Our beloved mother, Vesta Myrtie Beisel, passed away on July 6, 2017, in Olympia, Wash., with her children beside her. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Vesta “Jackie” Mrytie Ortman was born Jan. 6, 1927, in Hawkins, Rusk County, Wis., to Mose and Myrtie (Strong) Ortman. Her paternal grandparents were Karl and Elizabeth (Sutter) Ortman and her maternal grandparents were Albert and Edna (Varney) Strong. Vesta’s parents moved back to Marion, S.D. from Wisconsin when she was very young.

Vesta graduated from Canistota High School in Canistota, S.D., on May 12, 1944.

After graduating, she moved to St. Paul, Minn., and shared an apartment with her sister, Mary. While there, she was employed by a guilder factory and built guilders for the U.S. war effort.

When she returned to South Dakota, from Minnestota, she worked at the Woolworths dime store and as a long-distance operator for the phone company in Sioux Falls. She met Myron “Mike” Beisel and they fell in love. They were married three months later on Aug. 28, 1946, in Mitchell, S.D., and lived on a farm near Canistota, S.D.

In 1959 Myron and Vesta and their two children, Mary Ann and Randy, moved to Hoquiam, Wash., where Myron worked at a fish cannery and ITT Rayonier woodmill. Vesta remained at home and raised their family, to which a third child, Vonnie, had been born. After their children were grown and gone, Vesta and Myron moved to Grand Junction, Colo., for a few years, then back to Montesano, Wash., and then finally to Olympia, Wash.

Vesta loved books, needlecrafts, quilting and sewing, cooking and baking, reading her bible, and traveling with Myron. They were members of the Lutheran Church, The Old Time Fiddlers Group and Good Sam’s Travel Group, and Vesta was a member of the Hoquiam Quilt Club.

Vesta is survived by her son, Randy Beisel of Olympia, Wash.; and two daughters, Mary Ann Beisel and husband, Ken Coburn, of Sequim, Wash.; and Vonnie (Beisel) Keller and husband, Jeff, of Lacey, Wash.; her grandchildren, Mariah and Jordan Keller of Washington; a sister, Leta Ortman Carlson and husband, Ron, of Renner, S.D.; and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Myron Herbert Beisel; her parents, Mose and Myrtie Ortman; four brothers, Harry, Albert, Wilbert, and William Ortman; and two sisters, Mary Ortman and Marjorie Henderson.

Cremation has taken place. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on July 27, 2017, at Mills & Mills Funeral Home (Olympic Memorial Gardens) Tumwater, Wash.