Obituary of Artice Balcom

ARTICE BALCOM Artice Marie Warren McDowell Mickey Kowcum Balcom passed away at The Hospice House in Kennewick on April 28, 2011. She was 92 years old. Artice was born on April 19, 1919 in Malad City, Idaho to Perry Edward Warren and Myrtle Eulalia Marston Warren. Her family lived in Malad City and the surrounding area until she was 9 years old when she and her younger sister and brother moved to Ely, Nevada with their father. This would be the first of many moves that finally ended up with them settling in the Camas-Washougal area of Washington when Artice was 12 years old. She met John Lawrence McDowell and they were married just three weeks shy of Artice's 15th birthday. Five years later they were blessed with a daughter, Louise. She would later be joined by siblings John, Stephen Butch, Linda and Vicki. Artice's main occupation was being a homemaker but through the years she helped with the family income by cooking for ranch hands, welding in the Vancouver shipyards during WWII, working in the Washougal Woolen Mills, the bakery, the gladiola fields, delivering the Oregonian newspaper, and babysitting little ones who would come to know her as grandma. Artice and John had been married 53 years when John passed away in 1987. After many lonely months she went to the Lupke Senior Center in Vancouver where she was able to resume her love of dancing. She made many friends and met and married her dancing partner, Phil Kowcum. They continued to be active in the Center and spent many hours dancing and entertaining others. These were some of the happiest times for Artice. Phil passed away in 2000 and Artice moved to the Tri-Cities to be closer to family. Once again she found her way to the local Senior Citizens Center and found a new dancing partner in Leonard Balcom. They were married in May of 2001. Artice had a quick wit and loved to tell stories. She and Len were often the center of attention as they bantered back and forth with each other and kept those around them in stitches. They enjoyed traveling to Arizona in the winter and of course dancing whenever the opportunity presented itself. Artice was preceded in death by her husband John McDowell and her husband Phillip Kocum, her daughter Linda Sillito, her son Stephen McDowell, her grandson Thomas Johnson, her son-in-law Dick Bush, her sisters Leatha, Maude, Thelma and Georgia, her brothers Chuck, Perry and Keith as well as her parents. She is survived by her husband Leonard A. Balcom of West Richland, her daughter M. Louise Bush of West Richland, her son John A. McDowell Charlene of Yuma, AZ, her daughter Vicki Thurgood Marvin of West Richland, daughter-in-law Judie McDowell of Nevada, son-in-law Bryce Sillito of Benton City, 24 grandchildren and numerous great and great, great grandchildren as well as many nieces, nephews and special friends. Funeral services will be held on Thursday May 5th at 1pm at the Washougal LDS Church in Washougal, WA. There will be a viewing from 12:00 to 12:45 prior to the service in the Relief Society Room. Burial will follow at the Washougal Memorial Cemetery. Straub's Funeral Home in Camas, WA is in charge of the arrangements. To send condolences or sign the online guest book please visit www.straubsfuneralhome.com.