Posted: May 20, 2014

ASTORIA — Beloved wife to one, mother of two, friend and caregiver to many, Louise H. Hunter passed away May 15, 2014 in Astoria, Ore. The daughter of Wendell and Emma (Jackson) Holm, she was born Nov. 8, 1923 in Astoria.

Louise lived on the family farm in Naselle and graduated from Naselle High School. She entered the nursing program at the University of Washington and graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society. Following graduation she nursed in Seattle, Ilwaco and at Ford Ord Hospital in California. It was there that she met her husband, Ensign Peter Hunter who was stationed at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, Calif.

Louise and Peter married in 1954 and made their first home at Amadore Naval Station in Panama. During the two years they lived in Panama Louise worked at Gorgas Hospital. The Hunters then returned to the family farm in Naselle. Louise again worked at Ocean Beach Hospital in Ilwaco and then in 1966 became the nurse at the Naselle Youth Camp where she worked for over 20 years.

Louise and Peter were active farmers, first with dairy and then with beef cattle. She was an avid gardener of both flowers and vegetables and she preserved her produce and fruit for many years. She loved to dig razor clams, making delicious clam fritters and chowder with her catch. Louise enjoyed picking wild blackberries, picking for many seasons with her faithful picking companion Maggie, the family dog.

She and Peter enjoyed traveling, making trips to Peter's home in Colorado a family adventure. Following retirement they went to Alaska and made several trips to Hawaii.

Louise and Peter built their home starting with the original house on the farm. She was very involved in every aspect of the design and construction, including building some of the cabinetry and refurbishing antiques to fill the house. Louise was a talented craftswoman, including stained glass, making many of the windows in the Naselle Lutheran Church. A wonderful cook and baker, she was a master of the prune tart and limpu rye bread.

Louise was a lifelong member of Naselle Lutheran Church, an active member of the Priscilla Circle there and was involved with the building committee for the church, working on many projects. She was active also in the Finnish-American Folk Festival and Friends of the Library. Her greatest accomplishment was as a wife, mother, and friend. Louise and Peter's children are Mitzi and Peter and grandchildren Emily and Katie. It was the delight of her life to be "Nana" to her granddaughters. She was a very welcoming person, reaching out to newcomers in the community and church. Louise was a doer and a giver, active throughout her life helping others.

She is survived by her husband Peter; daughter Mitzi Hunter; son Peter (Heather) Hunter; granddaughters, Emily and Katie; and a sister, Elizabeth Holm. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wendell and Emma (Jackson) Holm and her brothers, Edwin Holm and Dr. William Holm.

Her casket will be open Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Penttila's Chapel by The Sea in Long Beach. Funeral service will be held Saturday, May 24, at 1 p.m., at Naselle Lutheran Church with graveside service at Peaceful Hill Cemetery in Naselle. A reception follows at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Naselle Lutheran Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 100, Naselle, WA 98638. Her guest book is available at www.penttilaschapel.com.

Published in The Chinook Observer.