Rachel J. Nocchi, 93, of Pasco, Wash., a former Halfway resident, died June 3, 2002, at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco.
Her graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Pastor Shawn Thatcher of Pine Baptist Church will officiate. Friends and family are invited to a gathering at the Lions Park for a time of fellowship and memories. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St.
Rachel Julia Makinson was born Feb. 1, 1909, at Halfway. She was a daughter of John Frederick and Okie Updike Makinson. She started school at the age of 7 at Clear Creek School in Pine Valley and later attended school at Jimtown. She had to walk 1 miles to school.
After her schooling, she married Claude Krigbaum. They had three children: Carmen, JoAnn and Phil. They later divorced.
During the time that she lived in Pine Valley, she worked as a postmaster at Cornucopia until the mine closed and later for her father keeping books. She then married Al Nocchi and they moved to Salem, where she worked as a psychiatric aide for the State of Oregon.
She and Al had two daughters: Lana and Anita. She retired from her job at Salem in 1969 and moved to Pendleton in Eastern Oregon, where she worked as an aide there. She completely retired in 1974 and moved to Mesa, Wash., to be with her family there.
Mrs. Nocchi was a devout Christian and the Lord and church meant everything to her. She was a member of the First Christian Church. She enjoyed reading the Bible and doing jigsaw puzzles.
Survivors include her daughters and sons-in-law, Carmen and Daryl Whiteley of Baker City, JoAnn and Herb Hulse of Kennewick, Wash., and Lana and Jim Sloan of Pendleton; son and daughter-in-law, Phil and Mardi Krigbaum of Connel, Wash.; a brother, Don Makinson, of Oxbow; sisters, Marie Columbari of Baker City, and Lela Shelton, of Halfway; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Ve Makinson; and a daughter, Anita Nocchi.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, Oregon 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, June 18, 2002
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
