Zoella "Blakesley" Bates Emerson

Born in Grass Creek, Wyoming, November 22, 1922 to Nina and Lou Blakesley. Years later Zoe, her mother and two sisters moved to Seattle where she graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1940 and married a young army enlistee, with whom she bore two sons. Her second marriage in 1948 was to US Air Force Lieutenant Russell C. Emerson who adopted her first two sons. Zoe and Cal also had two sons, adopted a daughter and remained married over 50 years until his death in Lakewood in 2008. Zoella’s occupations were daughter, eldest sister, an Episcopalian Christian, schoolgirl, amateur skier, wife, loving mother, gardener, wondrous beauty, hospital volunteer, cub scout & girl scout leader, auction bidder and furniture restorer, elected PTA president, gourmet cook, master seamstress, grandmother (7) and great-grandmother (6) extraordinaire, FISH food bank coordinator, church senior warden, prayer warrior, teacher, friend, housekeeper, and neighbor. There were more. With the exception of seamstress and a stint as retail clerk at the Seattle Bon Marche during the war years all were done without monetary recompense. To this day no one could pay her what she was worth. The beloved family pets, Rita Jean, Ulla, Anna I and Anna II awaited her arrival. Died August 19, 2013 in Lakewood from a massive cerebral vascular stroke. Memorial service and interment of ashes will be at 2pm on Saturday, September 14th at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 10630 Gravelly Lake Dr SW, Lakewood. The family’s heartfelt thanks are extended to the staff of St. Clare Hospital and Kindred Care in Lakewood, to Brian and Stephanie from Gentiva, as well as to her caregivers, Lorna, Rosa, and Odilia from Korean Women’s Association, who provided compassionate care to her and Dad in their final days.