Lorna Holeman

Lorna Holeman died in Ocean Park of breast cancer at age 88 after having beaten the disease twice in the 1980's. Mrs. Holeman was born to Walter and Mable Chellis in Calipatria, CA and moved to Ocean Park with her family 5 years later where she grew up with her siblings Walt, Ed, Allen, Fran, Betty, Jo and Mary. She attended Nahcotta School, graduated from Hilltop School in Ilwaco and then went on to Walla Walla College where in 1939 she met her husband of 63 years, DeWiley Holeman, who predeceased her in 2002. Lorna is survived by her two sons Herbert Holeman of Bellevue, Washington and Roger Holeman of Ilwaco, Washington, four grandchildren Eric, Ross, Amelia and Leland, two great-granddaughters Emma and India, and sister Fran Church of Ocean Park. During the 1930's, Lorna worked in the family laundry in Ocean Park and then in the Walla Walla College laundry to help pay for her schooling there. She served in the plans department at Boeing in the early 1940's and then as a bookkeeper before the family moved to Juneau, Alaska. Continuing her work in accounting, she developed experience in hotel administration which later served her well in a new venture in Long Beach, Washington beginning in 1989 when she and her husband, together with son Roger and his wife Jane built the Super 8 Motel which the family owned until December 2006. Lorna was well travelled around the United States and the world, most recently visiting Europe and Australia with son Herbert and his wife Cindy. Lorna and her husband retired in 1988 from careers working for the State of Alaska. They drove the Alcan Highway dozens of times to visit their children when they lived in Anchorage and Juneau. Lorna always enjoyed flying small airplanes with her husband so in 1988 she obtained her private pilot's license at the age of 69. Though Lorna and her family moved to Juneau, Alaska in 1953, years later she and her husband and both sons returned to living in Washington. Lorna enjoyed living in downtown Long Beach and could often be seen on her daily walk to the post office while visiting along the way or out to dinner with her friends every Wednesday evening. A memorial service took place at the Long Beach Super 8 Motel meeting room on Saturday, February 16 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, Lorna would be delighted to know that a donation might be made in her name to the South Pacific County Humane Society at PO Box 101, Long Beach, WA 98631.