Edra Phyllis Holm

She was born in Spokane, Washington on August 30, 1925 to Edgar and Cora Hilbert. Edra spent her childhood growing up in Walla Walla, WA and was the youngest of four daughters. As many Fathers hope for at least one son Edgar was blessed with his four beautiful daughters and lovingly nicknamed Edra, “Pete”. She graduated high school in Walla Walla before continuing her education at Whitman College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree.

After college, Edra went on a blind date where she met the love of her life, Ralph Holm. Edra and Ralph exchanged their wedding vows on July 25, 1950. Through the early years of her marriage, Edra worked at Bell Telephone Company and Ralph worked as a school teacher. They would wake up each morning and walk across a large field to the small school house and make sure it was clean and the furnace was lit, and from there Edra would go into town to work. She worked for the company until her daughter, Julie, was born in 1952. After the birth of her daughter she made being a mother and a homemaker her life’s work. In 1956, Edra and Ralph moved to Lake Oswego and made their home of fifty-seven years on Kimball Street. When they first moved to Lake Oswego Edra felt that they were still living in a small town, but over the years she was proud to witness the community grow and become the buzzing metropolis it is today.

Edra enjoyed playing bridge with her group of friends as well as playing bunco with her neighbors on Kimball Street. She was a veracious reader, enjoying all genres and finishing up to three books a week. Edra and Ralph had a passion for music. Ralph would play the piano and Edra would sing. She was known for being able to sing and know all the words to any song; their home was always filled with music. She was a devoted friend and treasured her time spent with her family and friends.

Edra and Ralph were fortunate to be blessed with the loving friendships of their daughter, Julie’s, in-laws. When Julie married her husband Chuck, her smaller family of three grew to include his parents as well. Their family spent every Sunday dinner, holidays, and birthdays with one another. Together they welcomed Julie and Chuck’s two sons, Andrew and Christopher, to the world. And for thirty four years the family bonds grew stronger and filled with love and good memories spent with one another.

Edra loved the vacations her family took to Hawaii and nothing would keep her from delighting in those days. During their stays she would enjoy her pina coladas, freeing smell of the open air, and many fun adventures. When she was seventy-eights years old she kept her adventurous side peaked and went parasailing with her grandson. Their smiles and laughter of that afternoon are a treasured memory for her entire family.

She was a sweet woman filled with lots of love to give to others. Edra will be remembered for her positive spirit and good nature. She was a woman that even though there were hardships, she never let that get her down or waste her time with negativity. As her life and health gave her new challenges, she accepted them with her head held high and made the best of it. Edra was a fighter, a strong woman, and a good role model for her family to look up to. She was a woman that always had time for others and time to talk. She was a good listener and person that would ask the right questions to help you reflect upon your life. Edra was a treasured Mother, Friend, and Grammy to many, and these are the cherished memories that she has left with her beloved family.

Edra is survived and will be missed by her dearly loved family, her daughter Julie Newton, son-in-law Chuck Newton, grandsons Andrew and Christopher Newton, and her great grandson, Charlie.