Obituary for Lisa Marie Behler
Lisa Marie Behler, 71, passed away Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston. She was born to June and William “Bill” Norberg on Aug. 12, 1951. Lisa was a selfless person who loved helping people. She loved her family and her animals with all of her heart. One of her biggest joys was being a grandma and great-grandma.
The youngest of two girls, Lisa lived her first nine years in Culdesac with her parents and sister, Cathy. She was a self-described daddy’s girl who loved spending time at her grandparents’ farm. She was also the youngest of 18 grandkids, and came to realize that she may have been just a little bit spoiled. She loved her big family dinners and having so many cousins to play with. Family was always an important part of her life.
Some of her happiest memories were of family camping trips. She loved being outdoors. At 9 years old, the family of four would move to Pullman to be closer to her maternal grandparents. They stayed in Pullman for three years before moving to Nezperce where she would spend her teenage years. She discovered a love for swimming and was on the high school swim team. She got her first job at age 13 at the hotel and developed the work ethic that would follow her through her life. She loved working with people and the jobs she enjoyed the most were ones where she could work with the public.
In her senior year, Lisa moved to Lewiston. The transition to a big city school was difficult and she attended for only three weeks. She quickly got a job at a restaurant where she met her first husband, Warren Anderson Jr. It was a fairy tale romance and he whisked her away to Reno to get married after only a month and moved to Eugene, Ore. The marriage ended after only a few months, but not before she was pregnant with her first child, Michelle.
Moving back to Lewiston, Lisa reunited with an old friend whom she began dating. Lisa married Richard “Dick” Osburn in September, 1969. They moved to Craigmont and had a son, Jamie, in September, 1972. Lisa loved being a stay-at-home mom during this time and was very involved in the community. She had many friends and loved hosting pinochle parties and going camping with the family. Once again, being outdoors would bring her so much joy. This marriage would end in 1976, when Lisa moved to Walla Walla to start a new life with the help of her sister.
After several years, Lisa moved back to Lewiston and got a job at the local credit union with a second job bartending. This is when she met the love of her life, James “Jim” Heaton. She would describe Jim as a mountain man with a gentle face. He sent her a ticket to visit him in Alaska, and that was when she fell in love and decided to move to Alaska. They had many great adventures, including homesteading on an island and building their very own cabin. Once again, Lisa was in her happy place in the outdoors. She would be glowing when she told of how they got married in their rain coats and rubber boots. They stayed there for over a year, but cabin fever kicked in and back to Lewiston they went.
They ended up in Troy, and worked together running a convenience store. Sadly, Jim was diagnosed with cancer shortly after their return to Lewiston, and though he was in remission for quite some time, he eventually succumbed to the cancer and passed away in her arms in 1994.
Lisa continued running the convenience store which is where she met Donald Sanderson. They dated for some time before moving to Vancouver, Wash., in 1996 to be closer to her daughter and grandson. They were married in Vancouver where they fell perfectly into the role of grandparents. Lisa got a job at Safeway and was in her element working with the public. She was able to be present for the birth of her second granddaughter during this time which made her extremely happy. This marriage would end after a few years. She felt the pull of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley and put in a request to transfer to the Safeway in Lewiston.
She would return to the valley in the early 2000s where she worked at Safeway until her retirement. She was married to Douglas Behler during this time. Once she retired, she missed the contact with people. She would combine her love of animals with the need to interact with people and volunteer on Saturday mornings at Petco during the adoption events. I’m sure she was tempted to take all the pets home, but she managed to refrain.
Lisa is preceded in death by her husband, Jim Heaton; her father Bill Norberg; and her mother, June Norberg. She leaves behind her husband, Doug; her sister, Cathy Fruh (Dennis); her daughter, Michelle Gilbert (Craig); her son, Jamie Osburn (Dee Dee Calkins); her six grandkids, Ryker Gilbert, Michael Oliveria (Skyler Murphy), Tailor Haagerup (Soren), Tara Callahan (Kyle), Shawna Osburn and Kyra Gilbert; and her two great-grandkids, Konrad Oliveria and Kain Callahan.
