Joan Carmel Kraft

Joan was born June 4, 1928 in Seattle to Clarence James and Edith Carmel Featherstone. Joan attended public school in Seattle and graduated from Lincoln High School. She met her only love, Bob, while he was stationed at Sandpoint Naval Station. They were married on December 14, 1946. Children Jim and Linda were born in Seattle. In 1954, they moved to Yakima where daughter Cindy was born in 1955. Bob and Joan were Charter Members of the Christ Lutheran Church in Yakima.

In 1960 they moved to Ellensburg. While Bob made a living, Joan created and ran a wonderful home - full of fun, love and lots of home cooking. In 1962, they opened Drive-in Dairy Mart on Main Street, selling and delivering milk. They soon added a full drive-in menu. The whole family was involved in making the business function. The kids remember the evenings spent making homemade ice cream for the next day's business and the emergency calls from the drive in when they were busy. In 1965, Joan and Bob opened Smitty's Pancake House on 8th Avenue. This was a fun and exciting time for the family. Joan managed the dining room and did all the bookwork. The restaurant was an extension of all the things she did best - taking care of people and sharing good food. In 1976, they opened Perkins Family Restaurant at the west interchange.

Restaurant work was hard and they learned the value of time away. Joan and Bob enjoyed fishing, boating and traveling. In 1985, they retired and the big adventures began. Their real love was RV travel in their motor home. While traveling around the United States, Alaska and into Mexico, they made many friends and had lots of exciting times. They went on multiple cruises, including their favorite trip from Australia and South America on a freighter. During retirement they lived in La Conner and Florence, Oregon. In 2008, they moved to Yakima to be near family. She enjoyed living across the street from her sister Jean.

Joan loved everything about being a homemaker and caring for her husband and family. Her days were filled with her creative cooking. One meal was not even finished before she would start planning the next meal. Food defined her and was simply an extension of her love. Joan took great pride in herself and her health. She enjoyed reading and gardening (when she wasn't cooking and shopping).

Joan is survived by her loving husband and inseparable friend, Bob, of Yakima; son Jim (Mary) of Ellensburg, daughters Linda Rhine (Don) of Everett and Cindy Wolf of Ritzville; grand children Donnie Rhine, Hollie Shilley, Mike Kraft, Laura Zylak, Christina Wolf-Barrett, Janice Wolf, Katherine Williams and Jacob Wolf; 13 great grandchildren: sister, Jean Hobbs of Yakima: nieces Jeannie Hankins, Karen Spanton and Carmel McElrea. She was preceded in death by her parents and grandsons Rob Rhine and Joe Kraft.

A memorial service for family and close friends will be held Saturday at 1:00 at the First Presbyterian Church, 1307 3rd Avenue, Ellensburg.