Freda, know to most of her family and close friends as “Lou” or “Auntie Lou” was born July 18, 1913 at Leavenworth, Washigton. She died at home on November 1, 2006.

As a child she lived in Bellingham, Washington where her father worked as an engineer for the great Northern Railways.

She was the oldest of five children. Since her father and mother divorced when she was only elevan years old, she had to grow up faster and had to take on greater responsibilities in caring for her younger siblings while her mother worked.

Freda was a hard worker. During World War II, she worked i the shipyards. Later she started a career in nursing in her early 50’s. While living in Puyallup, Washington she worked in Tacoma Washington Hospital as a nurse. After moving to Roseville, California, she worked as a nurse in the Sacramento Sutter General Hospital. She took time out of her work schedule to read and crochet. Many of her friends and family have afghans she crocheted for them. She also went camping and fishing.

Freda retired from nursing at age 62 and in 1975 moved to Eastsound, Orcas Island, Washington where she had inherited land from her grandfather Terrill and her mother Ida Sontra. After moving a trailer on the property, she lived there for 18 years. In 1993 she moved to Yuba City, California to be near some former church friends.

In 1996 she moved to Salem, Oregon to be near her niece and husband, Esther and Joe Richardson. She lived in her own house for four years and lived with Esther and Joe for the last six years.

She loved the Lord and enjoyed going to church. She had lots of good friends and family in the Nazarene and Pentecostal churches in Washington, Oregon and California.

She enjoyed family get-togethers, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and especially birthday parties.

She was preceded in death by her parents Paul and Ida Sontra; the sister Agnes Hiller, Marie Furlie, Sue Winsley, and one brother, John Sontra.

Freda is survived by a son Max Schwald of Sutherland, Oregon; granddaughter Brenda Schwald of Everett, Washington; three nieces Rose Williams of Downey, California; Esther Richardson of Salem, Oregon; Deannne Sharp of Eagle Point, Oregon; and one nephew John P. Sontra of Eastsound, Washington on Orcas Island as well as many loving and caring great-grandnephews and great-grandnieces.

Although Freda had tuberculosis as a young woman, and later, bleeding ulcers and cancer, she overcame them all and died of natural causes at age 93. She will be greatly missed.