Maudie FELLIN Obituary
Maudie Marie (Larimore) Fellin,89, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family in Spokane September 23, 2023. She was a loving parent and a devout Catholic. Maudie was born September 29, 1933 in Sterling, Colorado, the youngest of four children. Her family then moved back to the family farm in Conway, Missouri, where she spent her childhood. On October 6, 1951, at age 18, she married Bernie Fellin and became an army wife. They immediately moved to New Jersey where she sewed parachutes for the military cargo drops. During the first years of their marriage Maudie and Bernie traveled around the country with the Army. They had their first child after they left the Army in 1953. In the following years they lived in several states and continued to travel around the country until 1960 when they settled in Spokane with their five children. Over the next nine years, they added five more children to complete their family. Maudie stayed home with the children until the youngest started kindergarten. Then she started her career at The Crescent where she worked until it closed in 1987. She wasn't ready to retire yet, so she took a job at an egg processing plant in Cheney. She finally decided to join Bernie in retirement in 1990.
In retirement, Maudie took over driving the fifth wheel on their many adventures across the United States. They spent winters in Arizona to see the grandchildren and in Missouri to see family, but always returned home in time for spring planting and getting steers to keep the grass down and provide home-grown beef for the family. Each Fall, the family gathered at the family farm to celebrate the harvest. This was a treasured tradition that lasted more than 40 years without fail. After Bernie passed in 2007 Maudie spent most of her time volunteering with the Moran Prairie Grange, blood bank, quilting group, Ladies Aid, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and driving her friends to AARP meetings. It took a stroke in 2013 to finally start slowing her down. She still attendedmost of her community meetings for as long as she was able, but had to give most of those up as she slowed down more and more. In June of 2023 she was diagnosed with cancer and as was her way, she chose to fight it. Her mind stayed sharp until the end. She is preceded in death by her son Randy, her daughter Shirley, her husband Bernie, her brother James and sister, Wilma. She is survived by her sister Vivian; her five daughters and four sons: Anna Fellin, Sandi Witkowski (Tim), Kaye Peterson (Mike), Tammy Fellin (Richard), Cyndi Langston (David), Steve Fellin (Pamela), Doug Fellin (Cecile), Glenn Fellin, Mike Fellin, 20 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter and many nieces and nephews. A Catholic Mass and memorial service will be held in her honor on Friday, October 20, 2023 at 11:00 AM at St. Peter's Parish 3520 E. 18th Ave, Spokane, WA 99223. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in her name to The Moran Prairie Grange #161 P.O. Box 31502, Spokane, WA 99223.
Published by Spokesman-Review on Oct. 8, 2023.
