Carolyn Louise Hesser

Carolyn, age 90, passed away November 16, 2015 in Walla Walla after a brief illness. She taught china painting up until June of this year and remained quite active.

Carolyn was born to Mary and Ralph Tracy in Des Moines, WA. She was the older of two daughters. As a child, Carolyn became ill with Scarlet Fever and asthma. The doctor recommended the family move to a dry climate and they moved to Skull Valley Arizona where they stayed for some years. Eventually, they moved back to Des Moines where the girls attended Auburn Academy.

Carolyn met Ernie Hesser on a blind date in Walla Walla and they were married June 16, 1948. Ernie, being just back from WWII, decided to use his GI bill and pursued a degree in Mortuary Science in California with an internship with Herring Funeral Home and received his Bachelors of Science in Biology. The couple moved many times during their marriage. Along the way, they had three children. Being a stay at home mother, Carolyn indulged her artistic skills and took oil painting and then cake decorating. She made wedding cakes to earn extra cash and made the wedding cakes for all three of her children's weddings. She also took china painting lessons and found her real artistic joy. She taught painting classes up until this year, and painted many wonderful treasures her children and grandchildren enjoy. She even has one item that went to the Smithsonian Museum for their Porcelain Art display.

Carolyn loved animals. She acquired a magpie hatchling from her father-in-law’s ranch in Touchet and hand raised it. She had Maggie for 14 years. Maggie was a neighborhood favorite and would call people by their name and laugh. Maggie preferred women over men and would deliberately mimic Carolyn’s voice to call the family dog to the huge outdoor cage and then peck the dog on the nose. This was a great game for Maggie. Ernie worked in TB research and when he was working at the TB Sanitarium at the VA in White City, Oregon the family lived in an old hospital wing. Pets were not allowed but Carolyn felt pets were a necessity for children and so she procured a research lab rat named Smokey who the kids adored. Smokey had a wonderful time racing around the halls and burying pancakes in the kids clothing drawers. About 1958, the family moved to Mill-A Washington where Ernie worked as a research biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Willard National Fish Hatchery. The kids adopted and raised Chipmunks and built an actual one room log cabin play house.The family moved to Finley, WA in 1963, Ernie worked for the Corp of Engineers in Walla Walla and drove the round trip between Finley and Walla Walla for 12 years. At Finley, Carolyn was especially fond of her flock of sheep, her chickens, and big garden. The family had horses, cows, sheep, chickens, one goat and lots of fun and laughter. The Hesser household always attracted neighbor kids and was a hub of activity for them all. When the kids left home, Carolyn and Ernie moved several more times living in Waitsburg, College Place, Long Beach, WA, Las Vegas, Nevada and back to Walla Walla.

Carolyn is preceded in death by her husband, Ernie who died in 2007. She is survived by her sister, Doris Shelton of Walla Walla; her son, John Hesser of Texas; daughters, Joanne Hesser-James of Dixie and Jill Hesser-Gardiner of Walla Walla. Grandchildren were a joy and blessing for Carolyn and she remained in close touch with them all. These include: Jodi Brown of Touchet, Karl Hesser of Oklahoma, Brianna Patterson of Las Vegas, Ava Hesser of Anchorage, Ethan Gardiner of Las Vegas, Jesse Gardiner of Las Vegas, Whitney Phillips of Las Vegas, and 10 great grandchildren.

Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, December 7, 2015 at 11:00 am at Herring Funeral Home, Walla Walla WA with graveside service to follow at Touchet Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Blue Mountain Television through the funeral home.