Colleen L. Black

Colleen La Verne Black (Wainscott) went to be with her Lord and Savior on August 30, 2021 at the age of 93. She was born on January 12, 1928 to Ivan and Anna Wainscott in Mansfield, Washington, and was raised on her parents’ wheat farm with her brothers, Richard and Bill. As a young teen Colleen loved riding her horse down through the fields to see her friends Grace and May Maclean. Colleen was best friends with Gordon Black’s sisters, Lois and Maxine, and had a crush on Gordon growing up. It wasn’t surprising when they married in 1947. Gordon and Colleen had four girls, Kathy, Denise, Shannon and Paula. While Gordon worked at North Central Grain Growers, Colleen worked at instilling her love of the Lord in her daughters and demonstrated her faith through service to her church and community. She loved to sing and performed several solos. Coordinating dinners for funerals, providing refreshments for “Good News Club” and hosting Garden Club luncheons was her special niche. She made flower arrangements for church and recruited volunteers to provide food for bereaved families and friends. Often, as a concerned citizen, she would call or send a letter to her legislators with her input. Always active, she volunteered at the Mansfield Museum in her 80’s. Colleen’s family was her greatest joy, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In the last four years of her life Colleen lived at Amber Waves in Waterville where she was joined by her husband, Gordon, shortly before he died in October of 2019. How sweet it was to see the two of them holding hands and spending Gordon’s final days together. Colleen’s family is forever grateful for June and Tim Skinner and the wonderful caregivers at Amber Waves who made Colleen a part of their family. The caregivers welcomed and honored visiting family and friends. The love and respect shown to her as a resident will always be remembered. Family and friends remember Colleen as loving, compassionate, poised, elegant and beautiful inside and out. But the thing that stands out above all is that she loved the Lord with all her heart and soul and mind. She loved and lived according to Psalm 121. Colleen leaves behind her four devoted daughters, Kathy (Will) Wade, Denise (Tom) Poole, Shannon (K.D.) Leander, and Paula (Jim) Young-Keeffe; two brothers, Richard (Norma) and Bill Wainscott; 12 grandchildren, Robin Shehane, Marcu Wade, Anna Santa Maria, Tressa Meenderinck, Grant Poole, Bridget Arseneault, Shawn Leander-Schmidt, Shan Leander, Kristi Leander, Joel Leander, Katy Linich, and Reilly Howard and 20 great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are by Jones & Jones-Betts Funeral Home. A public memorial service will be held Saturday, October 23 at Mansfield High School at 1:00 followed by a dinner at the Mansfield City Hall.

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Colleen L. Black

January 12, 1928 - August 30, 2021