Joyce C. Zinter

Joyce Cavella (Dow) Zinter, 89, of Kelso, Wash. passed away July 17, 2011, at her daughter’s home in Kelso, Wash. She was born Aug. 19, 1921, in Jud, N.D., to Guy and Amanda (Johnson) Dow. She graduated from Monango High School in 1939. She married Ernest W. Zinter at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, rural Monango, on Aug. 18, 1940, and was a farm wife for many years. While in her forties, she returned to school, graduating with honors from Ellendale State Teacher’s College in Ellendale, N.D., with a bachelor of science in education. In 1968, she, four children and a nephew moved to Kelso, Wash. She was employed as a second grade teacher at Toutle Lake School, Toutle, Wash. for 20 years, retiring in 1988. Joyce devoted her life to children. She raised nine children of her own and three of her sister’s. She loved learning and teaching and spent countless hours researching her family genealogy, tracing her roots back to Europe. She loved to write and had several books of poetry and stories published. She loved adventure and traveling. As a member of the Mount St. Helens Hiking Club, she hiked to the top of Mount St. Helens at age 69. She traveled the United States, cruised to Alaska and toured Europe. She is survived by six daughters, Patricia Schaffer (Bernard) of Monango, Carole Bauer (James) of El Paso, Texas, Rita Chapman (Barry Valan) of Strongsville, Ohio, and Anita Osorio, Kathy Wallace (George Janicki) and Vicki Everette (Billy), all of Kelso, Wash.; three sons, Robert in Denver , Wayne (Lucy) of Tacoma, Wash., and Dean (Donna) in Tigard, Ore.; 26 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; a sister, Darlene Brigham of Winston-Salem, N.C.; a brother, Ellsworth Dow of Port Orchard, Wash.; numerous nieces and nephews, and her faithful dachshund Rinkles. She was preceded in death by an infant son, Steven David; her parents; two brothers, Everett and Gale Dow; and a sister, Eunice Cassell. Cremation took place under the direction of Cascade Northwest Funeral Chapel at Green Hills Memorial Gardens. On July 22, 2011, a funeral service was held at Steele Chapel at Longview Memorial Park in Longview, Wash. A memorial service will be held at Hoven Funeral Chapel, 300 1st St South, Ellendale, on August 13, 2011, at 4:00 p.m. At her request, burial will take place in Monango Cemetery next to her son, Steven David.