Bom-Wrapper

Berna Berna
Memorial Candle Tribute From
Anderson's Tribute Center
"We are honored to provide this Book of Memories to the family."
View full message >>>

Life Story for Berna "BJ" Carter

Berna "BJ"  Carter
Berna Jean Carter "BJ" was born June 25, 1930 to Lawrence and Paula (Bradbury) Edelblute in Rathdrum, Idaho, the second of nine children. She spent most of her idyllic early childhood growing up in the great outdoors in Headquarters, Idaho, a company logging town of Potlatch Corporation. She often said, "I don't know how I would have made it if it had not been for the very healthy childhood I had", crediting that experience as giving her the strength and courage to endure challenges that life would bring her.

At age 12, her father moved the family to Lewiston, Idaho from Headquarters, fearing the 13 miles of dangerous road to the nearest high school. His job as assistant superintendent over Potlatch's logging camps meant travel far and wide, managing the Clearwater River logging drives each spring. With the move, the growing Catholic family would only see their father on weekends. There were many chores to be done, a cow to be milked, chickens and rabbits to be fed and wild alfalfa to be picked. Managing the household and caring for the younger children fell largely to Berna.

It was a natural fit that Berna later aspired to become a Registered Nurse and attended Sacred Heart School of Nursing in Spokane. While in nursing school she met and married Grant Saulie, a law student at Gonzaga Law School. They moved to White Salmon, Washington, where he practiced law and she kept busy raising their four children.

As a mother, Berna Jean was a 'doer' and pursued many activities with her children, from huckleberry picking, hunting for morels, and going to the coast to dig razor clams. She strove to give them a well-rounded education; there were countless trips chauffeuring to music lessons, art lessons, ballet, symphony, family reunions, skiing and weekly Mass, to name a few. Everyone must learn a musical instrument she declared, and with the exception of getting to come in the house for lunch, everyone must play outdoors all day, no matter the weather! At the end of the day she was satisfied and very proud of the way her children turned out.

"Save the best for last" would describe Berna's second marriage to the widowed Grover Carter, MD. She had come to know him, after raising her children and returning to work as a nurse. She worked alongside him at Hood River Memorial Hospital. She retired from nursing at 68, after having worked all the various departments at the hospital; ED, OB, Med-surg, ICU and Surgery. "I did it all," she liked to say. She could not say enough good things about Grover or stop repeating, what "a wonderful man" he was. She and Grover ate like "kings" from their garden. They loved to travel and she saw the world with him. He preceded her in death in 2008, but she was grateful to be blessed with 20 years of marriage.

Survivors include four children: Mary Kay Ohnemus (Russ) of Chattanooga, TN, Janet Saulie of Lummi Island, WA, Barbara Saulie of Lynden, WA and John Saulie (Mary Beth) of Spokane, WA. Six siblings: Teresa Avery of Olympia, WA, Terry Edelblute of Coeur d'Alene, ID, Cornelia Faur of Cottonwood, ID, Walter Edelblute of Rathdrum, ID, Nancy Hawkins of Merced, CA and Mark Edelblute of Lewiston, ID. Eleven grandchildren: Fletcher, Melissa, Johnny, Holly, Neil, Joel, Andrew Emily, Brendan, Axel and Colin. Six great-grandchildren: Kaia, Simon, Mia, Sebastian, Harvey and Ryan.

Berna was preceded in death by her father, mother and two siblings, Paula Ann Nathe and Robert Edelblute

Services are planned for 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 8th, 2016 at St. Mary's Catholic Church (1501 Belmont Ave, Hood River, Oregon 97031). A reception will follow at the family home (4719 Westwood Drive, Hood River, Oregon)
Order Flowers

Recently Shared Condolences

Recently Shared Stories

Recently Shared Photos

Share by: