Elizabeth Jane Rising's Obituary
Elizabeth Jane Rising was born to Fern Dobbins and Ruby Beatrice (Easterday) Dobbins on November 15, 1923, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. She was the youngest of six children, having three brothers and two sisters. Her mother died when Betty was five years old, and she lived with a number of family members as she grew to adulthood. Ending up in Indiana, she graduated from Reynolds High School in northwest Indiana and soon moved to San Diego, California, and then to San Francisco. In 1947 she met and married Francis Leonard Rising in San Francisco. A few years later they moved to San Luis Obispo where they lived for four years while Frank attended Cal Poly, majoring in electrical & electronics engineering. After Frank graduated from Cal Poly in 1954, he was hired by General Electric and they moved first to New York, then Vermont, and ultimately to Richland, Washington, where he worked at the Hanford Atomic Facility.
During the 50's and early 60's Frank and Betty had five boys. Wherever they moved, Betty was active in both her church and her community. Betty enjoyed women's groups at church, Bible study, and singing in choirs both at church and in the community. In Richland the whole family became involved in the martial arts, with Frank and Betty earning black belts in Ju Jitsu and three of their five boys earning black belts in Judo. Betty loved being a mom and was supportive of her children and interested in their many activities.
By the mid-1970's, Betty's two oldest sons had graduated from high school and moved out of the house to further their education, start work, and start their families. Frank died suddenly in 1975 and Betty finished raising her youngest sons in Richland. After twenty-five years in Richland, Betty decided to move to Sequim, a place she and Frank had talked about as a good place to retire. Betty continued her church and community activities, making numerous friends, all of whom loved this kind, caring, loving woman.
Over the next thirty years Betty's family changed. She lost one son to a small plane crash, but the others all married and started their families. At the time of her death Betty had twelve dearly loved grandchildren and three mischievous great-grandsons. Due to health problems, Betty moved to Gig Harbor in 2010, near her oldest son. Once again she became involved in church and community activities, and made many new friends. Elizabeth Jane Rising was well loved by family and friends alike. As her body failed she was never without a smile or joke, especially with doctors and nurses. When it became evident that her body could no longer hold her spirit, she was both ready and eager to meet her Savior, God and Creator. She left this world on November 11, 2015, four days shy of her 92nd birthday. She is survived by her four sons Paul (Nancy), Mark (Rosemary), Alex (Liz), and Leo (Michelle); her daughter-in-law Kitty Rising Gandee (Dan), twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Her Funeral Mass will be at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church at 11:00 am on Wednesday November 25 with a reception to follow in the Parish Center. A Rosary vigil will be held at 6:30 pm in the church on Tuesday November 24. She will be interned in Richland, Washington.
Flowers can be sent to Mountain View Funeral Home or to St. Charles Parish, 7112 S. 12th St. Tacoma Washington on the 24th. Suggested donations in Elizabeth's honor can go to the EWTN Global Catholic Network in Irondale Alabama, your local St. Vincent de Paul Society, Wounded Veterans Organizations or your local Catholic Parish.
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