Sadie Leona Witter, 86, of Oak Harbor, died Feb. 8, 2007, in Oak Harbor. She was born in Carter, Mont., on March 28, 1920, to Greenville and Pearl (Perkins) Buffington.

Sadie was raised on a wheat ranch in Montana, graduated from Fort Benton High School, Class of 1937, then, at the age of 18, moved to Spokane. She graduated from a two-year business college, and then moved to Seattle where she met and married Claude Christiansen. They began their married life in West Seattle and had two daughters. In the early ‘50s the family moved to Edmonds. Sadie was widowed when Claude died suddenly in 1955.

Sadie worked for various employers including Pacific Steamship Company, Van de Kamp Bakery, Tupperware home sales and the Edmonds Police Department, where she became the first woman police dispatcher. She also found time to volunteer as a Blue Bird Campfire Leader.

Sadie met Forrest Witter, a railroad engineer, and they married in 1962. They built a house in Skykomish where she loved to watch the moon rise over the mountain tops and the Skykomish River. Forrest passed away in 1975.

While living in Skykomish, Sadie became a member in the Skykomish Community Church. She was an avid reader and was active with her Bible study groups. She loved the outdoors and encouraged her grandchildren to do the same by taking them on walks around the little airport there and on the beaches of Whidbey Island. Her other interests included gardening as well as feeding the birds and other small animals that would visit her yard.

For many years Sadie was a “snowbird,” spending her winters in Yuma, Ariz. She was an occasional docent for the local museum in Yuma. While living there, she took up oil painting and wood carving. She loved to travel and with friends visited Alaska, Hawaii and the Scandinavian countries.

Sadie was preceded in death by both of her parents, her three brothers and five sisters. She was the youngest of the daughters. She resided at Home Place of Oak Harbor the last few years of her life where she received loving care from the entire staff.

While living at Home Place she attended Day Break, the Adult Day Program of Island County. At both Home Place and Day Break she is remembered for having a great sense of humor, for giving compliments and having a smile for everyone.

Sadie leaves behind her loving family, her daughters, Claudia Olson (and her husband Robert) of Oak Harbor, and Sharon Christiansen Broz (and her husband Mitchell Broz) of Snoqualmie; two grandchildren, Charlie Olson (and his wife Rachel) of Sedro-Woolley, and Aaron Olson (and his wife Erin) of Warrenton, Ore. She is also survived by other family members and many loving friends.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 10, at 2 p.m. at Burley Funeral Chapel in Oak Harbor.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to Day Break, the Adult Day Program of the Senior Services of Island County.