Denise Dale Minner

Denise Dale Minner

Denise Dale Minner was born in Walla Walla, Washington on March 10, 1956, and died January 5, 2016, at the Nebraska Medicine Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit in Omaha, Nebraska at the age of 59. Her heart condition was related to heavy doses of radiation with which she was treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 35 years ago. She was also a breast cancer survivor.

Denise spent the majority of her childhood years in Arlington, Kirkland, Issaquah, Auburn and Fall City, Washington. She attended Auburn Adventist Academy, Issaquah High School, Walla Walla College and graduated in 1978 from Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA. After college in the early 1980’s, she lived on a sunny farm near Fall City while working as a rare, female employee, milking cows at Sauvage Dairy.

Denise was a deeply caring person, serving as a Registered Nurse since 1985 after earning her nursing degree at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa. Over the years, she touched the lives of thousands of patients. Initially, she served as a social worker in Walla Walla, Washington and then practiced nursing in: Amarillo, Texas, Monroe, Washington, and Creston, Iowa. While in Amarillo, she was a hospice nurse, then a nurse at the Texas State Penitentiary, and later a medical-surgical nurse at Baptist-St. Anthony Hospital. In Monroe, WA, she cared for patients at Valley General Hospital (now Evergreen Health Monroe) while living in Carnation, WA. In 2011, she returned to Creston, Iowa where her father lives. She was most recently happily employed there at Midwest Opportunities Inc., a group home supporting and encouraging people with significant disabilities.

Denise enjoyed boating and fishing with her family, canning, making jam, baking pies and tending her garden, where she raised chickens, grew vegetables, enjoyed the changing of seasons and the glory of God’s creation. Denise had great faith and was a devout Christian and treasured greatly her fellow believers. She was active in many churches over the years.

She is survived by: her mother, Audrey A. Schroeder (Robert) of Blaine, WA and Gabriola Island, British Columbia, her father, Dale E. Minner of Creston, IA, and her sisters, LaDeane Anh Duree (Dave Shaw) of Longview, WA and Jennifer S Minner (Erik Amos) of Ithaca, NY. She is also survived by her brother, Allen Dean Minner (Kristin) of Carnation, WA, her aunt Adena Head (John) of Granite Falls, WA, and three nieces, Rachel Anh Ackley of Seattle, Julia Bronwyn Amos of Ithaca, and Laura Hope Minner and nephew, Dean Thomas Minner, both of Carnation.

Denise was preceded in death by her grandfathers, Richmond Clarence Allen and J. Lester Minner, her grandmothers, Garnet Mae Allen and Eva L. Minner, her aunts, Veda Faye Minner, and Artis Ann Allen Worley, and by her step-mother, Tricia Ann Hines Minner.

The date and time of memorial services are as yet undetermined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.