Elizabeth F. "Betty" (Bittner) Schierman

June 07, 1923 - April 09, 2011

Elizabeth F. "Betty" (Bittner) Schierman Obituary Passed away peacefully due to complications from Alzheimer's. Everyone who has known Betty will be happy to know that she was singing and smiling up to the near-end. Betty was preceded in death by her parents Arthur and Ellen (Coates) Bittner, three brothers, a sister and husband Harold who passed away in May of 2006 before their 61st anniversary. She loved and excelled in many areas of life: music & art, gardening, cooking & baking, swimming & hiking, humor and having FUN! Betty is survived by their four children and much-loved sons-in-law: Kathleen Ellen and Michael Christensen of Omak, Gail Marlene and Gary Justesen, Linda Noel Schierman, David Michael Schierman, all of Spokane; eight grand-children: Laura, Heather, Pia & Caleb, Seth & Grady, Conner & Kinsey; and eight great-grandchildren: Shea & Rory, Braeden, Makenna & Abigail, Eisa & Iris and Garrett. Elizabeth Fredrica Bittner was born in Spokane June 7, 1923 to musical parents Arthur and Ellen (Coates) Bittner. They both taught music in the Spokane area: her father taught voice and violin and her mother taught piano and was the principal accompanist for the Jane Larkin School of Ballet. Betty graduated from North Central High School in 1941. She was personal secretary to District Manager Paul Davies at Riggs Optical Company and a clerk-typist with The Farm Trio Publication, Spokesman Review Building. Then in 1944 she was asked to be the music teacher on a War Emergency Certificate for the St. John School, a wheat farming community in Whitman County. It was there that she and Harold Schierman discovered their mutual appreciation of classical music, drama and literature, and then of each other! They married in 1945 and moved to Lancaster where they raised their four children and Harold became the owner/operator of the Schierman Elevator and Seed Company. Later in life, after they moved to Edmonds, WA in 1975 Betty earned her AA Degree as a Library Technician and worked at the Edmonds Library. She and Harold also worked part-time at Edmonds Harbor Inn. Betty shared her humor and talents with her family, friends and community, as well as her love of Nature: gardened at home and as a member of the Multifloral Garden Club, created flower arrangements, explored on walks with her kids and friends, always noticing Nature's artistry in clouds and water reflections as well as in tiny rocks, flowers, trees, birds and animals "The airplane contrails are exterior decorating!" and often she'd say, "What a wonderful world!"; Music: taught her kids and others piano and organ and played piano all her life, wrote a commemorative song "Gem of Puget Sound" which the city of Edmonds WA adopted as their Official Centennial Song, sang in and directed the Trinity Lutheran Church Choir in Endicott, sang in the Snow-King Chorale in Edmonds, WA, taught ballet and tap dancing to area children, "What would we do without music!"; Art: sketched, painted in watercolors and oil pictures, cards, letters, stage sets, home linens and on anything to express her love of beauty and humor and share them with others; Sewing: her own wedding dress and later from that dress, little dresses for each of her girls, and other beautiful clothes for her children, costumes for Halloween, recitals, plays; Cooking & Baking: Betty shared her delicious pies and cookies as pretty decorated gifts with community, friends and family; Swimming: Two of her older brothers had drowned in Liberty Lake when Betty was a child, so her parents made certain she could swim practically anywhere --- and she did ! She plunged with her friends and children in pools, lakes, the Oregon Coastal waters and in 52? Puget Sound. At age 70, she even swam a mile across Loon Lake! "Next to music, swimming is my favorite thing in the world!" We will all remember Betty as a kind and cheerful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend who chose to dwell on the beauty and love in this world. She was always FUN, and she consistently acted upon her deep desire to help and encourage others if she could. She had a deep faith in God and her favorite reminder to herself and to others was "Let go and Let God." A Memorial Service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Endicott, WA on Saturday, April 30th at 11:00 am. Contributions can be made to Lutheran Community Services, who help children and families at www.lutherancommunityservices.org.