Our mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and friend passed away Monday, February 3rd, 2014 at Coventry House Assisted Living in Othello, WA after enduring several years of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. She would have celebrated her 93rd birthday on March 7th. Audna was born to Mamie and Charlie Custer in Stillwater, OK on March 7, l921.

Due to her mother's death in childbirth, Audna was raised in Pawnee, OK by her adoptive parents, Wilbert C. and Lillian E. Williams. Although Audna attended schools in Pawnee the majority of her time, she graduated from Winfield High School in Kansas in 1940. During her high school years, Audna sang with many groups and in solo. At a Tri-State competition she won a vocal contest singing Ave Maria with her beautiful voice. Playing the organ in the First Christian Church was another demonstration of her musical skills.

Audna met her future husband, Jim, while in high school and he was in college. After graduation, both Audna and Jim worked in the Pawnee County Treasurer's Office. They married on June 29, 1940 in Pawnee and were together 62 years prior to Dad's death in 2002 at age 87. In 1944, Jim was transferred from Pryor, OK, working with DuPont, to Richland, WA, working then for General Electric. Audna and the two baby girls joined him soon after. Mom worked in the Hanford Area also, riding the early morning buses along with Dad. In 1977, they moved to their final earthly home together north of Pasco on highway 395.

Throughout these previous years, besides doing the books for the farm, Audna had a variety of jobs in banking, accounting, and insurance. She worked for SeaFirst Bank and Sears accounting department in Pasco and the remainder of her working years for Grant Stringham Insurance Agency. After retirement, she loved dabbling in antique buying and selling, and ran an antique shop with her friend, Trish in Pasco. Other hobbies included Bridge Club, traveling, knitting, and working in her flower garden. She loved to dance; she and Dad loved to dress up and go dancing with their friends. Audna was also a member of Eastern Stars. Holidays were very important to mom, cooking huge meals for family and friends with home-churned ice cream as a finisher. In high school mom won 1st prize as the best cake maker. She was a wonderful cook and homemaker.

Next to their family, mom and dad's other love was Country-Western Music. They especially enjoyed a Sunday morning radio program, Legends of Country on KORD with Ed Dailey. In mom's later years, Ed and Angie Dailey gave mom several private concerts to cheer her up, which it did. Before dementia and Alzheimer took their toll, mom requested that Ed Dailey preside at her funeral and sing her to heaven.

One of the happiest memories for Audna was when she was reunited with her biological family father, stepmother and 5 siblings. They remained in her life to present, giving her much joy and happiness. Mom was a very giving, caring person, making sure everyone else was taken care of before herself. As a mother, she was meticulous with our clothing, cleanliness, hair styles, manners, treatment of others, personal responsibility and dependability. Because she and Dad worked full-time, we had household chores and learned early on how to "run a home" doing laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc. How fortunate we were to have loving parents who gave us a lot, but also taught us to "take care of ourselves" to become independent of them. Believing in God, going to church and Sunday school, and living the Golden Rule was a high priority for Audna as a mother to her family.

We cannot thank mom and dad enough for the positive, wholesome life they provided; if only all children could be so lucky. We will all miss you so much mom!

The family would like to thank the Coventry staff so much for their precious care of our mother; they are the BEST! Also, Dr. Richard Bunch in Othello gave mom the "old style" care making house calls at Coventry to make sure she was doing well; you are truly one of a kind and we love you. Thanks to all of you, we may not even know who you are or how you helped her be more comfortable or happy. God bless you all.

Audna is survived by her daughters, Janet Jeff Lohman Taggares of Othello and Marcia Tom Crigler of Pasco; granddaughter, Joni Poole and great grandsons, Armand Poole of Seattle, Madison Poole of Houston, TX; brothers, Ivan Jane Custer, Leroy Barbara Custer of Boise, ID., Leonard G. Judy Custer of Denver, CO., brother-in-law, Bill Keele of Ontario, OR and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Mamie Custer, stepmother, Viola Custer; adoptive parents, Wilbert and Lillian Williams; sisters, Irene Keele, Hazel Custer, foster sister, Elaine Teegarden and foster brother, Ralph Williams.