Dolores “Lola” Turnblom passed away peacefully on Nov. 27 at the Life Care Center in Mt. Vernon. She was 94. Before that, she was a resident at the Life Care Center in Friday Harbor for five years. She was so loved by the staff because of her vibrant personality and loving nature. Lola was born on Aug. 1, 1923, in Corona, California to Lucas Bojorquez and Carmen Garcia. Her parents separated when she was very young (6-7 yrs. old). Lola’s dad went back to Mexico and her mother re-married and had given her up to be raised by grandparents, who already had seven children of their own. During her childhood in Chandler, Arizona, Lola faced extreme poverty, emotional abuse and public discrimination because of her Mexican Heritage. These events in her life made her into a very strong woman in many ways. Lola left school to work at the age of about 14. She met her first husband, Bucky Andrade, in Chandler, AZ and married at the young age of 17, in 1941. While Bucky was in the Army, she gave birth to a son in 1942, who died of pneumonia at 3 months. She then gave birth to her son, Bucky Jr., in 1945. Divorce to Bucky Sr. was in 1952. She was a single mother for the next 23 years while living in Casa Grande, Chandler and Scottsdale. For that time span, she worked as a grocery clerk for Bashas to support herself and son.

The happiest time of her life was being married to her second husband, Jerry Turnblom, whom she met on a blind date. They married shortly thereafter in 1977 and lived in Tucson, Arizona for many years. She was so loved by Jerry’s family, most of them located in Cadillac, Michigan. Their retirement took them to Casa Grande, Arizona where they lived until Jerry passed away in 1999. Her son, Christian (Bucky) and wife Lea, moved her to Friday Harbor in 2000. She lived alone until Dementia required her to move to the Life Care Center in 2012.

Lola will be missed terribly by her family and friends. She was such a beautiful person within and without, very kind to others, loved to dance to Glen Miller and knew how to have a good time. Her soul is now free to dance among the stars in the Universe. The following need to be acknowledged for the emotional support and love they gave Lola when she needed it most during her lifetime: The entire Garcia family in California; the Andrade, Araiza, Basha, Bernal, England, Estrella, Figueroa, and Harshey families in Arizona; Jim and Sharon Thompson, Betty Amend; Cindy Thurman, Rachelle Voth, Carol Schrek, Janice Fisher, Che Blaine and the entire staff of the Life Care Center in Friday Harbor.

Lola was also blessed with many supportive and loving friends in Friday Harbor during her time here: Sincere gratitude especially to: Bill and Rita Ament, Jane Buck, Anita Byson, Jeannette Colledge, Greg Earl, Pam Fry, Judy Hackworth, Jean Hendrickson, Wynne Higgins, Genevieve Kenny, Kubatana, Joe Potts, Lilo Rustmann, and Sue Sargis.

Lola is survived by her son, Christian and daughter-in-law, Lea. She is also survived by her half-sisters: Frances Guzman, Christina Ochoa, Stella Ward and her half-brother, Ernest Gutierrez.

“Remembrance is the art of keeping the purest parts of your loved one’s soul as a spark of light inside your heart.”