Carolyn Cludas Drake

Carolyn Drake was born in Buhl, ID, to Jack and Vera (Ramsay) Cludas. They lived at the train station where Jack was the teletype operator, and she had one sister, Jamie. Jack and Vera divorced, and Vera remarried George Farnworth, whom Carolyn considered her Daddy. The family added three more sisters, Katherine, Kristine, and Valoy, and they traveled all over the west following work, living in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.

At 15, she moved to Walla Walla with her aunts, Iris Adams and Stella Harmon, to attend school at Wa-Hi, where she graduated in 1959. While she was in school, she worked various jobs, including an usherette at the Capitol Theater and a daycare teacher at Mary Drake's Playskool. She met her husband of 23 years, Kenneth Drake, while working at the daycare. They had three children, Debbie, Kevin, and Kacy; they divorced in 1981. Carolyn was an excellent typist, bookkeeper, and receptionist. She worked for Sherwood and Roberts, State Farm Insurance, and was a receptionist to Dr. John B. Adams. She became disabled due to epilepsy, although she was still able to find work doing various jobs, including 20 years as an assistant maintenance person at her apartment complex.

Carolyn loved container gardening on her patio, jigsaw puzzles, knitting, and other crafts, Dr. Phil, classical music, telling stories, taking photos, and playing card and board games with her family. She was especially fond of Skittles.

Carolyn has resided at Brookdale College Place for ten years. She is survived by her son, Kevin Drake of Omaha, NE; and daughter, Kacy (Cormac) Acevedo of Issaquah, WA; her sister, Jamie Cottam of Henderson, NV; six grandsons, and three great-grandchildren, and a large extended family. Carolyn was preceded by her parents; sisters, Katherine (Elroy) Gollaher, Kristine (Richard) Dufour, and Valoy (Jim) Heki; and her daughter, Debra Drake.

A memorial and celebration of life will be held Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 10:00 am at the Walla Walla LDS Stake Center.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder St., Walla Walla, WA 99362. In addition, friends and family are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.herringgroseclose.com.