Regene Bartlett Urban

REGENE BARTLETT URBAN June 10, 1935 ~ June 12, 2018 Regene Bartlett Urban passed away peacefully at the Community Home Health and Hospice Care Center on June 12, 2018. She was born June 10, 1935 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to George Bartlett and Hazel Rice Bartlett. The family was originally from Minnesota where Regene's grandparents had a farm. Like many other mid-westerners, the family moved west for work during the war. Her father became a lineman, eventually ending up in Vancouver, WA working for the PUD. Regene attended Battle Ground High School where she met Dale Urban. However, Dale graduated from Vancouver High School and Regene graduated from Camas High School in 1953. After high school, Regene worked as a secretary. She and Dale were married on February 26, 1954. One of the highlights of their long married life together was the time they spent in Guam while Dale served in the U.S. Navy. Eventually they opened D & D Union 76 Gas Station at 4th and Washington in Vancouver with their partners, Daryl and Wilma Phares. They successfully operated that business for over 20 years until a freeway expansion eliminated their location. Dale then went to work in construction until their retirement in 1995. Regene continued to work as an executive secretary, originally at Crown Zellerbach, later at Good Samaritan Hospital and finally spending the last 23 years of her working life as the head secretary at Laurin Intermediate in the Battle Ground School District. She made many wonderful, loyal friends there! During retirement Regene and Dale spent winters in Yuma, AZ where they extensively explored the area, including the desert, in their 4 wheel drive truck. They were avid deer and elk hunters into their 70's. They also loved to camp in the Klickitat area when it was not hunting season. Regene was not athletic, but she was on a bowling team with her good friends Peggy Goodwin, Ladonna McNeil and Wilma Phares for over 20 years. Karen Muzzy, Mitzi Claflin and Regene's sister-in-law, Mary Smedley, also rotated on the team. Family was the most important thing to Regene, and she will be greatly missed by her husband, Dale; her daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Alan Gardner; her grandchildren, Bryce and his wife, Jessica and Eric Gardner, as well as great-grandchildren, George and Alice Gardner. Regene also leaves behind her older brother, John Bartlett, his wife, Patricia and son, James. Dale's large extended family was a big part of their lives as well, and they spent many happy times with brothers, Walter (Betty), Mary (Larry Smedley), Richard (Joyce), Johnny (LaVonne), David (Marsha) and their many, much loved nieces and nephews. Dale and Regene were always fun to be around, and had many wonderful friends, many of whom were like family, including Regene's best friend, Karen Muzzy. All are invited to attend her Memorial Service and Celebration of Life which will be held on Thursday, June 28, at 1:00 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church, 905 NW 94th Street, Vancouver, WA 98665.

Regene Bartlett Urban

June 10, 1935 - June 12, 2018