Emma Gertrude LeRoy was born December 15, 1921 to Garritt and Martha Visser in Havillah, Washington, the only girl of 11 children.

Emma attended Havillah and Bonaparte one room schools before graduating from Tonasket High School. On March 14, 1942, she married Harold Kuhlmann. They lived in Havillah until purchasing land in Tonasket where they planted a pear and apple orchard. They also sold strawberries and raised as many as 2000 chickens, selling eggs commercially.

In 1946, they adopted a little boy, Noral Gene. Four years later, they adopted a little girl on Emma’s 28th birthday, naming her Nancy Rae. Emma loved children, started a daycare and delighted in “her” little ones. After Harold passed away (9/7/81), she sold the orchard and bought a place in town where she had a beautiful yard and continued babysitting, even starting on a second generation.

She loved to play pinochle, travel and spend time with family. She was active in Hope Lutheran Church and the Tonasket Senior Center. In 1995, she married John LeRoy. John passed away on December 22, 2001. At the age of 91, Emma sold her home and moved to East Wenatchee, eventually settling in with her daughter on Badger Mountain where she celebrated her 96th birthday. She passed away there on April 7, 2018.

Emma was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands; brothers, Julius, Hugh, Roy, Gerald, and Marlowe Visser and son, Noral. She is survived by brothers, Robert, Ray, Wesley, Dwight and Dwayne Visser; daughter, Nancy; many grand and great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Internment will at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 20 at the Havillah Cemetery, followed by a Memorial Service at Hope Lutheran Church in Tonasket at 1 p.m. Memorials may be made to Hope Lutheran or the Tonasket Senior Center.