Lucille Anne 'Babe' Skramstad

Lucille Anne “Babe” Skramstad, 80, of Milton-Freewater, Oregon passed away Aug. 21, 2017 at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington. There will be a Celebration of Life Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Milton-Freewater Junior Show Grounds. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pioneer Posse. Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home in Milton-Freewater is in charge of arrangements.

She was born Jan. 26, 1937 in Missoula, the daughter of Melvin L. and Evelyn L. Kraft Hyatt. “Babe” became her endearing nickname as the baby of the family and it stuck with her throughout her life. She attended schools in Missoula, Hot Springs and Libby. She married Wayne R. Skramstad in Libby on April 15, 1956.

Babe was known as a prankster that would lead to many laughs. Her hobbies included fishing with family, reading, pinochle and bowling in a woman’s league. As an avid seamstress, her specialty was western shirts for the guys, costumes, cute outfits and jammies for the grandkids. She enjoyed playing the accordion as well as the organ. Her cookie jar was always full and the grandkids often helped make many of those kitchen messes. The road trips with her sister and daughter to the casinos were always looked forward to and occasionally she would win.

Babe had a lifetime love of horses from riding as a child to sitting in the stands and watching her husband, children and grandchildren compete in rodeos and at the Pioneer Posse. She was an honorary lifetime member of the Milton-Freewater Pioneer Posse where she ran a successful cookshack for years and was known to many as “Grandma Babe.”

After 61 years of marriage, she will be greatly missed by her husband as well as her children and grandchildren. Her cheers of support from the sidelines will be missed most by her family, but her legacy as “Grandma Babe” will be missed by all that knew her.

She is survived by her husband Wayne R. Skramstad, a son Scott (Kelly) Skramstad, daughter Bonnie (Jeff) Goldsbury, a sister Margie (John) Reich, cousins Carol Williams and Patsy Schatz, grandchildren, Taylor Ann, Cole, Katie and Emily Skramstad and J.J. Goldsbury. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Kenneth Hyatt.