Lois Bottemiller

Lois Bottemiller of Olympia, Washington, passed away peacefully in her sleep two days after celebrating her 99th birthday with family.  While enjoying her favorite Blizzard from Dairy Queen, she blew out her birthday candle!

Lois Lorraine (Jorgenson) Bottemiller was born in Marysville, Washington, to Theodore and Martha (Ultang) Jorgenson (She was 100% Norwegian!).  Lois graduated from Union High School in Vancouver, Washington.  Lois and Arnold “Arnie” were childhood friends, having met attending the Methodist Church.  They were married December 1, 1945, in Ridgefield, Washington, with Lois’s Methodist minister-father, Theodore, officiating.

During Lois’s career, she held various administrative positions and, after the family moved from Vancouver to Olympia in 1959, she became a Claims Technician at the Olympia office of the Social Security Administration, retiring in 1985.

Lois and Arnie were members of the First United Methodist Church in Olympia since 1959.

She loved spending time with her family and traveled extensively with Arnie and other family members.  She was often quiet but had a playfulness and generous sense of humor. She liked pinochle and other games, reading, water aerobics classes with friends, doing cross stitch and, if you were smart, you didn’t call her when she was watching her favorite soap opera! 

She didn’t care for cooking, or ironing or sewing, but she and Arnie taught their children to pitch in on those and other household tasks. Their parenting philosophy seemed to be “teach them kindness, life skills, responsibility, AND also make time for fun.” The fun included trips to the beach, Disneyland, Sunriver, Palm Springs, Hawaii, camping, and building and enjoying a family cabin on Anderson Island.

Lois is survived by her three daughters and sons-in-law, Vicki and Larry Zarrell, Carol and Hal Wolfe, Debby and Bob Pedersen; grandchildren, Melissa Bottemiller (Keith Bennett), Christopher (Tanya) Bottemiller, Harold (Bonnie) Wolfe III, Jacob (Lindsey) Pedersen, Teddy (Landis) Wolfe, Cody (Amanda) Pedersen, Joey (Maby) Wolfe, and Bryan (Glenna) Pedersen; great-grandchildren, Jesse, Lexi and Laney Bottemiller, Henry, Audrey, Simon, Harry IV, Kammy and Wesley Wolfe, Wyatt, Ellis, Roman, Calvin, Dakota, Stirling, and Sloane Pedersen; great-great grandchild, Charlotte Bottemiller; four step grandchildren, Ed, Marcy, Loren and Marlene (Zarrell); nine step great-grandchildren; and eight step great-great-grandchildren.

Husband, Arnie Bottemiller, passed away in 1997; and son, Ken Bottemiller (widow, Kitty McInnis Bottemiller), passed away in 2020. Is Lois now playing pinochle or fishing up in heaven with Arnie? Blessed to finally be together again!

Lois’s memorial will be held Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of Olympia, 1224 Legion Way SE with Pastor Heather Sparkman officiating.

In Lois’s memory, the family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church of Olympia or to Visiting Nurses Foundation, Centralia, Washington.

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