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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

http://columbiafuneralservice.com/

Columbia Funeral Service, 1105 Maple Street, Longview, WA (2026)

01/27/2026

Wilson (Will) Virgil Strock Jr., age 58, passed away unexpectedly on January 7, 2026, at St. John's Medical Center from cardiac arrest, surrounded by his loved ones.

Will was born on January 20, 1967, to Bill and Colleen Strock. He graduated from Kelso High School in 1985 and spent the majority of his life working in the building trades, learning much of his craft alongside his father while growing up.

Will enjoyed fishing and hunting, but music was his true passion. He loved playing bass and found great joy in watching his nephew perform with his band. He cherished watching his youngest niece ride her horse and was incredibly excited about becoming a great-uncle in April. He was especially fond of his cats that he had throughout the years.

Will is survived by his best friend and wife, Michelle Schnell-Strock; his parents, Bill and Colleen Strock; his grandmother, Shirley Eslick; his sister, Terrisa Remmers (Caleb); his brother, Jon Strock; nephews, Aaron Hightower, Shawn Strock and Cory Strock; and nieces, Chelsea Hightower and Roxy Remmers.

Will had an infectious smile, a great sense of humor, and a kind heart. He was deeply loved by his family and many friends and will be remembered for the warmth and laughter he brought into their lives.

Cremation has taken place. A private pre-celebration of Will's life was held with close family on his birthday. A larger celebration of life with friends and family will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Michelle Schnell at Fibre Credit Union.

01/14/2026

Mary Sharon Crawford
1938-2026

Mary S. Crawford of Lacey, Washington died January 11, 2026 at the age of 87.

Mary was born in Woodland, WA on December 18, 1938, to Raymond and Esther Lucas. She grew up in Kalama, WA and graduated from Kalama High School in 1957. Mary also graduated from Lower Columbia College, and attended Central Washington University and graduated from City University.

She Married Darold M. Crawford on November 11, 1960, at the Kalama Methodist Church. They made their first home in Tacoma, moved to Bremerton and Kalama, and eventually moved to Longview in the 1970’s. Mary worked for the Longview School District for thirty-two years and retired in 2008. Upon retirement she and Darold moved to Panorama City, a retirement community in Lacey.

Preceding her in death were her parents and brother, James Lucas from Kalama and her husband Darold. She leaves behind two children, Teresa of California, and Scott of Wilsonville, Oregon, and six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Mary enjoyed sewing, crafts, cooking, flowers, traveling when possible and watching sports. But most of all she loved her UW Huskies (Dawgs) and Seattle Seahawks. We all knew when football was on she would get so involved with her games! She was a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Lacey. Mary loved spending time and making things for all her grandkids and great grandkids. She would light up when any of the grandkids would walk into the room to see her.

In the days before her passing she loved watching her son put together lego sets, sometimes she would help put them together. She even got to do a few sets herself. Mary had touched so many people's hearts, we are sad to see her go. But she is now with husband, her parents and watching over us.

A funeral service is planned for 1 p.m. Thursday 1/15/2026 at the Columbia Funeral Service chapel with Glenn Dunnam officiating. A concluding service and interment will take place at the Kalama IOOF cemetery. Those wishing to pay their respects may do so from 11 am to service time at the funeral home.

Memorial gifts may be made to the panorama benefit fund, 1751 Circle Lane SE, Lacey, WA. or Faith Lutheran Community Center, 7075 Pacific Avenue SE, Lacy, WA.

01/09/2026

In Memory of Chris Von Schirmer

A wise man once said, "The first thing you have to know is yourself."
And Chris Von S did!

Grab a hot beverage and a sweet treat to learn about the man himself ~ his words, his photos, his memories, his accomplishments. Take your time, go onto the pages often and see the world from his perspective. Read his biography and see the places he cherished most, along with his family and pets:

Chris Von S ~ A True Renaissance Man: http://www.von-s.com/www.Von-s.com/Home.html

Chris was a true Renaissance Man as quoted by Todd Fisher. Talented musically, skilled at (almost) everything he set out to accomplish. He was born a genius, but "had no say so in the matter" he liked to quip! He absolutely LOVED the outdoors, especially Mountains with Unparalleled Views! That's probably why he chose the Great Pacific Northwest in which to live and experience all the things he loved about Washington State. In his home he built a map of WA State and framed it with rope lights.

