Hollace (Holley) Elizabeth Beall Hoag passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at home surrounded by her family. She was 93 years old. Holley was born April 23, 1918 in Bismarck, North Dakota in the midst of a world-wide influenza pandemic in which more than 50 million people died. Until age six, she lived in the small town of Wing, ND, where her father had established a homestead in 1905. In 1924 the family moved to Bismarck where her father worked in the Bismarck post office. Following the 1929 stock market crash, Holley was aware of the depression, but did not feel she suffered. She recalled the depression-era hobos had a circuit of homes they visited for handouts. Her mother always fed these men on their back porch, but Holley was not allowed outside while they were there. By age 12, Holley played the piano at Women's Christian Temperance Union meetings as well as on the local radio station. She was a Rainbow girl and was awarded the Grand Cross of Colors. After Holley graduated from high school she attended North Dakota State University in Fargo, earning a bachelor's degree in nutrition. She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, sang in the college choir and was in the super expert class of the Women's Rifle Club. She met Richard M. (Dick) Hoag, a farm boy from Harwood, ND, and quickly knew she would marry him. They dated throughout college but upon graduation, Dick started medical school and Holley moved to Oakland, CA where she interned at Highland Hospital becoming a registered dietician. She then worked at Letterman General, the Army hospital in San Francisco. Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Holley experienced her share of "gas mask days" and black out drills. Dick was in the Army but allowed to complete his medical training. He was afraid that Holley would be commissioned into the army, as many of her dietician friends ultimately were, and they would be separated for years. Thus in the spring of 1942, Dick drove to California with Holley's parents and proposed marriage. Holley and Dick were married Dec. 22, 1942 and immediately moved to Chicago, where Dick completed medical school at Northwestern University and Holley worked as a Dietician at Cook County Hospital. In 1944 they moved to Denver for Dick's residency and their first son Steve was born. By Christmas 1944 Dick was serving in active duty and Holley and baby Steve had returned to Bismarck for the remainder of the war. Following the war the family returned to Denver where daughter Ann was born in 1947. In 1948 they moved to Concrete, WA. Daughter Jana was born in 1949 and son Rick in 1951. In addition to caring for her four young children, Holley learned that being the wife of a doctor in a small "up-river" town included entertaining and often taking care of patients who came to the Hoag home outside office hours waiting for the doctor to get home from a house call. In the summer of 1951 the family moved to Mount Vernon where Holley has lived for more than 60 years. After North Dakota, Holley always loved the green hills and moderate climate of Western Washington. During her first 20 years in Washington Holley was busy raising her children, assisting in many of their activities. She was also active in the First United Methodist Church and Eastern Star, where she was installed as Worthy Matron in 1958. As the kids grew up, headed off for college and married, Holley became more active in local and state politics. She was on the State Board of Republican Women and one of the things she felt most privileged to have done is serving as a member (Elector) of the Presidential Electoral College in 1972. In 1977, Dick opened a Skagit Valley Medical Center satellite office in Stanwood; Holley ran the business office. Holley and Dick both retired in 1987, allowing them more time to travel and work on the home they built in 1979. Holley also volunteered helping young children learn to read. She continued her many community activities following Dick's death in 1996. In 2000 at the age of 82 Holley built a new home. Holley was always a busy lady. She actively participate in her children's, ten grandchildren's and her nine great grandchildren's lives, as well as her Church. She belonged to a Church Circle, served as President of United Methodist Women, was on the Endowment and Memorial committees and played in the Bell Choir. She also belonged to a book club, the local Eastern Star Past Matrons group and five bridge clubs. She continued to travel, including separate trips to Italy, Russia and Egypt in 2004 at the age of 86. Holley lived an independent life in her own home and drove until she suffered a severe stroke in February, 2011. Following months in a nursing home, Holley recovered sufficiently to return to her own home in October with the assistance of two kind and gentle caregivers, Kerri Brooks and Sue Holmes. The family thanks them for the care and comfort they gave to Holley during her last months, thereby allowing her to live at home. In the last year of her life, Holley frequently said she was born a Scot, a Methodist and a Republican and she was proud that she was still all three. Her Scottish father and her experiences during the Great Depression and WWII taught Holley to be frugal, yet she was always generous to others, and gave willingly of herself: traits Holley continued through her very last days. Holley is predeceased by her parents, Holly and Fannie Beall and her husband of 54 years Richard M. (Dick) Hoag. She is survived by her brother Lewis (Monette) Beall; her children Steve (Jo) Hoag, Ann (Dale) Christensen, Jana (Stein) Svendsen and Rick (Maria) Hoag; her grandchildren Aron Hoag, Chris (Sarah) Hoag, Ami (Chris) Manzuk, Sarah Koehler, Rick (Wendy) Hoag III, Isaac (Makayla) Hoag, Svend (Caitlin) Svendsen, Kjersti (Justin) Lopez, Dave (Kim) Koehler and Trevor Hoag, her great grandchildren, Aidan Manzuk, Colin Manzuk, Fisher Hoag, Anders Svendsen, Asher Hoag, Connor Lopez, Colten Hoag, Quentin Manzuk and Keely Svendsen; her loving and faithful friend Fred Reed and many nieces, nephews and long time friends. Holley loved and was loved by many. A memorial service will be held for Holley at 2 pm Friday, January 20, at the Mount Vernon First United Methodist Church at 1607 E. Division, Mt. Vernon. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Her ashes will be inurned at Hawthorne Memorial Park beside her husband Dick and her parents in a separate family service. Holley and family suggest that contributions in Holley' memory be sent to the Memorial Fund at the First United Methodist Church, where Holley served as the Chair until her death.