Colleen Wall Obituary
Colleen Wall July 8, 1928 - December 17, 2022
Colleen passed away peacefully on December 17th at home surrounded by family and dogs. Born in 1928 to Elmer and Elizabeth Buss she was the oldest of seven children. She was as Tom Brokaw wrote of "the greatest generation". Colleen saw the end of the great depression, WWII, the Korean Conflict, a man land on the moon and the rise of social media. More on that later.
Colleen was raised in Skykomish, Washington where her father worked for the forest service. She grew up riding horses for transportation, milking a cow for milk, playing pinochle, and listening to the radio for entertainment. Her father packed mules for the Forest Service. She told of her family accompanying her father on some of his packing trips where they would be out in the Cascades for weeks.
One of the most significant events in Colleen's life was WWII. She graduated salutatorian from Skykomish high school in a class of four women. All the men had enlisted in the military. She remembered vividly the day her best friend who was Japanese was hauled away with her family in the back of a truck to an internment camp.
After graduating high school Colleen moved to Everett where she worked for Vitamilk Dairy as a bookkeeper and later for Nord Door. Colleen would work for most of her life. In 1954 she married her husband of fifty-eight years Edward Wall. After their marriage they moved to Snohomish to Ed's family home where they would begin an extensive and lengthy re-model. Mom claimed it never really got finished because Ed was a perfectionist.
Colleen was an active member of the Snohomish Order of Eastern Star. She traveled extensively throughout Washington supporting her many roles in the lodge. Colleen and her sister-in-law Donna Lind for years ran the food service for bingo night at the lodge. The quality and value of the bingo food became an insider secret. Colleen also served on the Marshland Cemetery committee. The family said she rose to TV fame when she was interviewed by King 5 news after the private cemetery was hit by vandals.
Family was Colleen's highest priority. She and Ed had two children who they demanded go to college something she and Ed did not have the opportunity of doing. Colleen was an incredible baker, and her apple pies were legendary. Thanksgiving and Christmas often involved the entire clan gathering to celebrate. As Dad used to say you will never run out of food with the Buss girls cooking.
Colleen had an interest in people and could remember names and faces after one meeting. Social media opened another avenue for Colleen to communicate. When Facebook asked, "What's on your mind", Colleen answered. At social events Dad would say "stick with your mother she knows everyone". She loved people and would strike up a conversation with anyone, often to the embarrassment of her teenage children. Later in life we realized what a gift she had in her ability to connect with people.
Colleen Wall July 8, 1928 - December 17, 2022
Colleen passed away peacefully on December 17th at home surrounded by family and dogs. Born in 1928 to Elmer and Elizabeth Buss she was the oldest of seven children. She was as Tom Brokaw wrote of "the greatest generation". Colleen saw the end of the great depression, WWII, the Korean Conflict, a man land on the moon and the rise of social media. More on that later.
Colleen was raised in Skykomish, Washington where her father worked for the forest service. She grew up riding horses for transportation, milking a cow for milk, playing pinochle, and listening to the radio for entertainment. Her father packed mules for the Forest Service. She told of her family accompanying her father on some of his packing trips where they would be out in the Cascades for weeks.
One of the most significant events in Colleen's life was WWII. She graduated salutatorian from Skykomish high school in a class of four women. All the men had enlisted in the military. She remembered vividly the day her best friend who was Japanese was hauled away with her family in the back of a truck to an internment camp.
After graduating high school Colleen moved to Everett where she worked for Vitamilk Dairy as a bookkeeper and later for Nord Door. Colleen would work for most of her life. In 1954 she married her husband of fifty-eight years Edward Wall. After their marriage they moved to Snohomish to Ed's family home where they would begin an extensive and lengthy re-model. Mom claimed it never really got finished because Ed was a perfectionist.
Colleen was an active member of the Snohomish Order of Eastern Star. She traveled extensively throughout Washington supporting her many roles in the lodge. Colleen and her sister-in-law Donna Lind for years ran the food service for bingo night at the lodge. The quality and value of the bingo food became an insider secret. Colleen also served on the Marshland Cemetery committee. The family said she rose to TV fame when she was interviewed by King 5 news after the private cemetery was hit by vandals.
Family was Colleen's highest priority. She and Ed had two children who they demanded go to college something she and Ed did not have the opportunity of doing. Colleen was an incredible baker, and her apple pies were legendary. Thanksgiving and Christmas often involved the entire clan gathering to celebrate. As Dad used to say you will never run out of food with the Buss girls cooking.
Colleen had an interest in people and could remember names and faces after one meeting. Social media opened another avenue for Colleen to communicate. When Facebook asked, "What's on your mind", Colleen answered. At social events Dad would say "stick with your mother she knows everyone". She loved people and would strike up a conversation with anyone, often to the embarrassment of her teenage children. Later in life we realized what a gift she had in her ability to connect with people.
