The Enterprise - White Salmon, Washington

Obituaries

Death notices for Muriel Dorsch and John Eliason

September 25, 2012

Muriel Joyce Dorsch passed away from brain cancer on July 25, 2012, in her home near White Salmon, at the age of 60. Muriel was born on Oct. 24, 1951, in Britton, S.D. to Ernest and Violet Buehler.

Muriel graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a bachelor's degree in nursing in 1973, just months after committing her life to Jesus.

She spent several years traveling with different ministries spreading the love and hope she had found in Christ. Muriel also spent a year in Haiti working at an orphanage for deaf students as a nurse and teacher.

While living in Dallas, where she was working as a nurse, she met Leonard Dorsch. They were married on Oct. 3, 1981, and were married for 30 years.

Muriel gave up nursing in order to raise her three children and educate them at home. In addition to their academic studies, she taught them how to cook and keep a home, to be well rounded citizens and to love Jesus and serve him with their lives.

After moving to White Salmon in 1996, Muriel continued to spend her life in service to her Lord, her friends and her neighbors. Muriel had a great desire to minister to women and much of her time was spent in counseling, praying and helping them through difficult times. She also enjoyed reading, researching and sharing her findings with all ages from youth and adult Sunday school to ladies Bible studies to friends and family who would listen.

She volunteered at the Pregnancy Resource Center and was one of the leaders of multiple homeschool support groups.

Muriel is survived by her husband Leonard, children Moriah, Aaron and Shoshana, her mother Violet Buehler, her brother Barry Buehler and his wife and children.

A service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012, at 2 p.m. in the Gorge Room at the Best Western Hood River Inn.

In her memory, the family would like to support orphanages in Haiti, a cause dear to Muriel's heart. Send gifts to Ellerslie Training School, 655 Southwood Lane, Windsor, Colo., 80550.

To ensure funds are appropriately deposited, enclose a note on a separate piece of paper saying "In memory of Muriel Dorsch, for the Haiti Fund."

John Thomas Eliason, 37, of Nevada, collapsed at home Friday morning and died Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, at St. Rose Dominican Hospital.

The cause of death: Sub arachnoid hemorrhage and non-traumatic ruptured aneurysm.

He was born to John and Melissa Eliason on June 23, 1975, in Baker, Ore. John graduated Columbia High School in 1993 and received an instrumentation technology degree from the Perry Technical Institute of Yakima. John was a Tech II at Nevada Energy for eight years, but worked in energy plants for the past 11 years. He married Dixie Lopez on Aug. 14, 2003, and they lived together in Henderson, Nev.

He was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. When he was younger, he thoroughly enjoyed sharing in the Bible ministry. Although life kept him very busy, he continued living with the morals he grew up with. John was a very loyal, honest, and loving husband, father, brother, and son to his family. The last few years of his life he devoted to raising his daughter Nina and ensuring that she developed those same honest values that he treasured. She was his first priority, his life, his angel, and his princess. He even shared his love of cooking with his daughter Nina. They spent many hours during his final days chopping tomatoes, onions, and peppers to make the best salsa on earth. Chris

John was a great friend to many and he will truly be missed. He was dependable and timely to say the least. John had a helper mentality and he wanted everyone to be "okay." He could research anything and then teach you all about it.

His close friends had many words to describe what a great person he was, one friend described John as "devoted," because no matter what life threw at him he remained loyal to his commission to be a responsible dad. Another called him a "genius." There was nothing that he could not fix, build, or design to solve any problem. He had a solution for everything or he would work non-stop till he found it. His best friend chose the word "Laughter, because no matter how foul a mood I was in John could always make me not only smile but laugh. Through grade school into middle school and even through high school and beyond I looked to John for laughter. He never made me feel as if he were laughing at me unless I was laughing at myself and John showed me how to laugh at myself. He also showed me a more serious and caring side when I lost my father, but again I looked to John during my time of need and he was there to help me laugh and forget the pain. I loved John as if he were my brother as well, and I can only imagine how it must feel to lose such a great, friend, brother, father and man." Tyler

Other important people in his life felt that:

He was "resilient! Always able to come back with a positive outlook no matter how bad the situation." Becky

"He was Happiness. His personal goal was to make everyone laugh and smile." Athena

"He was giving! He never hesitated to help anyone out with anything, large or small, to the absolute best of his abilities and his entire lifestyle to take care of his young daughter Nina without blinking an eye. He gave out his skills, handyman tips, and best of all -- his humorous take on life." Corrine Price

"He was strong. No matter what life threw his way, he had the strength to get through it, remain positive, and still try to make people happy as well as make sure his little Nina was well taken care of." Pam

John is survived by his parents John and Melissa Eliason, daughter Nina Eliason, wife Dixie Eliason, brother Timothy Eliason and wife Lixia, brother David Eliason, sister Sue Eliason, sister Pam Leonard and husband Jeff, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

A memorial will be held on Sept. 29, 2012, at Gardner Funeral Home in White Salmon at 2 p.m.