Lila Lumley

Lila Paul Lumley, age 82, from Wapato, Washington, left us to be with loved ones in Heaven on March 5, 2024. She was a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation. Lila was born to Viola Edith Pahrman and Babtist Paul Lumley, Sr., on March 31, 1941, in Medicine Valley, Washington. In her voice, she wanted this to begin with, “My greatest accomplishment was my children and my grandchildren,” and she wanted you to know her philosophy, “Your relatives are your best friends.” She loved very deeply. She met the love of her life, Larry Porter while attending Central Washington University of Education, where the bridegroom was a junior and the bride a freshman. They married on May 22, 1960, and had five beautiful children: Philip, Wade, Laura, Michael, and Michelle. She was blessed with seven loving and kind grandchildren: Ross, Cheyenne, Grant, Mariah, Eliza, Eliana, and Melina. She had a strong work ethic and instilled this in her children, their cousins, and friends alike; no one was safe. In their words, chores helped bring them closer together. She loved the great outdoors, whether working in her beautiful gardens, traveling, riding horses, or hunting. One of her proudest moments when she was young was hunting with her brother Butch, where she shot a giant bull elk at Jenny Butte. She also shared a good memory of life growing up in Medicine Valley about when she went to tree wars with her siblings in the orchard, where they used slingshots and “Boy, did it hurt when you got shot!” She loved the beauty and feel of beads, and she created art pieces. She also loved traveling, especially with her best friend, Bev. She graduated from White Swan High School in 1959 and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Central Washington University and her Master’s from Heritage University. While in high school, she was a beautiful White Swan Rodeo Queen (1958). A lifelong educator, she is fondly remembered by the many lives and families she touched as a Wapato kindergarten teacher. Her career included working in education for YVCC and the Yakama Nation and becoming a Wapato School District Administrator. Passionate about Native American education, she was vice-chair of the book “The Way We Were” and collected stories to preserve Yakama histories. She made it clear in her directive, “Keep it Simple.” Graveside services will be at 11:00 am at Wapato Reservation Cemetery on Friday, March 8th, 2024. A dinner and story-sharing will be held at the All Tribes Christian Life Center, 91 Progressive Road, Wapato. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lila Lumley, please visit our flower store.