Luella M. Schuller, 90

Our beloved mother, grandmother and sister passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2009.

Luella was born in Clarissa, Minn., on April 22, 1918, to Charles and Iva May Alexander.

Luella was the second of four children, Byron, Luella, Thomas and Florence (Peggy).

Luella and her family moved to International Falls, Minn., when she was 7 years old.

Luella was a top student and graduated from high school in 1936 and then went to work on several WPA projects to help support the family.

She worked as a secretary, a recreation leader and at the public library. It was during this time that Luella met her future husband, Bernard Sanborn.

She married Bernard in 1940 and moved to Pasadena, Calif., where Bernard worked in war-related industries and Luella worked as a personal secretary to a well-known political figure and retired colonel.

Upon completing their work in this area, Luella and her husband moved back to their home state of Minnesota. Bernard was an energetic and talented man, becoming involved in the logging industry and managing a logging camp in the Minnesota woods for several years.

During this time Luella and Bernard hunted, fished, lived in the woods and had two children, Mark and Grant Sanborn.

Luella and Bernard purchased a small resort grocery store in 1947 and operated it until 1952 when they decided to move out to Washington state where Luella’s father was living.

Her father had remarried and operated the only service station in Moses Lake, Wash. Luella now had two additional brothers, Gordon and Clifford, from that marriage.

Luella and Bernard eventually divorced (1956) and she became employed with The Boeing Company and then with the state of Wash-ington in a local office in Moses Lake. Luella later married Raymond Schuller in 1965 whom she had met through her interest in bowling.

The couple then moved to Lummi Island, Wash., in 1970 and Ray and Luella operated their own electrical contracting business for approximately 10 years.

After this time, Ray sold most of his electrical equipment and they moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, where Luella’s son, Mark Sanborn, was living. Ray also had two sons, Steve and Michael, who lived in the region.

After moving to Sandpoint, Ray and Luella did independent contracting while retiring and building a retirement home on Pine Street Loop.

This couple loved to travel south and they did it in a grand style, purchasing several different types of travel trailers, fifth wheels and motor homes.

Luella was very talented with a sewing machine and Ray excelled with tools, so each new trailer and motor home was a project to be re-modeled into a comfortable retreat.

Every fall they went to California or Arizona, often traveling into Mexico for some additional variety to their travels.

Their adventures down south would usually include some trips to local casinos as Luella loved to play the slot machines, spending untold hours with pennies, nickels and quarters in front of her.

When Raymond died unexpectedly in 1992 their trips together suddenly ended.

However, Luella never lost her penchant for travels and continued making treks to California, Nevada, Alaska and the Oregon coast. She also talked her other son, Grant Sanborn, into going to Minnesota for a month when her brother, Byron, passed away in 1993.

After Raymond died, Luella continued her interests in gardening, sewing, bowling, TOPS, contesting and the First Christian Church in Sandpoint.

Lou, as she was known to all her friends, was well connected to many members of the extended Alexander family, often writing letters and cards to all she could keep track of.

There were 15 children in her father’s family so the clan of Alexanders is well spread throughout the country.

Luella is survived by her one remaining brother, Clifford Alexander, of Moses Lake; and her one son, Grant Sanborn, of Spokane, Wash. Luella also has one grandson, Ben Sanborn, of Federal Way, Wash.; and two great-grandsons, Logan Sanborn, of Federal Way, Wash., and Julian Radford of Shoreline, Wash.

Luella’s other son, Mark Sanborn, of Sandpoint, passed away in 2007.

 We will gather to celebrate Luella’s life on Saturday, March 21, 2009, at the First Christian Church, 201 North Division St., in Sandpoint; memorial service at 2 p.m.,followed by a reception.

 The family suggests memorial gifts be made in Luella’s name to the First Christian Church.