Sonja Ione (Zamzow) Yeager, was born April 19, 1937 on her grandparents cherry ranch in Parker, WA in the Yakima Valley. She passed away at home in East Wenatchee on July 3, 2018, surrounded by her family following a courageous battle with cancer. Music was part of her life from the beginning. The first song she learned from her mother was “Don’t Sit under the Apple Tree”, a most appropriate song as she grew up on an apple ranch in Manson, WA near Lake Chelan. She was the oldest of three girls who all took piano lessons through grade 12. Sonja graduated from Manson High School in 1955; earned a BA Degree from CWU, Ellensburg; a Master’s Degree from University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. While at Central, she met Jerry and married in June, 1959, following graduation. Their daughter Heidi was born (Wenatchee) in 1963, and enjoyed being grandparents to Everett, Philip and Daniel.
Her teaching career included classroom and music, primarily in Wenatchee; adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University; Central Washington University; Heritage University; Quality School Trainer as a staff member of the William Glasser Institute; and a certified Orff-Schulwerk Music Clinician from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN and Memphis State University, TN. She finished her career as an Elementary School Principal at Seabeck in 1992. Sonja sang with the Central Singers while in college and directed children and adult choirs for over 50 years; including being the founding director of Wenatchee “Sweet Adelines”, that later became “The Appleaires”; taught music and enjoyed directing choirs in Royal City, Columbia Elementary (Wenatchee), among others. She directed church choirs for Grace Lutheran (Wenatchee), Peninsula Lutheran (Gig Harbor), Skyline Presbyterian (Tacoma), with her final choir: The Joyful Voices Chorus of Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community, where she lived from April, 2005 until moving in with her family (East Wenatchee) in October, 2017.
She is survived by daughter Heidi Lamers (Joe); grandsons Philip and Daniel, all of East Wenatchee; grandson Everett Lamers (Alyssa), Wenatchee; sister Terrie Sharp (Jerry, died Nov., 2017), Yakima; cousins Jeff Honeycutt (Rise’), Seattle; Debbie Vaught (Dan), Woodinville; Alex Sidey (Karen), Bellevue; Regan Sidie (Rebecca), Bellevue; and Aunt Lois Sidie-Brown, Redmond; numerous Yeager brothers and sister-n-law, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by husband Jerry in 2009; parents, Everett and Lillian (Sidie) Zamzow and sister, Judy Zamzow.
A graveside service will be held at Tahoma Cemetery, Yakima, on Monday, July 16, 2018 2018 at 1:00 p.m. A Celebration of Life will be held at Grace Lutheran Church, 1408 Washington Street in Wenatchee, on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 2:00 pm.
The family would like to thank Rhonda, Rose, Stephanie and the amazing Hospice team of CWH Home Care Services for giving Sonja compassionate and competent care over the past 5 ½ months. Thanks also to Chaplain Jamie; Rena of Tranquil Strings; longtime friends Charlene Edwards, Gi Gi Shaw and Erin Smith; Pastor Donna and the sweet and giving ladies of Grace Lutheran Church, and Pastors John and Amy Brossoit of The Living Room for being the hands and feet of Jesus to Sonja since moving home. Memorials may be made to The Living Room, 230 N Georgia Ave., East Wenatchee, WA 98802. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com.
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