Edith Akre

Edith Akre

On December 10, 2022, our beloved Edie passed away quietly in her sleep. She was 85. Edie was born on January 25, 1937, in Worthington, Minnesota, to Floyd and Florence Milton. When she was small, her parents moved up north to Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where her parents owned and operated Comfort Cove Resort. Her favorite childhood memories were her experiences growing up on the lake. On September 15, 1956, she married her high school sweetheart, Roger Akre. They had an adventurous life together and lived in Kansas, Costa Rica, and Panama while Roger was in college. In 1964, Roger accepted a job as an entomology professor at Washington State University, and they moved to Pullman, WA.

Edie enjoyed life as a stay-at-home mom for her daughters Tammy and Becky. She was a great cook and baker, and the cookie jar was never empty. She loved sewing and made most of her daughters’ clothes when they were children. Amusingly, Edie delighted in ironing; Tammy and Becky were probably the only kids in town with freshly ironed jeans every day! As her girls got older, she focused her passion for sewing on quilting, needlepoint, and cross-stitch.

Edie was fascinated by indigenous cultures and frequently recounted her experiences with the Kuna people of the San Blas archipelago of Panama. In the states, she went to regional powwows at every opportunity she had.

Edie loved the outdoors and camping. She was proud of her deer hunting skills and enjoyed fishing, but mainly for sunbathing rather than catching fish! Edie loved bowling and bowled competitively in leagues for many years. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy; she enjoyed babysitting, having them over for sleepovers, and going on fun adventures with them, especially in the woods. She liked to sing and was in the church choir, but preferred singing old tunes to the little ones at bedtime. She had a beautiful voice.

Edie was preceded in death by her husband Roger, her daughter Becky, and her sister Jean. She is survived by her daughter Tammy (Neal) Wallen and their five children: Jessie (John) Thill, Dakota (Harper) Wallen, Brianna (Nolan) Schindler, and Jasper and Jed Wallen. Also, her daughter Becky’s children Kim (Mike) Griebling and Michelle Phillips. She is also survived by her brother Tom Milton, and her sisters, Dorothy Jensen and Lynn Brekke. She had seven great-grandchildren, with one more on the way.

Her life was full of laughter, love, memories, and joy. We will miss her with all our hearts.

There will be a private close-family remembrance of Edie. Any donations in Edie’s memory can be made to the Roger D. Akre and Carl A. Johansen Fund, Washington State University Foundation, PO BOX 641927, Pullman, WA 99164-1927, or online at foundation.WSU.edu/give.