Erma Louise COLYAR

1919 - 2022

Erma Louise (Manke) Colyar passed away on Friday, November 4, 2022, at the age of 103. She was born on February 15, 1919, to Herman and Anna Manke at the family farmhouse east of Ritzville, WA; the family then moved to a farm near Harrington, where Erma attended school and graduated from Harrington High School in 1936.

After graduation, Erma was proud to work as a teller at the Harrington Bank. In 1938, Erma met Robert Earl Colyar at a local dance and was swept off her feet by this charming young farmer. Within a year, they were married and together ran the Colyar Family Farm in Lamont, Washington, for the next forty years. Between cooking meals for hungry farm hands, driving the jeep in the field, preserving her garden's harvest, tending her purple petunias, teaching Sunday School at the Lamont Community Church, and helping her neighbors, Erma raised three children and nurtured 6 grandchildren. She was also an active member of the Order of Eastern Star, serving as a state officer in the mid-fifties, and as Mother Advisor to the local chapter of Rainbow for Girls.

Throughout their life together, Erma and Earl enjoyed travelling wherever family was: To San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1963, where their son Lance was on holiday during his Peace Corp service; to India in 1967, where their first twin grandbabies were born; to Hawaii, California, and Maryland, where their children raised families. Erma's perfect handwriting on the back of photographs also tells stories of adventures in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, England, and Hong Kong.

In 1979, Earl and Erma retired from farming and made their new home at Sans Souci 55+ Community in Spokane, Washington, where they enjoyed their little haven overlooking the Spokane River. No matter where Erma lived, she was a generous neighbor and friend, often delivering home-cooked meals to sick, recently widowed, or lonely neighbors. At Sans Souci, Earl and Erma made many new friends, participated in community activities, and served the local community and their Church. Their volunteer work at "COPS West", West Boone facility was an important part of their early years while living at Sans Souci. The couple also enjoyed doting on their grandkids, cheering on the WSU Cougars (even travelling with the Cougar Basketball and Football teams), welcoming great-grandchildren and sharing rhubarb and gooseberry pies with family and neighbors. Some of Erma's favorite times were summer evenings spent with family, sitting on the porch of mobile home #17, listening to the river, answering questions about family history, and sharing a meal.

In 2008, Erma and Earl moved to the Waterford Retirement Community (now the Touchmark), where Erma rode the exercise bike daily, strolled the halls for a good chat, conquered the Spokesman-Review's Daily Jumble and used her good eyes to read the newspaper aloud to Earl. Even in her final years, Erma was quick-witted, had a twinkle in her eye, and insisted on eating dessert first.

Erma was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Robert Earl Colyar, and her brother, Harold Manke. She is survived by her three children - Lance (Marilyn) Colyar, Gig Harbor, WA, Janice Kobayashi, Kaunakakai, HI, and Jean Smith, Spokane, WA; six grandchildren - Kristen (Tim) Muscott, Kara (Eddie) Beloate, Julia Colyar (John Degen), Amy Colyar (Matt Phillips), Wendy (Todd) Radloff, Collin (Joanna) Kobayashi, and nine great-grandchildren - Emily and Alex Beloate, Gwyneth and Amelia Muscott, Brianna, Noah and Wyatt Radloff, Keeley and Elysse Kobayashi.

Erma leaves behind many nieces and nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends from the Lamont, Sprague and Spokane areas - and a legacy of generosity, laughter and love. Erma will be dearly missed.

A celebration of Erma's life will be held at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home, 5100 W. Wellesley Avenue, Spokane, WA 99205 on Wednesday, December 28th, 2022, at 2:30pm. Graveside Inurnment Service will precede the Memorial Service at 12:30pm at Spokane Memorial Gardens, 5909 S. Cheney Spokane Road, Spokane, WA 99224.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Earl and Erma Colyar Family Endowment Fund, Washington State University Foundation, PO Box 641925, Pullman, WA 99164, or to a charity of your choice.