LaRena Marie Haggerty White

LaRena Marie Haggerty White, 81, died peacefully on Feb. 14 at the Royal Park Health and Rehabilitation Center in Spokane, with her husband at her side.

Viewing will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26, at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax. Graveside services will be held at Bethel Cemetery in Steptoe at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27. A memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. at the Saint John United Methodist Church in St. John.

She was born to Robert R. and Winnifred Haggerty on March 28, 1936, in Lind. LaRena attended Lind Elementary and graduated in 1954 from Lind High School.

Her avid love of horses lead to her being crowned the Lind Rodeo Queen in 1952.

After graduating high school, she attended Eastern Washington University where she met the love of her life, Louis Morgan White. They married on June 10, 1955.

Shortly thereafter they moved to Georgia where Louis completed his Army training before being shipped to Korea. While her husband was serving our country, LaRena moved back to her hometown of Lind with her family.

When Louis and LaRena were reunited they moved to Louis’s family wheat and cattle ranch in St. John. They raised registered Red Angus cattle and made many trips to Texas to show their prize animals.

LaRena was active in all avenues of their ranch life from her homemade pies to saddling a horse to help gather cattle or assisting her husband in the wheat fields.

LaRena was active in the St. John Community. She was a member of Eastern Star/Rainbow and for many years secretary of the St. John Community Fair.

She was also an avid member in the Whitman County and Washington State Cowbells. Louis and LaRena enjoyed their WSU basketball and the St. John community sporting events.

She is survived by her husband of 62.5 years, Louis M. White, two daughters Louann Marie White-Paupst (George Paupst) and Renae Robin White (Paul Lubbesmeyer), and one sister Barbara Haggerty Hertinsein.

In lieu of flowers for LaRena, make contributions to; St. John Community Building, St. John School Foundation and St. John Fire Department.

Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is caring for the family. Online condolences may be sent to http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com.