Georgia Stellmon Buffum

Georgia Stellmon Buffum, 84, formerly of Elgin, died April 5 at her daughter's home after battling cancer. A graveside service will begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Elgin Cemetery. Herring Groseclose Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Georgia was born May 28, 1925, to Charles Faro and Jennie Burrow Stellmon in Decatur, Ark. Most of her young life was spent in Nez Perce, Idaho. She entertained her family with many stories of her growing up the youngest of six children. During her time at Nez Perce High School she lettered in basketball. She moved with her mom to Washougal, Wash., her senior year of high school and graduated in 1942.

Georgia worked in the shipyards in Vancouver, Wash., as a welder on an all-man welding crew. Her extreme fright of heights was soon quelled as she experienced some very harrowing situations while perched on scaffolding many stories up the side of the ship they were building.

In 1945 she met Elwood Buffum, a sailor, in Seaside. They married on July 22, 1945, in Pacific, Wash. When she married Elwood he had custody of his two children by a former marriage, Leon and Odie, ages 3 and 4. Georgia raised the two children as if they were her own and later three more children joined the brood: Thomas, Linda and Marilyn. Georgia and all the children moved around Oregon, California and Washington following Elwood in his job pursuits. Her sewing and cooking came in handy when a dress was needed and a tableful of people had to be fed.

She is survived by her children, Leon of Clear Lake Oaks, Calif.; Odie Stoltze and friend, Tony, of Lyle, Wash.; Thomas Buffum of Walla, Walla; Linda Plumbley of Walla Walla, and Marilyn Reed and her husband, Terry, of Walla Walla; 12 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Georgia was preceded in death by her husband; parents; siblings; Carey, Irene, Charles, Clara and Ruth; and a grandson, Jeremiah Lane.

.