R.A. "Jim" Vertrees

R.A. "Jim" Vertrees passed away peacefully on November 30th. He was the middle child of Lola and Arthur Vertrees. A lifelong resident of Washington State, he was born in Ellensburg on July 20th, 1920. The family later moved to a farm in the Outlook area, and he graduated from Sunnyside High School. Always known as "Jim", he was baffled when they got out his birth certificate that he needed in order to join the Marines. The birth date was his, but the name said Richard Arthur rather than James Arthur. His aunt finally remembered that she and her sister, Jim's mother, decided that he didn't look like a Richard, but a Jimmy. From then on he went by R.A. "Jim". He did join the Marines when he was 17, but got rheumatic fever and luckily for us did not ship out with his buddies. He finished his enlistment as a ward writer for the doctors at the base hospital in San Diego. Then he began his 40 plus year career with General Mills as an account and district manager. He was so dedicated to his work that he was often referred to as Mr. Betty Crocker, but in fact he did meet his wife Shirley at the General Mills' office in Puyallup. In 1952 Jim transferred to Spokane with Shirley and their two small children, and lived the rest of his life here. They celebrated their 65th anniversary in October. His earliest hobby was cutting hair. He had a real barber chair in the basement, and always had a barbering kit in the car. Few friends or relatives went to a shop. His favorite outdoor sport was fishing. He got so good at smoking silvers that he went on to perfecting his jerky recipe. He was also an excellent baker. Everyone benefited from his huge loaves of bread, gooey pecan rolls, and birthday cakes. He baked his older grandson's wedding cake at age 80. Jim will be greatly missed by his wife Shirley; their son Dan Vertrees and his wife Deb and their daughter Shelley; their daughter Louanne and husband Terry Resleff, their son John, their son Mark and his wife Kim, and the great-granddaughters Halie and Mattie. Jim also leaves his sister Patricia Buillion. One of Jim's proudest affiliations was with the Spokane Scottish Rite Freemasonry. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and this year received his 50-year membership certificate and pin. A memorial ceremony will be held at 2pm on Saturday, December 4th at the Spokane Masonic Temple located downtown at 1108 West Riverside Ave. The family regrets that not all of Jim's friends could be personally contacted. Our thanks to his caregiver, Hospice, the Scottish Rite staff, and Riplinger Funeral Home and Crematory for their kindness.