Herman Westhoff

Herman Julius Westhoff of Yakima, Washington passed away on February 11, 2012 at the age of 106. He was born in Vancouver, Washington to Jacob and Anna Westhoff on May 3, 1905. At age six his father Jacob came to the United States from Germany with his great grandfather and grandmother on a clipper ship around the Cape of Good Hope, landing in Vancouver (Washington Territory) where Jacob later became a tailor.

In 1939 he and his first wife, Olga Stensrude, and their daughter Nancy moved to Bend, Oregon where his two younger daughters were born. In Bend he worked as Assistant Manager at J.C. Penney. During the war he worked at Camp Abbott as Building Inspector for the Corps of Engineers until the camp closed in 1944. The family then moved back to Vancouver where Herman worked at Kaiser Shipyards until end of the war and then five years at Bob Smith Sporting Goods.

Herman and his second wife Carlotta Nelson opened "Westhoff''s" children's apparel and shoe store in Vancouver in 1948 which they operated until 1960 when they relocated to Yakima, WA. In Yakima Herman operated Westhoff's Junior Bootery, a children's shoe store, until he retired in 1972.

Herman's favorite pastimes were hunting, fishing and dancing. He was an avid outdoorsman and also supported wildlife preservation. He hunted and fished well into his 90's. He was President of the Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Lions Club, the Elks Club, the Rotary Club and Gyro Club. In addition, he had a mini-orchard in his backyard and was well known for his canned fruit, homemade pies, juices and his specialty, apricot-pineapple jam.

He was preceded in death by his two sisters. In 1925 his sister Edith Nelson and her husband, Ira, started/owned the High School Store in Vancouver (now the Hi-School Pharmacy), and his sister Frances von Homeyer taught piano for over 70 years in Vancouver and Portland.

He is survived by his three daughters Nancy (Roy) Johnson of Emigrant, Montana, Edith Dougal of North Bend, Washington, and Jeri Williams of Marysville, Washington, as well as four grandchildren (Eiger Bjornstad, Heather Bjornstad, Kimberly (Gary) Altman and John Williams) plus six great grandchildren.

Herman had a deep faith and loved life, his family and friends (too numerous to count). He truly made a difference and will be missed. A memorial service was held at the Vancouver Funeral Chapel on Friday, February 24, 2012.