Obituary for Louise Reuble
Louise Sandra Reuble, 76, ended her fight with ovarian cancer on July 28, 2022. She was born in Ogden, Utah on December 25, 1945; a Christmas present to her parents, Hilding and Esther Sager, who picked her up from the hospital the day she was born and promptly moved out of state to ensure there were no take-backs on the adoption. They moved several times and then, when Louise was four, settled in Mukilteo, Washington to live near the rest of the Sager family in Everett. Hilding built a house for his family overlooking the ferry landing and went into business with his brother in commercial refrigeration.
Louise graduated from Cascade Senior High School in 1964 and went on to earn an Associate of Arts and Science degree from Everett Junior College in 1966, a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Washington State University in 1968 and did a fifth year in Early Childhood Development at Western Washington University in 1976. She began sewing as soon as she could hold a needle even though her mother could barely hem a pair of pants. Esther encouraged Louise’s passion by taking her to neighbors who did know how to sew, and by the time she graduated college, she was making most of her and her mother’s wardrobes.
Louise began her teaching career in Home Economics at Oak Harbor High School in 1968 and over the years it was not uncommon for former students to stop her in town for a visit and tell her that they still used the skills she had taught them- sewing, cooking, preserving food, home finance and so many more. In 1999 Louise began a class sponsored by the National Restaurant Association to teach advanced culinary skills to teenagers, including providing a competition called the ProStart Invitational. Louise’s students dominated at the state level until her retirement, earning numerous Student of the Year awards, taking first place in both restaurant management and culinary arts, and consistently finishing in the top rankings nationally. She always joked she cooked like a farm wife so worked with industry professionals to advance her own skills, even training for two weeks with a group of chefs in Lyon, France. In 2010 her culinary arts team placed second in the nation, competing against states famous for their hospitality industries like Nevada, California and Florida.
In the 1980’s Louise took eight years to be a full-time parent to her children, then returned to Oak Harbor High School. In those years she was very involved in community activities like the annual Harvest Festival in Coupeville and her sorority, Laureate Beta Lambda. She cherished the friendships with her sorority sisters that have lasted more than 40 years. Louise also did a two year fellowship with Washington State AgForestry Leadership, joining a group of farmers and loggers in traveling the US to learn and make industry connections. Her class did an extended three week trip to China and were some of the first agricultural ambassadors to visit and share information.
As the success of the OHHS Culinary program increased, Louise and her students were featured in local newspapers and television and Louise was recognized with numerous awards, but it was not a new experience for her. In 1970 Louise married Coupeville dairy farmer Lawrence Oxle Reuble; they were introduced by one of her students and dated for about a year. When Louise was four years old she used to have a large rock in her front yard that she’d throw a blanket over as a saddle and imagine riding a horse, so Lawrence wisely romanced her with evening horseback rides. He had an 8-horse hitch of Shetland ponies at the time they married and taught Louise to drive a single horse in a cart and a pair hitched to a wagon. Lawrence’s dream was to have a hitch of draft horses so they sold the ponies to Knott’s Barry Farm and bought their first Shires in 1971, two mares that were in-foal and a young stallion.
In 1972 the couple welcomed a son, Lawrence Hilding Reuble, who became affectionately known as Pardner and still prefers to be called Pard. He currently lives in Ellensburg, WA and is an independent truck driver who enjoys roping and has begun working with others to pass on the horsemanship skills he learned from his parents. Leandra Louise Reuble was born in 1974 and is a high school English teacher who lives in Coupeville, WA. She cared for her mother in the last year’s of Louise’s life and continues to raise Shires.
The Reuble family, known as Four L Shires, raised and sold registered Shires for over 50 years selling horses to people in nearly every state and several to Canada. Louise served on the Board of Directors for the American Shire Horse Association twice and educated people on the horses up until her death. They showed and exhibited a six-horse hitch at fairs, parades and draft horse shows all over the west coast and were often sponsored by Coca Cola, who had a wooden “six pack” designed to fit in the back of the wagon for the Seattle Sonics Seagal Cheerleaders while coach Lennie Wilkens rode on the seat with Lawrence. They were also sponsored by the Town of Coupeville in the 80’s for the Seattle Torchlight Parade and were the division winners for 7 years; half the town went with them and walked the 8 mile parade. After Lawrence’s death to lymphatic cancer in 1989, Louise continued to raise and show Shires with her teenagers as a family project.
