Thelma Raulston, 90

Funeral service for Thelma Raulston, age 90, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Washington State Veterans Cemetery. Arrangements are provided by Yates Funeral Home. Online obituary and condolences may be found at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.

Thelma Rae Raulston was born Nov. 6, 1928, to Harry and Elsie (Jones) Troutman, in Oklahoma City, Okla. She grew up on the farm in Oklahoma and moved to California in the eighth grade. Thelma attended Inglewood High School and graduated in 1946. Through relatives, she met Wiley Cleveland Raulston. Thelma and Wiley were united in marriage on April 14, 1947, in the Troutman family home. Their union was blessed with six children: Rhetta, Randy, Roxana, Rene, Dean and Deanne, and 72 years of marriage together. The couple raised their family in the communities of Inglewood, Torrance and Tustin, Calif.

Thelma worked at Sears Roebuck and Company in the customer service department at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif. After the department dissolved, Thelma was in retail outside sales for home improvements until she retired. They were snowbirds in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, from 1995 to 2016. In 2016, they moved full-time to Coeur d’Alene. Following a decline in health and receiving excellent care, Thelma died peacefully at her home with her family by her side on March 7, 2019, at the age of 90 years.

Thelma was a member of Real Life Ministries, in Post Falls, Idaho and a longtime member of Red Hill Lutheran Church, in Tustin, Calif., and was very active in the church for over 30 years. She served on Altar Guild, preparing the altar for services every week with flowers, setting up for Easter Sunday and Christmas Day and getting communion ready every Sunday for many years. She loved her monthly Ladies Bible Study group called “Circle.” She also worked in the food pantry, distributing food for the needy. She enjoyed dancing, camping, sewing, quilting, traveling, swimming, helping her children with home improvements and especially time spent with her family. Thelma will be remembered as a cherished wife, loving mother, dear friend and a trusted confidant. She was known to light up a room. She was honest, kind and generous, and anyone who met her would never forget her. She will be greatly missed.

Thelma is lovingly remembered by her husband, Wiley Raulston of Coeur d’Alene; six children: Rhetta O’Connor of Coeur d’Alene, Randy Raulston of Cypress, Calif., Roxana (Larry) Ledbetter of Buena Park, Calif., Rene (Justin) Gipson of Post Falls, Dean Raulston of Bellflower, Calif. and Deanne (Doug) Nosworthy of Rathdrum, Idaho; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren and other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her son-in-law, Mark O’Connor.

Special thanks to Advanced Healthcare of Coeur d’Alene and their Hospice team for their exceptional care for Thelma over the last year up to her final moments.

Blessed and eternal be the memory of Thelma Rae Raulston.