Elaine Marie (Stroeve) Farrar passed away December 30, 2016 in Puyallup. She was 90 years old. Elaine was born May 13, 1926 in Sioux Falls, SD to John and Sadie (Kaastra) Stroeve, the youngest of three children. She graduated from Sumner High School in 1944, attended the University of Puget Sound, and worked at Seattle First National Bank and JCPenney. She married Robert Eugene (Gene) Farrar in 1955 and they raised four children in Puyallup. Elaine won a Golden Acorn award for her volunteer work at Maplewood School, was a member of the Puyallup Nazarene Church, and volunteered at The Salvation Army for many years. She enjoyed spending time with her family at their beach house on Sunset Beach on Puget Sound. Elaine was very proud of her Dutch ancestry and traveled to Amsterdam by herself when she was 80 to visit family. Throughout her life, Elaine was a discerning investor in property and the stock market. She turned her lifelong passion for antiques into a business when she opened her own stall at local antique malls. Elaine is survived by her husband of 61 years, Gene, her children Robin Maass (Kurt), Susan McCabe (Tom), Sharon Farrar (Griffin Cole), and Brian Farrar, grandchildren Megan Maass, Colin Maass, and Joey McCabe, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Werner Stroeve, and her sister Blanche Kreuger.
Robert Eugene (Gene) Farrar passed away January 8, 2017, just nine days after his beloved wife of 61 years, Elaine. He was 87.
Gene was born July 11, 1929 in Beattie, KS to Roy and Helen (Kooser) Farrar. He came from Kansas with his family in a Model A Ford in the 1930s, where they settled in Puyallup. Gene graduated from Puyallup High School in 1948, lettering in football and baseball. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1950 and served in the Korean War aboard the U.S.S. Los Angeles, and later in Kodiak, AK, a place he remembered fondly all his life. He was proud of having served his country. In 1955, he married Elaine Stroeve and they raised four children in Puyallup. A love of water characterized Gene’s life. He worked for the Washington State Department of Fish and Game, where he and his family lived on the grounds of a fish hatchery in Lakewood. In 1964, Gene joined the City of Puyallup Water Department, and was Superintendent when he retired in 1980. In retirement, Gene enjoyed driving a school bus for the local school district. He loved fishing, cars, and was a loyal Mariners, Seahawks, and Huskies fan. He refurbished a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible and enjoyed taking his family on drives.
Gene is survived by his children Robin Maass (Kurt), Susan McCabe (Tom), Sharon Farrar (Griffin Cole), and Brian Farrar, and grandchildren, Megan Maass, Colin Maass, and Joey McCabe, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine, his parents, and his sister, Phyllis Apthorp. A memorial service for both Gene and Elaine will be held on Tuesday, January 17 at 1:00 at Powers Funeral Home, 320 West Pioneer, Puyallup.
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