Lucille Kathryn Erola

Former Naselle resident Lucille Kathryn Erola, 99, died May 6, 2015 in Federal Way, Washington where she had resided the past year. The youngest of four children born to German immigrants Heinrich and Anna Verheyen, she was born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 5, 1916. Lucille attended school in Cleveland and following high school was employed as a bank teller and in a factory during World War II. Shortly after her marriage to Finnish immigrant Walter Eino Erola on August 28, 1948 she moved to Mogok Burma (Myanmar) where he had been a missionary before the war years. In Mogok, Lucille was a wife and became mother of two sons while supporting her husband's missionary calling. Walter connected with the large Finnish community in Naselle and the couple subsequently settled there at he urging of Urho Wirkkala. Walt and Lucille considered Naselle "home" when returning from mission assignments in Burma and The Philippines. Lucille was an ordained missionary for the Assemblies of God USA and member of the Naselle Assembly of God. Lucille loved to play Scrabble, sewed all her own clothes and baked a very fine apple pie. She had a broad menu of Asian dishes and introduced her friends to the wonders of curry and rice dinners. Lucille is survived by sons Walter Alan Erola of Tacoma, WA and Edwin Arno Erola of Chinook, WA; grandchildren Elaina Erola, Scott Erola, Brent Erola and Chelsea Erola. She was preceded in death by her husband Walter in 2005 and by sisters May Carlyon, Gertrude Rast and Margaret Johnson. Memorial service will be Saturday, May 16, 2015, 3:30 PM at Naselle Assembly of God with a reception following. Private graveside service will be held at Peaceful Hill Cemetery, Naselle. Memorials are suggested to Naselle Assembly of God, PO Box 26, Naselle, WA 98638. Her guestbook is available at www.penttilaschapel.com.