Willene Horton Daniel died at Pullman, Washington on September 16, 2016. A native of Whitman County, she was a proud farmer's daughter and farmer's wife. The oldest child of Worley Mitchell and Lena (Magdalene) Daubert Horton, she was born September 21, 1923 in the family home on Alkali Flat, although the Post Office address was the Snake River orchard community of Penawawa. She walked one mile to attend the rural one-room grade school (Zaring School, District 138), which she began in September 1929 with classmates Ruby Krom and Kenneth Wigen (both of whom survive her). During her first school year Willene completed both grades 1 and 2.

In 1934 the Zaring School consolidated with LaCrosse and Willene began riding the bus to the big school in town. When the statewide eighth grade examinations were given in 1936, Willene Horton received the highest score in Whitman County. She graduated from LaCrosse High School as valedictorian of the class of 1940.

She enrolled in Washington State College September 1941 following a post-graduate year at LaCrosse High School. The December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, a date Willene referred to as "the most important day in my life," triggered life-changing decisions throughout the country. Ira Daniel (LaCrosse class of '39) made the difficult decision to drop out of WSC between semesters in January 1942 to farm the Daniel homestead so his parents could move to the recently purchased Lair farm near Colfax where his mother had been raised. Ira asked Willene to marry him.

Willene made an equally difficult decision to leave WSC after completing her freshman year, June 1942. Willene Horton and Ira Lair Daniel were married September 27, 1942 in Pullman, WA and lived on the Daniel family dry-land wheat farm near Hooper 50+ years. It was there they reared their four children: Colleen, Roger, Dale, and Darlene.

Ira and Willene moved into LaCrosse in 1993 and, because of Ira's failing health, to San Juan Capistrano, CA in 1998. Willene loved to plan the remodeling of their homes. Taking out a wall, adding a bathroom where a closet had been, and finding heretofore underused space for storage, she created a comfortable home for her family – all while making a valiant effort to keep out the ever-present dust of western Whitman County!

Willene was an active supporter of farming organizations and Washington State University. Willene provided behind-the-scenes support for Ira's active leadership positions in agricultural, civic, school, and music endeavors. Vitally interested in their farming operation, she and her husband were lifelong partners as farmers.

Willene appreciated Ira's gift of music. His tenor voice offered in service for worship, weddings, funerals and assorted special occasions, as well as the fun he had singing in community choruses, brought joy to her life. Wherever they lived or traveled they enjoyed attending many concerts and musical productions together.

Willene Horton Daniel was a sixty year member of the LaCrosse United Methodist Church, and later worshiped with the United Methodist Church in each community in which she lived in southern California. While living in San Juan Capistrano Willene attended a seven year Bible study of the Old and New Testaments taught by Dr. Bill Creasey, UCLA professor of English. As a member of the Sierra Madre United Methodist Women she shared her baking skills by providing cakes, pies, brownies, and dozens of cookies to Family Promise of San Gabriel Valley, a homeless people outreach.

Willene's interest in world affairs and current events began during her childhood. She recalled her thrill when, after the Depression, her parents could again afford a newspaper subscription. Always hungry for information, in addition to newspapers she loved to read history, biographies, and anything related to geography.

After her husband's death in 2001 Willene had the opportunity to travel to Europe: visiting England, the village of her German ancestors, Nidda, near Frankfurt, Germany, the colorful city of Venice, Italy, and Madrid, Spain where she visited with a friend, Silvia Rodriguez, who had lived at Hooper. She continued her interest in people, their histories and countries of origin until her death.

Mrs. Daniel was preceded in death by her husband Ira (April 2001) and her sister Norma Jane Hamilton (July 2009). She is survived by her brother Warren Horton and his wife Connie, LaCrosse, and her cousin Josephine Gumaer Sheffield of Lincoln, NE. Her immediate family (children and spouses, grandchildren and spouses, and eight great-grandchildren) numbers 34. Children and grandchildren include Colleen Daniel, Spokane, and her daughters Lara, Lisa, Marissa, Ann; Roger and Loretta Daniel, the third generation now living on the family farm, and their children Joshua, Jessica, Jeremy; Dr. Dale Daniel, his wife Dr. Sharon Yee, and their daughters Chloe Lena and Olivia Willene, Sierra Madre, CA; and Darlene Daniel Makela, her husband Hannu Makela, Garden Grove, CA, her daughters Chelsea and Sheila, and his sons Mika and Noah.

Viewing will be Friday, September 23, from 9-5 at Bruning Funeral Home, Colfax, Washington. She will be laid to rest during a family service in the Dusty, Washington Cemetery Horton family plot (near her great-grandparents) beside her husband, Ira, who was the love of her life.

A memorial graveside service for Willene Daniel will be held at the Dusty Cemetery at 11:00 AM Saturday, September 24. After the memorial, a time for visiting and sharing will be hosted by the LaCrosse United Methodist Church at 12:30 PM.

Memorials are suggested to the Washington State University Library (PO Box 645610, Pullman, WA 99614), LaCrosse Scholarship Foundation, P O Box 258,LaCrosse WA 99143 and the LaCrosse United Methodist Church.