Myrtle M Buchanan

2023, surrounded by her family, after a long and heroic battle with breathing difficulties.

Myrtle was born July 15, 1936, to Roy and MaryEllen Hellie in Malta, Montana. She graduated

from Kettle Falls High School, Kettle Falls, WA in 1954. Growing up, Myrtle was a member of

4-H and the Grange and helped her mom care for her younger siblings starting at age 4.

In 1952, Myrtle met Neil Buchanan at a dance at the Quillisascut Grange in Rice, Washington.

They married on May 30, 1954, just two days after she graduated from high school. Following

the wedding, Neil and Myrtle drove to Texas so Neil could finish his time in the Army. Upon

returning to Washington, they settled in Stevens County to farm and log on the Hellie ranch. In

1959, they moved to the Creston/Wilbur area where Neil began to work as a farm laborer and

they had four children Jean (Bowen), Debbie (Starkey), James (Jim) Buchanan, and Marc

Buchanan. When they moved into the town of Creston, Neil had become a rural mail carrier

and Myrtle had become a strong supporter of the Creston community. She was active in the

Creston Christian Church, playing the organ and working as the church secretary before they

moved again when Neil accepted the rural mail route in Chewelah. Myrtle also belonged to the

Women’s Fellowship of the Church as well as an adult leader in both Girls and Boy Scouts in

the Inland Empire Region.

Myrtle sewed many of her childrens’ clothes, especially for the girls. These were her first

ventures into sewing. She eventually began quilting, crocheting, and creating other crafts and

blessed her children and grandchildren through her talents. She made countless quilts, one for

each grown child, and she crocheted an afghan for each grandchild and great grandchild at

birth, a quilt for each grandchild, and a quilt for two of her great-grandchildren for their high

school graduations.

When her youngest, Marc, was in high school, she took a job as a bus driver in Creston and

then the Chewelah School Districts. Years later she shared fond memories of transporting

children on her daily route, to and from sports events and field trips. She also kept busy serving

as unofficial secretary for Neil while he was WA State Union Steward, which saved money for

the State of WA National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA) so funds could be used for

the other activities of the Association, such as the youth program. Myrtle (and Neil) were very

active in the NRLCA, both at the state and national levels, and she served as a strong member

and secretary for the Auxiliary of the Washington State Rural Letter Carriers Association for

many years

She and Neil resided in Chewelah for 22 years until settling outside of Davenport for their

“retirement years,” where she worked at the Davenport Hospital and enjoyed meeting many new

people, bowling, and continuing her hobby of quilting and crocheting. She was also the

caregiver to Neil after medical issues were discovered.

Always very active, she enjoyed singing in the Sweet Adelines Women’s Barbershop Harmony

Group and played many musical instruments: piano, organ, accordion and saxophone. She

also played softball and participated in several bowling leagues. During her later years, she

enjoyed cheering on the “Zags.” She was a huge Gonzaga men’s basketball fan and routinely

ate a hot dog at half time to help bring them good luck. She loved flowers in the garden: roses,

lilies and mums, and she could always make a cyclamen grow.

After Neil’s passing, Myrtle purchased a home in Davenport where she resided for 7 years and

enjoyed quilting, crocheting, and baking before having health issues herself and moving to

Serene Meadows in Davenport, just last summer.

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Myrtle was predeceased by her

husband, Neil Buchanan; she is survived by her brother Dennis Hellie (wife Marj), her four

children: Jean Bowen, Debbie Starkey (husband Bob), James (wife Sandy), and Marc (wife

JeNell); 9 grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren.

A visitation for Myrtle will be held Friday, April 21, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Strate Funeral Home, 505 10th Street, Davenport, Washington 99122. A celebration of life will occur Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Creston Christian Church, 110 NE Foster, Creston, Washington.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.strate-funeral.com for the Buchanan family.