Roberta Marie (Eason) Saville

Roberta Saville Roberta Marie (Eason) Saville died at the age of 79 on August 8, 2017, following a brief cancer illness. She was born June 3, 1938, in La Junta, Colorado, to Robert W. and Gladys F. (Voss) Eason.

At that time, her father was foreman for the Henry Bledsoe Cattle Company in southeastern Colorado. When she was seven years old, her family moved to the Kittitas Valley where they were reunited with her mother's parents and two sisters' families. Roberta grew up on an 80-acre dairy farm that her parents owned on the Kittitas Highway, one mile east of Ellensburg.

Roberta was educated in the Ellensburg public school system and graduated from Ellensburg High School in the Class of 1956. Roberta attended Central Washington College of Education in the 1956-57 school year along with her fiancé, Wendell Lee Saville, who was from Blockton, Iowa. Wendell and Roberta were married June 30, 1957, at the Ellensburg First Methodist Church.

Wendell entered the U.S. Army in August 1957 and was stationed at Boeblingen, West Germany. Roberta joined Wendell in West Germany for 18 months. Roberta and Wendell returned to Ellensburg in 1960 after spending one winter with his family in Iowa. They lived in several Ellensburg homes until 1963, when they purchased a home on East First Avenue that they resided in for 29 years. Roberta was employed at Washington National Bank and the Valley Clinic before starting work with Puget Sound Power and Light Company (Puget Power).

In 1963, their first son, Craig, was born; in 1966, their second son, Kevin, was born. Roberta worked part time for Puget Power in Ellensburg and Cle Elum while their sons were children. In 1981, Roberta began full-time work in Puget Power's Ellensburg office and was active in Credit Women International. Staff reductions at Puget Power resulted in her leaving the company in 1994. She subsequently went to work in the City of Ellensburg's finance department and retired from the City of Ellensburg on December 31, 2003. In 1992, Wendell and Roberta built a residence on their Kittitas Highway farm that was inherited from her parents. They enjoyed raising beef cattle for 25 years before selling their herd in 2005.

Roberta enjoyed scrapbooking, embroidery, and taking care of her family. She loved having family get-togethers and hosting holiday and birthday meals. She was an excellent cook and was known as the family birthday cake baker. She was very active in Kittitas County Cattlewomen and was the 2007-08 Kittitas County Cattlewoman of the Year.

Wendell and Roberta were 4-H leaders in the 1980's and were subsequently very involved in the Kittitas Valley Early Iron Club and the Kittitas Valley RV Club. In the past two years, they were active in the Kittitas Valley Cruisers Vintage Car Club with their 1927 Ford Model T pickup truck. In recent years, Wendell and Roberta attended Ellensburg's First Lutheran Church.

Roberta is survived by her husband of 60 years, Wendell; her two sons, Craig (Samantha Sutfin), of Ellensburg, and Kevin, of Olympia; her two grandsons, RW (Casey) and KC, of Ellensburg; great-granddaughter Kassidy Saville, of Ellensburg; brother Darrel (Janet) Eason, of Ellensburg; close cousin Dee (Dennis) Patrick, of Redmond; and numerous other cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Visitation will be Thursday, August 17, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Steward & Williams Tribute Center, 301 East Third Avenue, Ellensburg.

Funeral will be Friday, August 18, 11:00 a.m., at First Lutheran Church, 512 N Ruby Street, Ellensburg, followed by interment at Ellensburg IOOF cemetery.

Memorial donations are suggested to Kittitas County Cattlewomen, 1251 Fox RD, Ellensburg WA 98926, or to First Lutheran Church, 512 N Ruby ST, Ellensburg WA 98926.