Betty Rose Parmele (Ribail), 73

Betty Rose Parmele, 73, passed away after losing a battle with cancer on Dec. 13, 2008, at Rocking D Adult Foster Home in Hermiston, Ore.

Betty was born Sept. 25, 1935, in Crane, Ore., to Francis George Parmele and Ruby Parmele (Bones). Her father worked for Paul and Ruth Stewart of the White Horse Ranch. Her family later moved back to Taft, near Lincoln City, Ore., because her mom was homesick.

In the fall of 1973, Betty’s parents bought a small ranch on Silver Creek in the Riley, Ore., area. She attended the Suntex Grade School for eight years. In 1952, Betty married Conley Elwood Gibson of Burns, Ore. They had three children; Crystal, Steve and Kelly. At one time she and her husband ran a taxi service in the Burns area.

Because Betty’s husband was a jockey, Betty moved a lot to follow the racing circuit across Oregon and Idaho. On March 2, 1963, Betty graduated with 13 others from the practical nurses of Walla Walla Vocational school in Washington. She worked many years in the state hospital in Pendleton, Ore., and continued when it changed to the Oregon State Prison Hospital. Betty was divorced in 1963 and then married Ernie Ribail on Feb. 16, 1965. Following her husband’s work for Pacific Power and Light, she lived in Sandpoint for several years.

Betty operated a taxi service while living in Sandpoint and was a nurse at the Sandpoint Manor Nursing Home before returning to Hermiston, Ore., where she again divorced in 1994.

Betty enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, huckleberry picking, mushroom picking, arrowhead hunting and canning. Betty was also a loving mother and grandmother.

She is survived by her children, Ruby Rose Crystal Cawile her husband, Sid, of Yucaipa, Calif., Steve Ribail of Elgin, Ore., and Kelly Ribail and his wife, Marcia, of Sandpoint.; her twin brother, Benny Parmele of Estacada, Ore.; her two sisters, Clara Cannon and her husband, Dean, of Bend, Ore., and Bernice McGee of Burns, Ore.; a brother-in-law, Swede Rosling of Murrieta, Calif.; six grandchildren, Ronnie, Melonie, Gina, Lena, Angela and Lindsay Roase; 15 great-grandchildren; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Ramona F. Rosling; a brother-in-law, George McGee; a nephew, William Gene Parmele; and several aunts and uncles.

Dis-position was by private cremation. A family service and burial of the remains will be held in Burns, Ore., on May 24. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston was in charge of the arrangements.

Betty’s youngest son Kelly wrote this poem for his mom, which he will recite at the service. It is called “Where the Wild Horse Roams.”

My child … it is time … time for me to take you … take you home … home where the wild horse roams.

But my lord … don’t you see … I have so much more to give … so much more that can be … that’s why I’m not ready for you to take me … take me home … Home where the wild horse roams.

My child this is the way it must be … because it is the circle of all things … without it … life cannot be … that’s why it is time … time for me to take you … take you home … home where the wild horse Roams.

But my lord … my family … they love me so … they don’t want to see me go

My child … you know as well as me … that your family is strong … strong as can be … you will see … now it is time … time for me to take you … take you home … home where the wild horse Roams. Very well then my lord … if this is the way it must be … then I will go to the valley … I will meet you by the lone pine tree … I will wait for you there … then you can take me … take me home … home Where the Wild Horse Roams.

I love you, Mom,

Love Kelly