Vaunita Darnella Buchholz

Vaunita Darnella Buchholz, 84, of Grants Pass, died Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at her home.

A funeral service will be at 1:00 p.m., Monday, February 5, 2007 at Hull & Hull Chapel with Pastor Larry Gibson officiating. Private interment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to Rogue Valley Humane Society, PO Box 951, Grants Pass OR 97528.

Vaunita was born June 24, 1922 in Sardis, Oklahoma to Lawrence & Effie Wade. In 1939 she graduated from high school in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. In 1940 she married Joe C. Maxey and they had two children. Vaunita & Joe later divorced. She was very proud that from 1942 to 1945 she worked as a welder and riveter at the Richmond, California shipyards making Liberty ships. She later worked at Continental Can, White Cap Division as a lab technician from 1962 until she retired in 1987. In 1988 she married Karl Buchholz. In 1997 she moved from Stockton, California to Grants Pass.

Vaunita was a member of the Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Her hobbies included gardening, fishing, traveling, crocheting, and knitting. She also loved playing card games and doing jigsaw puzzles. She had many friends and family all over the country that she delighted in maintaining contact with by telephone and email.

Survivors include her husband, Karl P. Buchholz; a son, Joe Maxey and a daughter, Patsy Bertuleit all of Grants Pass, Oregon; five sisters, Clessie Monroe of Durant, Oklahoma, Dessie Locke and Verna Berry both of Purcell, Oklahoma Martha Rogers of Muskogee, Oklahoma; and Lena Lawless of Antlers, Oklahoma; two brothers, Thomas Wade of Point, Texas, Paul Wade of Antlers, Oklahoma; eight grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her loving Pekingese companion, Ellie. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Moody Wade in 2005.