Obituary: Werle, Lewis
He was born in Wenatchee, WA in March 1925.
He survived a flood when he was four months old.
He and his mother moved to Dodson, MT to join her family.
She later married John Werle and was joined by a sister, Alice and a brother, Bob.
With the help of his family and close neighbor, Ingolf Hagen, and a good education at Dodson High School, he joined the Navy at 17 years old in 1942.
He was discharged in 1949 and recalled to the Korean conflict in 1951.
He was formally discharged in June of 1952.
During the break from his service he married Lillian “Tiny” Adams and then settled in San Francisco, CA.
For several years they offered shelter to several children and family members when the need arose.
Nancy joined the family in April 1957, and Sandra to follow in November 1958.
The family lost Tiny in 1970.
After the Navy Lew worked for Lil Jack Horner Bakery, and then joined the S.F.
Police Department in 1954.
He enjoyed 30 years of dedicated service, retiring in 1983.
Lew relocated to Spokane, WA in 1985 to be closer to family.
Not long after moving he met Pat and a friendship developed that was collaborated by his daughter and her daughter.
That friendship later turned to a happy marriage for both.
Community service was very important to Lewis and he continued to serve gaining many friends and cherished memories along the way.
He will be missed by his friends and large extended family, which include his wife, Pat; seven children, Jessie (Cranston) Hawley of Harlem, MT, Toni (Vaughn) Lodge of Spokane, WA, Cindy Jeanotte of Spokane, WA, Nancy (Lyle) Martin of Colbert, WA, Sandra Lodge of Spokane, WA, Kathy (Gary) Fuchs of Billings, MT, John Jeanotte of Spokane, WA; thirteen grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren, with one new “Lewis” due in June.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 18, 2013, at Native Project Gathering Place, 1803 W. Maxwell, Spokane, WA.
Community Cremation and Funeral Spokane Valley 13127 E. Sprague, Spokane Valley, WA 99216 509-926-2020 www.CommunityCremationandFuneral.com