Luella Huber

A visitation will be held at Mills & Mills Funeral Home in Tumwater on March 18th from 1 to 5 in the afternoon. The funeral service will be held at Saint Michael's Parish in Olympia on March 19th at noon. Burial will follow at the Calvary Cemetery in Tumwater. A celebration of life will be held in early summer at the Violet Prairie Grange in Tenino where Luella was a long-time member.

Luella was born in Riverside, WA June 24, 1922, to Edgar J. and Effie Mae (Welling) Dorian. She was the great-great-granddaughter of Washington pioneer Thomas McCutcheon Chambers. Chambers was a successful entrepreneur that built and operated a lumber and flour mill in Steilacoom Washington. He also became a territorial Justice of the Peace and a county commissioner and at one point owned over three thousand acres in the South Puget Sound. Luella was very proud of her pioneering family.

Luella grew up on Happy Hill farm outside of Conconully, WA in rural N.W. Okanogan county. The Great Depression and the unfortunate early death of her mother were extremely devastating to her family. She spent her youth working on the farm, helping care for her younger siblings as well as her elderly grandparents. While living on the farm she met her neighbor and future husband, Ferdinand Huber. Luella and Ferdinand stayed in Eastern Washington for some years before heading west to South Puget Sound.

Luella and her husband settled in South Union near Tumwater but the couple soon realized they needed more space. Ferdinand's parents decided to sell them their farm in N.W. Thurston Co. on Oyster Bay Rd.

While living at the Oyster Bay property the couple raised chickens, milk cows for meat eggs, and milk. As well as animals, they grew large vegetable gardens so they could can, pickle, and preserve the bountiful harvest. During this time Luella also led the "The Noisy Oysters" 4H club that she ran from 1954 to 1969. The Oyster Bay property saw many changes over the years and with the help of Luella's father Edgar, their children and several foster boys built a new home on the property. The family lived at the Oyster Bay property for over 20 years.

After selling the Oyster Bay property and moving to East Olympia, a new opportunity arose. In 1972, a large dairy farm on the Chehalis River in Rochester Washington became available. The couple bought this farm but ran it as a beef ranch and raised Angus cattle. While living on the ranch, Luella was the owner and operator of two businesses, Lue's Debeaking and Ferdinands Restaurant in Tenino.

In 1980 they decided to move to a smaller place that was less work in Tenino WA where they lived until 1990. They made their final move back to East Olympia but Luella was not ready to retire from her debeaking business. In her spare time, Luella enjoyed her vegetable gardens, camping with her family, travel, grange activities and working in her woodshop where she made elaborate scrolled art pieces. She eventually would retire from the debeaking business that she ran for 45 years at the age of 90.

Luella worked very hard all of her life and gave unconditionally of her time, energy, resources to her extended family, and worked tirelessly for the benefit of others. She is lovingly remembered by her children Mary Benedict of Rochester, Joseph and wife Vicky Huber of Olympia, William and wife Dorothy Huber of Olympia, her nine grandchildren, eight great-great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, her numerous nieces, nephews, and foster children.

She is predeceased by her husband Ferdinand Huber of 61years, her brothers Cliff, Tom, and Joe Dorian, and sister Rosemary (Dorian) Cunning Stark.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be given to the Violet Prairie Grange in Tenino.