Eleanora Plumlee

Eleanora (Nora) Hoptowit Plumlee of Toppenish, 87, passed away Saturday, March 9, 2013.She was born May 16, 1925 in Seattle WA. to Walter S. Underwood and Esther (Robbins) Thon. She was a member of Yakama, Klickitat and Cascade Tribes. In her younger years she loved to traditional dance and spending time in the hills hunting, fishing and collecting traditional foods. She spent most of her adult life in White Swan, WA. where she raised her son Joseph L. Hoptowit and many others whom she was mom to.

Nora was employed with the Yakama Nation Branch of Forestry, Fire Management Program. She worked as a fire lookout during the summer fire season 1960 through 1980; duty sites where at Sopelia Lookout, Signal Peak Lookout, Satus Lookout and during severe lightening storm activity she was detailed to the old Jennies Butte Lookout. As a lookout she gained the name “Eagle Eye” because of the fact if there was a fire start or smoke to be detected she rarely missed locating and calling it in to dispatch immediately. She also worked at the Mill Creek Guard Station. Throughout the years she met a lot of people and gained a lot of friends within the fire family. In 1990 at the age of 65, she decided to it was time to stop climbing up and down the lookout stairways and accepted a position at the Fire Dispatch Headquarters as Assistant Fire Dispatch. She shared the Fire Dispatch duties with the late Bonnie Spencer. Bonnie called Nora “Mom”, since she was her mentor and treated her as a daughter. Her reliability, dedication and hard work were a most valuable asset to the Yakama Nation Fire Management Program until her retirement in 1996. Also, during her younger years she worked on the Klamath Indian Reservation as a Wildland Firefighter.

After her retirement she spent most of her time with her son Joe going on trips to the ocean, hills, and other adventures, along with seeing various friends all of which she loved dearly.

She is survived be her beloved son Joe of Toppenish, WA. Nora was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Esther and also her favorite Uncle Earl Robbins and also many beloved pets that she treated like family. Her last and greatest adventure will be to meet up with everyone she loved and missed in Heaven.

She will be greatly missed by al that loved her but especially her loving son Joseph L. Hoptowit, who dedicated his life taking care of her as she did him.

Joe would like to thank all of her friends and extended family for all the help they provided her in her later years. She and Joe would like to send out a very special thank you to those that helped to take care of her in her last years. With love to, Roddena Cowpoo, Thelma Sanchez, Dr. Rex Quaempts, Patsy Whitefoot and elders for their many prayers.

A viewing will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at All Nations Church on Ashue Road in Wapato with the Funeral Service starting at 10:00 a.m. also at the All Nations Church. Interment will follow at Reservation Community Memorial Park.

Merritt Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.