Edwardine Evelyn Lenke, 90, of Tonasket, Washington passed away on June 25 at the hospital in Wenatchee after a brief illness brought on by pulmonary fibrosis.

“Eddy,” an only child, was born on May 23, 1924 in Moscow, Idaho where her parents Eston and Daisy Willis owned a grocery store. She met Harold Lenke, her future husband, in second grade. Following high school graduation she and a girl friend moved to Spokane where she found employment in a photography studio since she had learned these skills while in school. She returned to Moscow and became reacquainted with Harold.

They were married on June 7,1947 following his return from World War II and after they both spent some time at the University of Idaho. Harold and Eddy moved to Spokane where they raised their two daughters. Eddy’s connection to the grocery store business continued when they moved to Bridgeport, Wash. and bought the IGA store in town.

Upon retirement, they moved onto their 90 acres of land outside of Tonasket, Washington where they built a home and named it the Mariposa. Harold passed away in 1996 but Eddy continued to chop wood and shovel snow at her beloved Mariposa for 27 years until this last year when she moved to Port Townsend.

Eddy was passionate about teaching and the out of doors. She was a Girl Scout leader for many years and especially enjoyed teaching camping skills. After raising her daughters, she enrolled at Eastern Washington State University earning her teaching credential. She taught preschool, kindergarten, first and second grades at Basin City, Bridgeport and Brewster. Her positive influence on many lives remains in evidence today. Eddy loved to garden, backpack, fish, and watch wildlife. She was dedicated to each dog who shared her life. She was a long time member of the Spokane Mountaineers and recently said that her greatest accomplishment was climbing Mount Hood. She had been a member of the United Methodist church but her spiritual cathedral was in the mountains. She was an avid reader of thought provoking material and loved to listen to Northwest Public Radio.

Eddy is survived by her two daughters, Linda Lenke of Oakland, Calif. and Kris Lenke of Chimacum, Wash.

The family is requesting that any memorials be made in Eddy’s name to Washington Trails Association, NW Public Radio or your local Girl Scout Council. A memorial service date is yet to be determined.