On November 18, 2019, Rosella Evelyn (Macer) Wayenberg passed away peacefully in Yakima after a short illness. She was born in Allendale, Illinois, on October 12, 1924, to Charles and Nola (Litherland) Macer. On December 21, 1945, she married her beloved Harold (Shorty) Wayenberg and they spent 72 happy years together.
Rose grew up in Adams Corner, Illinois, and attended the one-room schoolhouse there. Her family had a small farm where she helped tend the vegetable gardens, can and preserve the harvests, and care for the farm animals, cared for younger siblings, and assisted her father in his blacksmith shop. She was a song leader at the United Brethren church in Adams Corner and later worked at a laundry in Allendale before meeting and marrying Shorty. He stayed in the military after World War II, so Rose took on the role of a military wife, caring for the home, raising their children, and providing transportation for other military wives who did not drive. In this role Rose lived in many places throughout the country and nearly 4 years in Italy. Wherever she lived, she welcomed Airmen and WAFs of Shorty’s unit who were far from their own families—pizza nights, picnics with badminton and croquet, holiday meals. When Shorty retired in 1970 they returned to his hometown of Yakima where Rose made quilts, raised more vegetables, tended her beautiful flower gardens, and made the best apple pies, pizzas, dill pickles, and cream puffs in West Valley. Rose was a kind and caring person quick to offer transportation or a place to stay, bring food to the sick or grieving, teach her cooking, sewing, and handwork skills to others, or lend an ear. She fed the birds and stray cats and gave many of those cats a home. She will be remembered for her generosity and her joking humor.
Rose is survived by her four children: Judith (Denny) Wayenberg, Nancy (Michael) Brown, Diana Rayment, and William (Candie) Wayenberg; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and her brother Donald Macer and sister Geraldine Lytle. She was preceded in death by her husband Shorty, parents, eight brothers and sisters, and son-in-law Bruce Rayment.
A celebration of Rose’s life will be held at Keith and Keith Funeral Home at 902 W Yakima, Ave. at 11:00 on Saturday, December 7th 2019.
To view the obituary and leave a comment for the family please visit keithandkeith.com.
If desired, memorial donations in Rose’s memory can be made to the Yakima Humane Society or to Yakima Trap-Neuter-Return.