He also loved to travel out west and for several years had a place in Wyoming with his wife. He was adventurous and a treasure seeker / hunter / explorer. You can say "Adventure" was his middle name! He was a truthful, righteous and God-fearing man. {Perhaps God wanted him to lead the angels in singing the song he wrote and arranged - "Anthem for the Righteous"

Chris was a father to 2 boys - Conrad and Caleb (now in their 20's) - whom he raised in the home that he built, and he was most proud of them. (They too went on many adventures growing up like exploring Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA, and the traditional camping trip in August at the Lower Lewis Falls, WA)

He was also a loving partner to Rachel whom he met in Anaheim, California, over a dozen years ago. They had many hiking adventures together and, during football season, can be seen cheering on the Seattle Seahawks. Von S wrote the rock anthem, "All In" and wanted it to be heard at every game, but especially when the Hawks go the Superbowl! A search on YouTube will reveal the 4 part, "Making of" ALL IN, which every fan knows is the Truth on game day - whether you watch at home, go to a friends, go out in public, or to the actual stadium - you are a 12.

When Chris was not working on his Estate, Chris & Rachel enjoyed going to various Washington State AVA's for wine tastings. Perfect pairings to his gourmet food he liked to prepare, such as Pasta Von S; Salad Von S; Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad, etc.

In Autumn 2025, Chris suddenly became ill, having a medical event and eventually being told via a CT scan that he had a tumor in his brain. Although every single person that Chris knows were totally shocked by this news, Chris fought and fought hard, he did. He had radiation treatment, had the "source" removed, yet this horrible cancer (known as Melanoma) continued to grow and eventually IT won the battle - January 2, 2026.

On Tuesday, January 13, 2026 - 3:00 pm - Chris will be interred at the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery (Dist. 6) - Mt. Pleasant Road - just 2 miles off Old Hwy 99

All are welcome until sundown ~ See you there!

In lieu of flowers, please consider a kind donation to help Chris' family:

Chris' Story: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-von-ss-family-battle-legal-medical-crisis?attribution_id=sl%3A6a7b4a7b-1ec1-4a98-a740-1c6c52ccbfcf&lang=en_US&ts=1767906292&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp17_te&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&fbclid=IwY2xjawPOaIVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFpQmo5NWhhSldIZ213ejdrc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvQ1QkD-fsbL7sXoEb0fW3FvSBM00rlu-6H5UxQ4qvcg4-pMGU6sP4fBwIwx_aem_FrQiy5A_4DroCGcsjyoPSw

01/08/2026

In Memory of Betty Ann Erickson

Betty Ann Erickson, age 80, passed away on December 15, 2025, at PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview, Washington, after a brief illness.

Born December 5, 1945, in Waterloo, Iowa, to the late Gilbert and Edith Paustian, Betty was a graduate of North Tama High School and attended Ellsworth Junior College. She was deeply involved in her community, serving more than 20 years on the board of the Cowlitz County Public Facilities District and actively supporting the Columbia Theatre. She also belonged to many other civic organizations over the years.

Betty currently worked at Willow Grove Marina, where she served as Harbor Master beginning in 2010.

She enjoyed gardening, women's college basketball—especially the Iowa Hawkeyes—and loved the University of Washington Huskies football team. She also cherished returning to Iowa for class reunions. She will be fondly remembered for her love of the color purple and her well-known disdain for chicken.

She is survived by her daughters, Melissa Plate and Tia Anderson; grandsons Chase Nunez-Plate and Spencer Anderson; sister Joyce Faustian; brother Ronnie Paustian; and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held January 17,2026, from 1:00-3:00 P.M. at the Cowlitz County Events Center, 1900 7th Ave, Longview, WA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Susan G. Women Breast Cancer Foundation (https://www.komen.org) or in care of her grandson, Chase Nunez-Plate 521 SW Forest Grove Dr, Bend, OR 97702.

Obituary written and provided by family.

01/02/2026

Happy New Year! 🎆🎊 We have calendar inserts ready!

If you are in need of 2026 inserts, please stop by or give us a call. We will deliver. We are extremely limited on the thermometer holders at this time.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We will be out of office from December 24th until December 28th. We will be returning to regular business hours Monday, December 29th.

As always, we are still available 24/7 if you’re needing immediate assistance with a loved one.

12/19/2025

Some gorgeous florals for your Friday afternoon💙

12/14/2025

From the 1930s through the 1970s, funeral homes across America commonly provided ambulance services. By 1950, funeral homes were operating nearly half of the nation’s ambulances.

This practice developed largely because funeral homes were already equipped with vehicles large enough to transport a patient lying on a stretcher, along with staff available 24 hours a day. At the time, there were few regulations, little to no formal medical training, and minimal treatment provided during transport. The primary purpose was simply to get the patient from one place to another. While the concept may make those of us under 60 a bit uncomfortable, funeral homes were filling a critical gap by providing a service that government agencies had not yet developed. To meet the need, some funeral homes operated both an ambulance and a hearse, while others relied on “combination cars” that served both purposes.

