Elizabeth Annette Watkins

Elizabeth Annette Schooler Watkins was born October 4, 1943, in LaGrande, Oregon and died October 18, 2026, at home in East Selah, Washington. She was born to Joseph Lester Schooler and Lila Leona Lewis. At the time of her birth, her father was awaiting deployment to Europe during WWII, so she and her mother were supported by their tightknit family who lived in and around LaGrande. She grew up surrounded by Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and Cousins.

Beth was the oldest of four children: Sharon, Oren, and Selby. She attended school in LaGrande and Cove, Oregon and graduated from LaGrande High School in 1961. She wasn’t able to afford college, so she decided to join the military. She chose the Navy because the uniforms were the most stylish. She was one of the pioneering women in the electronics department of the Navy, one of the first four women to ever go through the program. She ended up serving an extra-long enlistment because of the escalation of the Cuban Missile Crisis and her specialized training. She served Dec 1961 to April 1966; she was very proud of her service to her country.

After the Navy she came home to LaGrande and worked until she eventually moved to Yakima to join her parents and siblings after the death of her brother Oren in 1969. Beth and Lynn liked to tell the story that as far as they could figure, the same weekend Beth moved to Yakima, Lynn was taking a trip to consider buying land to settle away from the area. But fortunately, that plan did not work out and Lynn stayed in Yakima. They were set up at a New Year’s Eve dance at the church and were married shortly after, on June 15, 1974.

Beth and Lynn raised four daughters, Margo (Bryan) Campbell, Jennifer (Gary) Gutteridge, Teresa (Aaron) Shea and Marianne (Jameson) Edwards. They hoped to have a son, but after getting married later in life and having four daughters in a row, they contented themselves with girls. But as fate would have it, they got the boys with their nine grandsons. They were also blessed with three beautiful granddaughters.

Beth was an avid genealogist. She spent many years working as a volunteer librarian at the Yakima Genealogical Society, the Yakima Stake Genealogical Library, and helped establish and run the Selah Stake Genealogical library. She also fulfilled a lifelong dream by publishing a book about her Schooler family after many years of research.

Music played an important role in Beth’s life. Her father was a very talented musician, and music was a big part of her life growing up. She loved to perform and was always proud to have an opportunity to sing a solo. Shortly after moving to Yakima, she joined the Bel Canto Choral Society, a group of ladies who loved to sing and raised money to send kids to music camps. She belonged to the group for 47 years and made dear friends. She had the opportunity to travel internationally to Canada, Australia and New Zealand with her Bel Canto group.

Beth was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She joined the church in LaGrande at 14 years old. She served in many capacities in the church as part of Relief Society presidencies, as Young Women’s President, in the Primary and as a service missionary in the Employment Office. At the end of her life, she woke up most days wanting it to be Sunday so she could attend church.

Beth is survived by her four daughters, twelve grandchildren, her sister Sharon, and brother Selby. She was preceded in death by her husband Lynn, of 52 years, who passed this summer, her mother, father and brother Oren.

Her funeral/viewing will be Friday, October 30 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 702 N 1st St in Selah, WA. Viewing starts at 9am with the service following at 10am. She will be interred at Terrace Heights Cemetery at 3001 Terrace Heights Dr, in Yakima, WA. Keith & Keith Funeral Home is caring for the family.