Elizabeth Rose (Younker) Scott

A Celebration of Life will be held for Elizabeth R. Scott, 87, of Coos Bay, on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at the Kokwel Tribal Community Plank House on the Kokwel tribal property in Barview.

Elizabeth Rose Scott ( Younker ) was born on March 28, 1935, in Langlois, Oregon at the Thorn Haven home. Her father, Frank Younker, was a gypo logger and fisherman. Her mother was a Kokwel Indian woman, Nellie Younker ( Metcalf ), and a homemaker who also worked processing seafood.

Beth, as she was known by family and friends, grew up in Charleston, Oregon on Roosevelt Boulevard surrounded by a lot of family including her native grandmother Laura Metcalf, with whom she spent a great deal of time.

Beth was fiercely proud of her Native American Heritage, even when it was not popular to be so. Her “Indian name” was Jista Jia, which means “girl of the hills”, in Miluk, the language of the South Slough Kokwel People.

Beth attended Charleston Elementary School and was the valedictorian of her eighth grade class and when she graduated she decided she wanted to go to North Bend High. In 1953 she finished high school and was always a proud bulldog and proud supporter of her brother Tom who taught and coached at NBHS. While out on a double date she met her husband-to-be, Wallace Scott. It was her senior year and Wally had just moved to the area. She would tell family that he looked just like Robert Mitchum the actor. Her brother Bob teased her from then on about her boyfriend “Mitchum in the moonlight”. Wally called her after the encounter and asked her out.

Beth and Wally were married on July 12, 1954. They settled down to start a family, but tragically their home, a wedding gift from brother Bob, burnt to the ground. This was the second time Beth had lost her home to fire. The couple had two children, both born in Coos Bay. Their first child, Valerie, was born in 1955, and then Randy in 1956.

The family moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 1957 and Beth and Wally had two more children, Shawn in 1960 and Brady in 1963. After nine years in Wisconsin, Beth and Wally returned to Oregon and bought a home in North Bend. Wally worked at Menasha paper mill and Beth cleaned houses to help pay tuition for her kids to attend church school. In 1970 she attended Southwestern Oregon Community College and learned bookkeeping. She went to work for Hallmark Fisheries and from there changed jobs working as a teller for Coast Savings and Loan. After a short retirement in 1982 she returned to work in retail at JC Penny. She loved her time in these jobs and made many lifelong friends.

The last job that Beth had was working in administration for her tribe in the early 90’s. She worked specifically in the health clinic and helped many people. She was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church from the time of her marriage until the end of her life. She has many good friends from her church community to this day.

Beth loved to read and volunteered her time to S.M.A.R.T. She also enjoyed singing, dancing, playing piano and ukulele, watching musicals, romantic comedies and history documentaries. She was an anglophile and could recite lines from many British comedies. Late in life she still marveled at a big winter storm and loved when her sons would take her out to watch the big waves crash. Most of all, Beth loved her family.

Beth is survived by her brother, Thomas Younker and his wife Diana; daughter, Valerie Healey and her husband Mark; sons, Randy Scott and his wife Teresa, Shawn Scott, Brady Scott and his wife Deana; grandchildren Miranda Scott, Logan Scott, Ashlee Sheppard, James Collins and wife Kayla, Charles Collins, Nellie DeBoer and husband David, Tiela Thompson, MacKenzee Scott, Kadence Scott, Trip Scott, River Scott, Finley Scott, Marcella Collins, Jack Scott, Charlie DeBoer, Bash DeBoer, Henry DeBoer, Bella DeBoer, Cedar Collins, Ember Collins, Alianna Thompson, Abram Kilby and Kane Shook; and too many awesome nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends to list.

Beth was preceded in death by her husband, Wally Scott; sisters, Laurabell Short and Blanche Doyle; brothers Bob Younker and Frank Younker; and grandson Conner Scott.

Friends and family are encouraged to sign the online guestbook at www.coosbayareafunerals.com and www.theworldlink.com. Arrangements are under the care of North Bend Chapel, 541-756-0440.

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