Elsie Yoder Forest

Elsie Yoder Forest was born May 7, 1926, in Marland, Oklahoma to Gladys and James Schnorr. Gladys had been born in Indian Territory. Elsie’s father worked for oil companies and the family moved often to different parts of Oklahoma. Elsie and her two younger brothers, Jimmie Joe and Bennie Lee, spent some of their childhood in Enid, Oklahoma, playing games like Kick the Can and Run Sheepie Run. The family moved to MacPherson, Kansas while Elsie was in high school. Her favorite subjects were English and Literature. She also enjoyed math, especially geometry. She graduated from MacPherson High School in 1944. Elsie’s first job after high school was plucking chickens for 50 cents an hour. She attended MacPherson College where she received her teaching degree. She then taught high school English, Speech, and Drama for two years in Greensburg, Kansas. Elsie enjoyed debating in college and in fact made a life partner of her debate partner when she married Robert Yoder in 1950. Bob had served in the U.S. Army and then graduated from Kansas State College in Manhattan, Kansas with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Bob was recruited to work at Hanford and the couple moved into a Prefab house built by the government in Richland, Washington. A few years later they bought a home in Kennewick where they raised four daughters. Elsie read aloud to her daughters and brought stories to life for them. All four daughters grew up to love reading and all four became teachers, following in Elsie’s footsteps. Elsie enjoyed traveling with her husband who served as a consulting engineer for different firms. She also enjoyed traveling with family. After Bob died in 1984, Elsie involved herself in community affairs and served on the national board of Camps Farthest Out (CFO), a Christian spiritual retreat. She also pursued an active interest in genealogy and traveled to Salt Lake City to research her family history in the archives there. In 2001, Elsie married James Forest, an old friend of Bob and Elsie. They had great fun with friends and family. He passed in 2004. Elsie moved from Kennewick to Wenatchee in 2009 to be near family. She lived in a beautiful apartment with a view of Saddle Rock at Columbia Heights (Avamere) for fifteen years. She made many friends, went on field trips, and attended concerts and theater productions. Elsie was also a member of a book group and remained an avid reader until very late in life. In Wenatchee, Elsie had the wonderful support of her daughter Gail Gilbert and son-in-law Kevin Gilbert. Elsie passed away July 9, 2025, at the age of 99. She leaves behind four daughters: Janet Yoder (Robert Rudine), Rebecca Gold (Randy), Gail Gilbert (Kevin), and Karen Yoder (Antonio Domingo), three grandchildren: Ryan Gold, Dana (Gilbert) Johnston, and Tania Domingo Yoder, and three great-grandchildren: Claire Gold, Lisa Gold, and Rae Johnston. Her ashes will be buried next to the grave of Robert Yoder at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Kennewick, Washington.

Tributes

Elsie Yoder Forest

May 7, 1926 - July 9, 2025