Colleen Wall Obituary
Colleen Wall July 8, 1928 - December 17, 2022
Colleen passed away peacefully on December 17th at home surrounded by family and dogs. Born in 1928 to Elmer and Elizabeth Buss she was the oldest of seven children. She was as Tom Brokaw wrote of "the greatest generation". Colleen saw the end of the great depression, WWII, the Korean Conflict, a man land on the moon and the rise of social media. More on that later.
Colleen was raised in Skykomish, Washington where her father worked for the forest service. She grew up riding horses for transportation, milking a cow for milk, playing pinochle, and listening to the radio for entertainment. Her father packed mules for the Forest Service. She told of her family accompanying her father on some of his packing trips where they would be out in the Cascades for weeks.
One of the most significant events in Colleen's life was WWII. She graduated salutatorian from Skykomish high school in a class of four women. All the men had enlisted in the military. She remembered vividly the day her best friend who was Japanese was hauled away with her family in the back of a truck to an internment camp.
After graduating high school Colleen moved to Everett where she worked for Vitamilk Dairy as a bookkeeper and later for Nord Door. Colleen would work for most of her life. In 1954 she married her husband of fifty-eight years Edward Wall. After their marriage they moved to Snohomish to Ed's family home where they would begin an extensive and lengthy re-model. Mom claimed it never really got finished because Ed was a perfectionist.
Colleen was an active member of the Snohomish Order of Eastern Star. She traveled extensively throughout Washington supporting her many roles in the lodge. Colleen and her sister-in-law Donna Lind for years ran the food service for bingo night at the lodge. The quality and value of the bingo food became an insider secret. Colleen also served on the Marshland Cemetery committee. The family said she rose to TV fame when she was interviewed by King 5 news after the private cemetery was hit by vandals.
Family was Colleen's highest priority. She and Ed had two children who they demanded go to college something she and Ed did not have the opportunity of doing. Colleen was an incredible baker, and her apple pies were legendary. Thanksgiving and Christmas often involved the entire clan gathering to celebrate. As Dad used to say you will never run out of food with the Buss girls cooking.
Colleen had an interest in people and could remember names and faces after one meeting. Social media opened another avenue for Colleen to communicate. When Facebook asked, "What's on your mind", Colleen answered. At social events Dad would say "stick with your mother she knows everyone". She loved people and would strike up a conversation with anyone, often to the embarrassment of her teenage children. Later in life we realized what a gift she had in her ability to connect with people.
Colleen Wall July 8, 1928 - December 17, 2022
Colleen passed away peacefully on December 17th at home surrounded by family and dogs. Born in 1928 to Elmer and Elizabeth Buss she was the oldest of seven children. She was as Tom Brokaw wrote of "the greatest generation". Colleen saw the end of the great depression, WWII, the Korean Conflict, a man land on the moon and the rise of social media. More on that later.
Colleen was raised in Skykomish, Washington where her father worked for the forest service. She grew up riding horses for transportation, milking a cow for milk, playing pinochle, and listening to the radio for entertainment. Her father packed mules for the Forest Service. She told of her family accompanying her father on some of his packing trips where they would be out in the Cascades for weeks.
One of the most significant events in Colleen's life was WWII. She graduated salutatorian from Skykomish high school in a class of four women. All the men had enlisted in the military. She remembered vividly the day her best friend who was Japanese was hauled away with her family in the back of a truck to an internment camp.
After graduating high school Colleen moved to Everett where she worked for Vitamilk Dairy as a bookkeeper and later for Nord Door. Colleen would work for most of her life. In 1954 she married her husband of fifty-eight years Edward Wall. After their marriage they moved to Snohomish to Ed's family home where they would begin an extensive and lengthy re-model. Mom claimed it never really got finished because Ed was a perfectionist.
Colleen was an active member of the Snohomish Order of Eastern Star. She traveled extensively throughout Washington supporting her many roles in the lodge. Colleen and her sister-in-law Donna Lind for years ran the food service for bingo night at the lodge. The quality and value of the bingo food became an insider secret. Colleen also served on the Marshland Cemetery committee. The family said she rose to TV fame when she was interviewed by King 5 news after the private cemetery was hit by vandals.
Family was Colleen's highest priority. She and Ed had two children who they demanded go to college something she and Ed did not have the opportunity of doing. Colleen was an incredible baker, and her apple pies were legendary. Thanksgiving and Christmas often involved the entire clan gathering to celebrate. As Dad used to say you will never run out of food with the Buss girls cooking.
Colleen had an interest in people and could remember names and faces after one meeting. Social media opened another avenue for Colleen to communicate. When Facebook asked, "What's on your mind", Colleen answered. At social events Dad would say "stick with your mother she knows everyone". She loved people and would strike up a conversation with anyone, often to the embarrassment of her teenage children. Later in life we realized what a gift she had in her ability to connect with people.
Family Members
Spouse
Children
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
