Bette Ann Zucati went to Heaven to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Friday, May 3, 2019. She was born April 5, 1934, in Lincoln, Neb., to parents, Russell and Lottie Sorrell, the third of five children.
The family moved to Washington in 1939. Her father was a farmer and logger and Bette grew up at the foot of the historic Grand Mound, near Rochester. She graduated from Rochester High School in 1952. Bette worked as a telephone operator for a brief time after high school and then met and fell in love with Norman Zucati. They married Dec. 13, 1952. She and Norm briefly lived in Seattle in their early married years, then lived in Centralia and finally settled in the Rochester area, which would be their home for most of their married life. They raised five children together and Bette took on her favorite role, that of being a mother and training her children to love God, work hard and live an ordered and productive life. She was well known for her spotless home, beautifully decorated and her creative flair.
As her children got older, Bette began a new venture as an antiques dealer and owned and operated the Rocker Shop Antiques, originally in her home at Grand Mound and later in the Centralia downtown district. This was in addition to assisting her husband, Norm with his contractor’s business, Norm’s Construction, doing the books and helping keep things organized. Her kids remember many an antiquing excursion with her, searching for that special ladder back chair or butter churn.
In later years, she and Norm purchased her grandparents' homestead near Tenino with its log home, restoring it to its original beauty. After Norm’s death in 2002, Bette moved to Montana for a number of years and built a new home there, then later restored a second log home, an ongoing interest and passion of hers. She moved back to Washington in 2015, where she renovated her most recent dwelling. Never one to let grass grow under her feet, Bette was interested in many things and always had many projects going on. She passed down creativity to her children. She loved plants, gardening, antiques and most of all her family and was always asking how everyone was and the news of the most recent great-grandchild.
She will be greatly missed. Bette was deeply loved and leaves behind the legacy of a life well lived, a faith in Jesus Christ, declared and lived out and an example to her family of what it means to be a person of integrity.
Bette was preceded in death by her husband, Norman Zucati; sister, Norma Smith; and her son-in-law, Jerry Englund.
She is survived by siblings, Steve Sorrell, Rebecca Olson and David Sorrell; and children, Jackie (Bob) Mitchell, Ron (Debbie) Zucati, Sam (Melody) Zucati, David (Michelle) Zucati and Cathy (Wayne) Tidyman. She is also survived by grandchildren, Joel Englund, Brooke Briggs, Anthony Zucati, Lauren Zucati, Reid Zucati, Zachary Zucati, Andrew Zucati, Brittany Martin, Spencer Zucati, Jennifer Pirtle, Aaron Zucati and Tyler Painter; as well as 29 great-grandchildren.
A graveside service will be held Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at 11 a.m., at Grand Mound Cemetery, 6300 183rd Ave. SW, Rochester, WA 98579. A reception lunch will follow the interment at the Great Wolf Lodge conference room.
Donations in Bette’s honor may be made to Child Evangelism Fellowship, 703 W. Main St., Centralia, WA 98531, or to Toledo First Baptist Church P.O. Box 279 Toledo, WA 98591, earmarked for the children’s camp fund.
