel Baker. When Mabel married Lawrence Erdahl, Verna not only gained a loving father but also a brother, Alan.  Verna Jo married her high school sweetheart, Frank Kinkela in 1962 at the age of 18. They had four children, Frank Jr. (deceased), Jennifer, Jason, and Stephanie, and through them they were blessed with ten grandchildren. Verna, after raising her children, returned to post-secondary education and received her teaching certificate from St. Martins College in the spring of 1985.  She later completed her Master’s Degree from the University of Portland in August, 1990. Verna was a loving and devoted wife and mother. She always put her family before herself. Though firm in teaching her children right from wrong, she did so with love and patience setting an example for her children by living life with heart, kindness, and loyalty and laughter. Verna, a retired school teacher, enjoyed her life filling it with hobbies such as sewing, crafting, and shopping with her daughter and best friend Martha Hocutt.  Though her husband Frank, an avid outdoors-man, was nearly her polar opposite, they always found each other with love revolving around their family, friends – and the dance floor. Wow could they cut a rug! Verna was loved by all who know her and will be missed by her St Marks family, friends, but mostly her devoted husband, children, and grandchildren. Verna lived her life with love and laughter and the hole in our hearts will be big but only because we loved her so deeply. Farewell our beloved. Until we meet again.

Verna’s funeral will be held at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Lacey on Saturday, September 15th at 1:00 p.m.  In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.  We would also like to invite any who are attending that wish to share a photo or story for the memory board displayed during the reception at St. Mark’s to please do so to help us keep Verna in our thoughts and hearts.