Okal June Grote

Okal June Grote, 83, of Enterprise, died Dec. 9 at Wallowa Valley Care Center. A gravesite service will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Prairie Creek Cemetery in Joseph.

Okal was born Oct. 2, 1927, to Leland Clifford and Anna Elizabeth Parsons at State Center, Iowa.

She was an avid basketball player at Lamoille High School in Iowa. After attending cosmetology school, she met and married Walter Wayne Kiser, "Doug," on June 6, 1949, and later had five children: Dennis, Kathy, Diana, Scott and Elizabeth.

Okal's parents moved to Joseph in 1950. In 1958, on a trip to visit her parents, the family's car was struck by a car near Downey, Idaho. The incident killed Doug and seriously injured Okal, Dennis and Elizabeth. After spending time in hospitals, the family moved to Joseph to live with her parents for a couple of years. Okal soon met the next love of her life, Theo "Ted" Grote. They married June 25, 1962, in Lewiston, Idaho.

Soon after, Theo adopted Okal's five children who joined Theo's daughters, Lynn and Lori.

Okal enjoyed being with her husband and family most of all, spending time flying, fishing and camping. After the children grew up, Okal and Theo enjoyed going to Arizona and golfing and hunting in the winter months. Okal enjoyed the outdoors with Ted and enjoyed motorcycle-touring, snowmobiling and fishing.

Okal was preceded in death by her parents, Leland and Elizabeth Parsons; and her first husband, Doug Kiser.

Survivors include her husband of 48 years, Theo Grote of Enterprise; children, Lynn Grote, Dennis Grote and his wife, Julie, Kathy Jenkins, Diana Stein, Scott Grote, Elizabeth Grote, and Lori Ingle and her husband, John; and brothers, George Parsons and Ron Parsons and his wife, Charlotte; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Wallowa Valley Care Center in care of Bollman Funeral Home, 315 W Main St. in Enterprise.

.