Mike spent the first few years of his career switching between an ambulance and a hearse. He recalls that one of the years he spent at a different funeral home, they received around 900 total service calls, nearly 600 of which were ambulance calls. While some claim funeral homes stopped providing ambulance services as early as 1970, Mike explained that funeral homes continued transporting patients to hospitals and medical centers for non-emergency needs such as X-rays and bloodwork into the late 1970s. The shift toward non-emergency transportation was driven by a series of federal regulations and the creation of a formal EMT registry created in 1971. Mike shared that his favorite part of being an 18-year-old apprentice was the chance to drive the brand-new Cadillacs, sirens blaring, as fast as he wanted.

By 1980, this practice was no longer the norm. Funeral homes sold their ambulances and returned their full focus to funeral care as organized emergency medical services expanded and the role of the EMT became standardized.

12/10/2025

A tribute in bloom, honoring cherished lives with beauty and love. We are grateful for the families who allow us to help memorialize their loved ones with grace and dignity.

12/10/2025

Larry Clark Glaze
September 6, 1936 - November 25, 2025

Larry Clark Glaze was born in New Haven, Indiana on September 6th, 1936, to Donald and Helen. He was number six of nine children.

He graduated from New Haven High School in 1955 and enlisted into the United States Navy, where he was an engineman and played semi-professional softball.

While stationed in Astoria, Oregon in 1958, he would periodically hitch-hike to Alston’s Corner Assembly of God where he dated and eventually married Inez LaRena Archibald. They married October 8th, 1960, and enjoyed, what she calls “a four-year honeymoon in Hawaii” – his next orders.
Larry became a father in 1964 and had their first daughter while in Hawaii. Larry and Inez moved to San Diego in 1965 and had two other children. The Navy transferred him to many different ports, ending and retiring in Xenia, Ohio. He retired in June of 1974 and moved to the Apiary Log House, Inez’s childhood home. They stayed there while he built their forever home across the road and finally, in 1976, moved in. After moving to Rainier, they had two more children.

Larry then worked for Crown Zellerbach until they closed in 1980. Then, he went and worked for fifteen years at the Rainier Cemetery District and retired again. He also would referee and umpire football, basketball, and baseball. He then retired for the third and final time from Armstrong in St. Helens in 1998.
In 2020, Larry and Inez moved to Campus Towers in Longview, Washington on their 60th wedding anniversary.

Most recently, in October of 2025, Larry and Inez moved to Eureka, Montana to be with their son Donald and his wife Jamie.
November 25th, 2025, Larry passed away and passed on into Glory.

Preceding him in death his mother and father, Donald and Helen. Brothers and sisters: Jack, Sue, Alice, Charles, and Ray.
He is survived by his sisters: Lois, Carol, and Kay. His bride: Inez Glaze. His five children: Charlene Couch (Stan) of Gales Creek, OR; Wesley Glaze (Debi) of Grand Terrance, CA; Sandra Garza (Nick) of Elk Grove, CA; Donald Glaze (Jamie) of Eureka, MT; and Aleta Guinto (Ed) of Rainier, OR. He leaves behind his seventeen grandchildren and two great grandchildren, with one great on the way.

A viewing will be held on Saturday, December 13th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM PST at Columbia Funeral Service in Longview, WA. A celebration of life will be held at Alston’s Corner Assembly of God on Monday, December 15th at 10:00 AM PST. Online viewing can be accessed through this link: https://www.youtube.com//streams Full military honors will follow at Willamette National Cemetery at 2:30 PM PST.

His family would like you to know his last statement to the nurses was “We’re all lost without Jesus.”

12/09/2025

Some of you may have already been lucky enough to meet our adorable office pup, but I feel that it's time for a formal introduction. Meet our favorite employee, Barry!

I (Amelia) rescued Barry off the streets of Longview on December 1st of last year. Not knowing what to do with the pup but unable to leave such a small guy on the streets, I took him to my parents’ house. Barry instantly clung to my dad, Alan. It was safe to say I was not leaving with that dog. It was a match made in heaven. After days of searching for his owners with no luck, Barry became a permanent part of our family. Since then he has been a full-time employee! Barry can often be found in the main office lounging on the couch, helping Mike make coffee, or lying at Alan's feet (wherever that may be). Barry is available to be held for comfort at need. No charge.

For the last year Barry has served an incredibly important role in our office and had *almost* perfect attendance. He has many job titles ranging from Chief Comfort Canine to Assistant Bookkeeper (See picture of him helping owner, Mike). He is an extremely valued member of our team. Yes, he is under 10 lbs. and yes, he has no teeth. However, he has permanently brightened ours and our clients’ lives. We all love Barry!

12/06/2025

Sure can't be too mad about the weather when a sunset like this makes an appearance!

Columbia Funeral Service

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Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 2pm