Obituary: Duty, Couleen Joyce
A graveside service will be held in the Mountain View Cemetery at Farmington on Saturday, July 25th, at 11:30 A.M. A reception will follow at the Farmington Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Couleen was born October 7, 1931 on a farm west of Farmington to Emil and Rachel (Schwartz) Wagner.
When she was six years old the family moved into town and she started school in Farmington.
Couleen grew up with her brother who was three years her junior.
After her 10th grade year she attended her final two years of school at the Upper Columbia Academy in Spangle where she also played clarinet in the band.
It was here that she met Chirls “Charly” Duty and they married August 3, 1950.
Shortly after they married, Charly enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.
He served overseas in Pusan as a hospital medic.
He was honorably discharged in 1953 and returned to his bride Couleen and their 15 month old son, Chirls, Jr.
They lived in the same house in Farmington their whole life.
Couleen was happy as a homemaker and mother and she kept busy with church activities as well.
She served as the church treasurer or as assistant treasurer for nearly thirty years.
She and Charly loved to do yard work together and always kept a big garden.
Couleen was a talented seamstress who enjoyed sewing and knitting.
In 1977 she began a career as the town clerk for Farmington.
She held this job for 17 years until 1994.
Her beloved Charly passed away July 31, 2011, just shy of their 61st wedding anniversary.
She leaves behind her son Chirls, Jr. and his wife Jeneen of Spokane, daughter Tanya Thygeson and her husband Bob of Farmington; 3 grandchildren, Chelsea Thygeson, Jedidiah Duty and Marla Szwast; 12 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grand- children, as well as her brother Richard Wagner of Sumner, CA.
In addition to her husband, Couleen was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter Sandra Lyn in 1963, a grandson Jesse, and a granddaughter Cozetta.
The family suggests memorials be made to the Farmington SDA Church, the Mountain View Cemetery or to hospice.
BRUNING FUNERAL HOME of Colfax has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.bruningfuneralhome.com