Obituary of Lura B. Fischer

On October 30, 2009, Lura B. Fischer, age 91, died peacefully at Olympia's Providence St. Peter Hospital. Today's facility is considerably larger and more impressive than the four-story brick building, then known as St. Peter’s, where she trained to become a registered nurse and graduated with the "class of 1940." Having been provided skillful, gentle care here by a cohort of much younger colleagues, this modern hospital setting was a fitting place for her life to end, after fighting a losing battle with lymphoma.During her nursing career, Lura worked for many years in the labor and delivery ward at St. Peter Hospital. After that she worked as the office nurse for Wayne Parpala, MD, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology who had his practice at the Memorial Clinic. She retired from that position in 1966. Over the years that she provided nursing care to women who went through pregnancies and had babies in Thurston County, Lura was often stopped in stores, restaurants or on the street by grateful mothers who were delighted to see “their” nurse again. She will be remembered by untold numbers of women for the compassionate, skilled nursing care she provided during their process of birthing the next generation. As she encountered people around the community, she could be heard saying things like: “That must be so and so’s child (or grandchild or great grandchild). There is such a strong family resemblance.” Lura Bethel Fischer was born in Heavener, Oklahoma, to Albert R. Gilstrap and Elsie Seward Gilstrap on March 29, 1918. At age 5, because both her parents were ill, she was adopted by her Uncle Lannie O. Seward and his wife Lorena Robb Seward. Shortly after that, they moved from Oklahoma to Seattle, where Lura went to kindergarten. The following year she and her adoptive parents moved to Snohomish County to live and build homes with her Grandfather John Edward Seward, Uncle Walter Soward, and Aunt Olga Seward. From there Lura and her adoptive parents moved to Grays Harbor County. They lived in logging camps and small towns, including McCleary, where they resided when she graduated from Elma High School. Lura’s father, Albert, died in 1929. A few years later her widowed mother, Elsie, joined the Sewards who settled in Snohomish County. Lura was the only child in her generation. As the members of her family grew older she provided care for them and continued to do so over the course of many, many years. Needless to say, this included her adoptive parents, both of whom she took into her home when they needed assistance. Lura Seward married Otto W. Fischer in Olympia, Washington on June 29, 1940. In more than 67 years of marriage she provided loyal, loving care for him until his death on March 22, 2008. Lura is survived by their three children Larry Fischer, Berlin, Germany; Elaine Fischer House, Olympia; and Frederick Fischer (Shirley), Olympia; five grandchildren Severin Fischer, Munich, Germany; Ted House (Gretchen), Monroe; Carolyn House-Higgins (Andrew), Olympia; Adam Fischer and Jeff Fischer, Hillsboro, Oregon; three great grandchildren Camille House, Cole House, and Sophia House-Higgins; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. A friendly, hard-working woman who enjoyed people, Lura developed most of her life interests as an adult: sewing, crocheting, quilting, painting, genealogy. She also enjoyed gardening, reading and traveling. She and Otto wintered in Arizona for 27 of their retirement years before finally ending their annual trips. They also traveled to Germany twice to visit their son Larry and his family as well as to England to attend their granddaughter Carolyn’s wedding. Lura and Otto joined Trinity Lutheran Church, Olympia, in November 1941. She was a founding member of Ruth Circle and a member of Lutheran Women’s Missionary League; she served faithfully on committees, projects and in support of various activities of the church. Memorial donations to honor Lura’s life may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or to South Puget Sound Community College Foundation, for a nursing scholarship in her name. The church and college are both in Olympia, Washington. You may leave memories and condolences by clicking on "View Guestbook" below.