Fern Anna Akin, died October 13, 2003, at Kindred Medical Facility, Seattle.

She was born to Charlie H. and Rosa Blanche Hetrick February 1, 1920 in Logan County, Colorado. She lived in Logan and Washington Counties 2 years then moved to Osgood northeast of Greeley, CO. In 1924, she moved to Loveland, CO and in December 1926, she moved to Pueblo, CO where she contracted polio in December 1929. She received most of her education in Pueblo, and after finishing the 9th grade in Pueblo, she moved to Washington state in September 1937. She graduated form Wapato High School in 1940 and from post-graduate school at Wapato High in 1941.

Fern went to work for the telephone company in Toppenish and worked until October 1943. She then went to work in the Vancouver shipyard and worked there until after World War II. Then she went back to telephone work in Portland, OR. In 1951, she went to live with her brother, Verle, in Antioch, CA and worked in that area. That is where she met James Akin. They were married August 28, 1953, at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Antioch, CA.

James and Fern served as missionaries in Vernel, UT 2 ½ years and for 17 ½ years in various places in Alaska. They moved back to the Salt Lake Valley in 1974. They served in different churches in Utah until retiring in 1986. In retirement, Fern served in several women’s programs until they moved to Richland in 1996. She was a member of Richland Baptist Church.

Fern is survived by brother, Lawrence Eunice Hetrick; 3 brothers-in-law, Norvell Oleta, Truman Imadee, and Carroll Francine, all of Texas; sister-in-law, Judy Akin of Louisiana; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James; father, Charles and mother, Rosa Blanche; brothers, Edward Donald, Lee, Cecil, Verle and Lionel.

Graveside services will be Monday, October 20, 2003, 10:00 a.m. in Desert Lawn Memorial Park, Kennewick, WA. Memorial services will follow Monday at 11:00 a.m. at Richland, Baptist Church, 1632 George Washington Way, Richland, WA.

Visitation will be at Einan’s Funeral Home from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 19.

Contributions may be made in Fern’s memory to Liberty Christian School, 2200 Williams Blvd. Richland, WA 99352 or to the charity of your choice.