Verna Clare Bloom Eshelman, 83, our wife, mother, grandmother and sister, died peacefully May 4, 2014, in Friday Harbor, Wash. surrounded by the love of her family.
She was born Oct. 22, 1930 in Curwensville, where she learned to ice skate on a frozen pond, was voted prettiest in her class and graduated Valedictorian of her high school in 1948.
During high school, she was the head cheerleader and worked in the local drug store, serving sodas, where her future husband, Tom spent many happy afternoons courting her. They were married on Sept. 6, 1948.
She was active in the Methodist church, as a member of the choir and she taught Bible school. She and her family moved to Logan, Utah in 1964. While there, in addition to raising a family, she was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church, where she was an officer, visitor and sang in the choir.
She was also a member of PEO, a hospice volunteer and a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission. She was an avid sewer and quilter, loved playing the piano and, during gardening season, could be found most mornings in the garden.
Following her diagnosis with Alzheimer’s, she and her husband moved to Friday Harbor, Wash. in 2009 to be close to family.
She will be remembered, by those lucky enough to have them, for her amazing pies and, by everyone who knew her, for her unfailing kindness and innate sense of fairness. She set the bar for treatment of others.
She’s survived by her loving husband, Thomas Eshelman and her children, June (Jeannine Spicer), Ansel (Desiree), Wayne (Deborah), Diane (Ken Staub) and Jennifer (Mark Flores).
She also survived by her grandchildren, Amy, Nick, Hannah, Marga, Kyle, Colin, Alissa, Ansel and Elijah and her brother, Gordon Bloom.
She was preceded in death by her son, Harold (1970); her father, Ansel Bloom; her mother, Caroline Williams Bloom; her sister, Norma Bloom Cramer; and her brother, Monroe Bloom.
A memorial service will be held later this year when her ashes will be put to rest at the Logan Cemetery, next to her son, Harold.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to any hospice organization.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.chidboyfuneralhome.com.