Cremation was done by Mountain View Funeral Home in Lewiston. A celebration of life will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Lewiston Eagles, 1304 Main St., Lewiston.
The youngest of two girls, Lisa lived her first nine years in Culdesac with her parents and sister, Cathy. She was a self-described daddy’s girl who loved spending time at her grandparents’ farm. She was also the youngest of 18 grandkids, and came to realize that she may have been just a little bit spoiled. She loved her big family dinners and having so many cousins to play with. Family was always an important part of her life.
Some of her happiest memories were of family camping trips. She loved being outdoors. At 9 years old, the family of four would move to Pullman to be closer to her maternal grandparents. They stayed in Pullman for three years before moving to Nezperce where she would spend her teenage years. She discovered a love for swimming and was on the high school swim team. She got her first job at age 13 at the hotel and developed the work ethic that would follow her through her life. She loved working with people and the jobs she enjoyed the most were ones where she could work with the public.
In her senior year, Lisa moved to Lewiston. The transition to a big city school was difficult and she attended for only three weeks. She quickly got a job at a restaurant where she met her first husband, Warren Anderson Jr. It was a fairy tale romance and he whisked her away to Reno to get married after only a month and moved to Eugene, Ore. The marriage ended after only a few months, but not before she was pregnant with her first child, Michelle.
Moving back to Lewiston, Lisa reunited with an old friend whom she began dating. Lisa married Richard “Dick” Osburn in September, 1969. They moved to Craigmont and had a son, Jamie, in September, 1972. Lisa loved being a stay-at-home mom during this time and was very involved in the community. She had many friends and loved hosting pinochle parties and going camping with the family. Once again, being outdoors would bring her so much joy. This marriage would end in 1976, when Lisa moved to Walla Walla to start a new life with the help of her sister.
After several years, Lisa moved back to Lewiston and got a job at the local credit union with a second job bartending. This is when she met the love of her life, James “Jim” Heaton. She would describe Jim as a mountain man with a gentle face. He sent her a ticket to visit him in Alaska, and that was when she fell in love and decided to move to Alaska. They had many great adventures, including homesteading on an island and building their very own cabin. Once again, Lisa was in her happy place in the outdoors. She would be glowing when she told of how they got married in their rain coats and rubber boots. They stayed there for over a year, but cabin fever kicked in and back to Lewiston they went.
They ended up in Troy, and worked together running a convenience store. Sadly, Jim was diagnosed with cancer shortly after their return to Lewiston, and though he was in remission for quite some time, he eventually succumbed to the cancer and passed away in her arms in 1994.
Lisa continued running the convenience store which is where she met Donald Sanderson. They dated for some time before moving to Vancouver, Wash., in 1996 to be closer to her daughter and grandson. They were married in Vancouver where they fell perfectly into the role of grandparents. Lisa got a job at Safeway and was in her element working with the public. She was able to be present for the birth of her second granddaughter during this time which made her extremely happy. This marriage would end after a few years. She felt the pull of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley and put in a request to transfer to the Safeway in Lewiston.
She would return to the valley in the early 2000s where she worked at Safeway until her retirement. She was married to Douglas Behler during this time. Once she retired, she missed the contact with people. She would combine her love of animals with the need to interact with people and volunteer on Saturday mornings at Petco during the adoption events. I’m sure she was tempted to take all the pets home, but she managed to refrain.
Lisa is preceded in death by her husband, Jim Heaton; her father Bill Norberg; and her mother, June Norberg. She leaves behind her husband, Doug; her sister, Cathy Fruh (Dennis); her daughter, Michelle Gilbert (Craig); her son, Jamie Osburn (Dee Dee Calkins); her six grandkids, Ryker Gilbert, Michael Oliveria (Skyler Murphy), Tailor Haagerup (Soren), Tara Callahan (Kyle), Shawna Osburn and Kyra Gilbert; and her two great-grandkids, Konrad Oliveria and Kain Callahan.
Cremation was done by Mountain View Funeral Home in Lewiston. A celebration of life will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Lewiston Eagles, 1304 Main St., Lewiston.