Louise leaves behind a legacy rich with people who loved her and were positively impacted by her contributions to their lives. Her children and students are grateful for all the adventures she led them on and the experiences that have formed their lives. At her request, there will be no services and she will join her parents at the Evergreen Cemetery in Everett; remembrances can be donated to the Oak Harbor Education Foundation in her name. She will be missed.
Louise graduated from Cascade Senior High School in 1964 and went on to earn an Associate of Arts and Science degree from Everett Junior College in 1966, a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Washington State University in 1968 and did a fifth year in Early Childhood Development at Western Washington University in 1976. She began sewing as soon as she could hold a needle even though her mother could barely hem a pair of pants. Esther encouraged Louise’s passion by taking her to neighbors who did know how to sew, and by the time she graduated college, she was making most of her and her mother’s wardrobes.
Louise began her teaching career in Home Economics at Oak Harbor High School in 1968 and over the years it was not uncommon for former students to stop her in town for a visit and tell her that they still used the skills she had taught them- sewing, cooking, preserving food, home finance and so many more. In 1999 Louise began a class sponsored by the National Restaurant Association to teach advanced culinary skills to teenagers, including providing a competition called the ProStart Invitational. Louise’s students dominated at the state level until her retirement, earning numerous Student of the Year awards, taking first place in both restaurant management and culinary arts, and consistently finishing in the top rankings nationally. She always joked she cooked like a farm wife so worked with industry professionals to advance her own skills, even training for two weeks with a group of chefs in Lyon, France. In 2010 her culinary arts team placed second in the nation, competing against states famous for their hospitality industries like Nevada, California and Florida.
In the 1980’s Louise took eight years to be a full-time parent to her children, then returned to Oak Harbor High School. In those years she was very involved in community activities like the annual Harvest Festival in Coupeville and her sorority, Laureate Beta Lambda. She cherished the friendships with her sorority sisters that have lasted more than 40 years. Louise also did a two year fellowship with Washington State AgForestry Leadership, joining a group of farmers and loggers in traveling the US to learn and make industry connections. Her class did an extended three week trip to China and were some of the first agricultural ambassadors to visit and share information.
As the success of the OHHS Culinary program increased, Louise and her students were featured in local newspapers and television and Louise was recognized with numerous awards, but it was not a new experience for her. In 1970 Louise married Coupeville dairy farmer Lawrence Oxle Reuble; they were introduced by one of her students and dated for about a year. When Louise was four years old she used to have a large rock in her front yard that she’d throw a blanket over as a saddle and imagine riding a horse, so Lawrence wisely romanced her with evening horseback rides. He had an 8-horse hitch of Shetland ponies at the time they married and taught Louise to drive a single horse in a cart and a pair hitched to a wagon. Lawrence’s dream was to have a hitch of draft horses so they sold the ponies to Knott’s Barry Farm and bought their first Shires in 1971, two mares that were in-foal and a young stallion.
In 1972 the couple welcomed a son, Lawrence Hilding Reuble, who became affectionately known as Pardner and still prefers to be called Pard. He currently lives in Ellensburg, WA and is an independent truck driver who enjoys roping and has begun working with others to pass on the horsemanship skills he learned from his parents. Leandra Louise Reuble was born in 1974 and is a high school English teacher who lives in Coupeville, WA. She cared for her mother in the last year’s of Louise’s life and continues to raise Shires.
The Reuble family, known as Four L Shires, raised and sold registered Shires for over 50 years selling horses to people in nearly every state and several to Canada. Louise served on the Board of Directors for the American Shire Horse Association twice and educated people on the horses up until her death. They showed and exhibited a six-horse hitch at fairs, parades and draft horse shows all over the west coast and were often sponsored by Coca Cola, who had a wooden “six pack” designed to fit in the back of the wagon for the Seattle Sonics Seagal Cheerleaders while coach Lennie Wilkens rode on the seat with Lawrence. They were also sponsored by the Town of Coupeville in the 80’s for the Seattle Torchlight Parade and were the division winners for 7 years; half the town went with them and walked the 8 mile parade. After Lawrence’s death to lymphatic cancer in 1989, Louise continued to raise and show Shires with her teenagers as a family project.
Louise leaves behind a legacy rich with people who loved her and were positively impacted by her contributions to their lives. Her children and students are grateful for all the adventures she led them on and the experiences that have formed their lives. At her request, there will be no services and she will join her parents at the Evergreen Cemetery in Everett; remembrances can be donated to the Oak Harbor Education Foundation in her name. She will be missed.