ELBERSON, Lorna Anastasia (Age 100) 1916 - 2016 Lorna Anastasia Elberson, 100, of Sandy, Oregon passed away on November 3, 2016. She was born on June 21, 1916 to Valentin Charles Gerk and Anna Stella Pesek Gerk in Miles City, Montana.When Lorna was six years old and her sister was eight years old, the family moved to Southeastern Montana to homestead a section of land near the town of Broadus. Lorna loved to share stories of riding horseback two miles over hill and dale to attend school in a one room schoolhouse. The homestead was not successful and the family later moved to Deer Lodge, Montana where the sisters grew up.One of Lorna's proudest moments was receiving the United States American Legion School Award for courage, character, service, companionship, and scholarship.Lorna's best memories of good childhood times in her own words were found among her papers. "I loved my horse, Buck, and my best friend, Eva, and the times we spent at her father's ranch. We could do as we pleased; we rode the horses, we ate what we wanted (mostly corn on the cob and candy bars), we swam in the creek and did not have to wash our hands and face or bathe our bodies. We read all of Zane Gray by kerosene lamp and smoked cigarettes."Lorna attended Powell County High School in Deer Lodge where she met a handsome young cowboy named Bud Elberson. After graduating from high school, Lorna attended Business College in Butte, Montana with her sister Corma. Bud worked on the family homestead cattle ranch and worked at the Milwaukee railroad after becoming a machinist. They enjoyed an adventurous courtship, riding their horses and dancing at the famous Columbia Gardens in Butte. Lorna and Bud were married May 23, 1941.Bud joined the U S Coast Guard in 1941 and was stationed in the Aleutian Islands while Lorna moved to Spokane to work for the government on the Manhattan Project. After Bud returned, they lived in Hammond, OR, Deer Lodge, MT, and Spokane, WA where they raised three children. After the kids were grown, Bud and Lorna lived at Hope, ID, Clarkston, WA, Chelan, WA, Pullman, WA, and Sandy, OR.They owned several motorhomes during their retirement years and enjoyed camping and fishing with friends, as well as traveling throughout the United States and even to Mexico. They also continued to dance with various groups and belonged to social and fraternal organizations. They were always active and energetic traveling to spend time with children and grandchildren.Lorna was preceded in death by Bud, who passed away on June 6, 2016. They are together again and survived by their children, Lynette Weaver Larter (Leigh) of Spokane, WA, Leslie Elberson of Estacada, OR, and Bill Elberson (Laurie) of Ketchikan, AK. They had ten grandchildren, twenty one great-grandchildren, and one great-great- grandson who will be born in December.A memorial service will be held in conjunction with a family reunion to be held in the late Spring, 2017.