On Saturday I attended the Memorial Service for Louise. The number of attendees and variety of ages present gave testament to a life of service to all God brought into her life. She will be missed, but is in a better place. We will meet again on that beautiful shore.
Louise T. Moore
Hero of the Faith, Volunteer of the Last Half-Century
September 1914 -- August 2007
Louise was born in Cushing, Oklahoma as Louise Estelle Tucker to Ida May and Edwin A. Tucker, the fifth of six children: Earl Landsberger, Charles Landsberger, Sylvia May, Bernice, Louise, and Edwin.
In Perry, Oklahoma in June of 1939, Louise married Harold Moore of Blackwell, Oklahoma. First residing in Blackwell, they later doodle-bugged their way around the oil-rich Plains States. Eventually, they planted their roots in Enid, Oklahoma to care for Harold's father. After a time, they journeyed to Arkansas, owning and operating a chicken farm. Restless, they hit the road again, stopping in Seattle, where they both worked for Boeing. Alas, the wind blew once more, and, selling all their earthly possessions, the couple traveled America's coastlines, beach combing and beach bumming all the way.
Finally, they planted permanent roots in Olympia circa 1962. Louise began volunteer work, as well as employment with the State of Washington as Harold's health began to decline. He died in 1973. Louise continued to work as an accountant for the General Services Administration until retirement. Her favorite saying was, "Old accountants never die. They just run out of tape."
At this juncture, Louise increased her generosity to her community. She became a decades-long member of the First Assembly of God on Plum Street, which eventually became the Evergreen Christian Center. As an active member, she led many Bible studies and was the greeter on the children's Sunday school bus. Louise also dedicated many years of service to the mission of the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Thurston County.
In 1989, she became one of the founding members of the Bob Williams for Governor campaign -- her entry into grassroots American politics. In 1991, she lent her direct mail coordinating efforts to the Williams for Congress campaign in Washington State's Third District. Next, as the Direct Mail Coordinator for "Washington '92", Louise found herself deeply involved in the defeat of Booth Gardner's Children's Initiative, which she felt was "anti-family", and the passage of Linda Smith's Rainy Day Fund mandate on State Legislative spending. Louise was tireless in her efforts and meticulous in detail. Somewhere in the midst of this groundswell of activity, she added the Christian Coalition to her list of direct mail and volunteer activities.
In 1991, Louise began as one of the founding volunteers of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a non-profit public policy organization, and served there for 13 years. "These," she recalled, "were among the days and friends I cherished most." In 1995, Louise was the Direct Mail Coordinator for the effort to repeal Washington State's affirmative action laws, which she felt were "State-mandated discrimination via quotas", as well as the campaign to bring education vouchers to Washington State families, the Taber for Superintendent of Public Instruction campaign.
Her campaign and public-policy volunteer activities continued until May of 2004, when Louise decided it was time to slow down. She moved to Aberdeen, Washington as adopted family to one of the first children she had greeted on that Sunday school bus 32 years earlier. Louise still stuffed an occasional envelope, but mostly complained about the volume of political direct mail she received from the Democrats.
A little-known detail about Louise is that she had a robust and lengthy fling with belly dancing in the 1970s. She loved the natural beauty of the United States of America. She was an avid reader, unceasingly witty, a spring of generosity to many, and a faithful, gracious Christian woman. There is so much about her that is unsaid in this little space. What a woman! She is the one of whom friends and family say, "Thank you, Louise, for giving to the Lord. Mine is a life that was changed." She said repeatedly that she was satisfied with her life. In the family home, she recently passed away peacefully of old age.
She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Steve Daniels, of Taos, New Mexico, Judy Beals, of Sun City, Arizona, John Beals, of Canastota, New York, Mathew Beals, of Scottsdale, Arizona, Barbara Kaufman, of Holden, Missouri, Erlene Cusick, of Oklahoma, Susan Tucker, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Sylvia Vargas, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and her adopted Aberdeen family of John and Candis Wright and their children, Courtney, John, Noble, and Kaitlin. Louise, though we'll never meet again this side of Heaven, we will see you... on that Beautiful Shore!
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 8, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. at the Rupp Hall at the Evergreen Christian Center, 1000 Black Lake Boulevard, Olympia.
Saturday night was my friend's annual Christmas party. We always have a delightful time dressing up and eating lots of good food. After lots of time to eat and chat (and get caught up on the year's activities), we have a Yankee Gift Exchange and play games (Guestures, four-on-a-couch, and psychiatrist this year). It was lots of fun.
