ANNIE L. McCORKLE

Annie Loraine McCorkle, 67, died at 8:05 a.m., Nov. 22, 2004, at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, after a valiant battle against lung cancer.

The family will be having a private burial at the Pioneer Cemetery in Palmer. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, at the Matanuska Assembly of God Church, 12801 West Arctic Ave., Palmer. Pastor Randall Bjerken and Pastor Paul Riley will officiate. A celebration of her life will be held directly after the service in the church reception hall.

Mrs. McCorkle was born Jan. 17, 1937, at Valley Hospital in Palmer, to Arnold H. and Emmy S. Havemeister, colonists to the Valley in 1935. She was their second child and first born after coming to the Valley.

She was preceded in death by her parents -- her father died in 1942 and her mother died in 2002.

Mrs. McCorkle grew up in the Valley on their Colonist farm on Bogard Road with an older sister, Helen, and younger brother, Bob. She attended school in Palmer, graduating from Palmer High School in 1954.

Mrs. McCorkle was Matanuska Valley Fair Queen in 1954, reigning over the fair with her court of five girls. One of her first jobs was working at the Matanuska Maid Trading Post as a clerk. Later, she worked for years as a bookkeeper at Matanuska Valley Co-op, where her duties included issuing milk checks for the local dairy farmers.

In 1954, she married Virgil Meehan and together they had three children -- James, Steven and Lenora. Those years were busy with working and a lot of off-road camping, rock-hounding and even gold-panning.

On July 17, 1977, she married Charles McCorkle. They resided for a time in the Butte area and later moved to Medford, Ore., Mr. McCorkle's home state.

From there, they moved to Myrtle Creek, Ore., where they again made new friends. During their stay there, Mrs. McCorkle began her long battle with lung cancer.

In August 2000, they moved back to the Valley, again settling in the Butte area's Cabbage Patch subdivision.

Their new house had a full view of Pioneer Peak and surrounding mountains.

The McCorkles have been actively involved in an Assembly of God Church in every place they have lived, with Matanuska Assembly of God in Palmer the most recent church where they were members.

Her loved ones wrote, "Because of her friendly personality and her love for people, Annie was loved by whomever she met. She was always on the giving end of doing for others.

"Only a few knew that at Christmas time, she would secretly acquire names of a needy family and personally, yet anonymously, give them a nice box of food items and gifts.

"Those closest to her knew she delighted in doing so, due to her remembrance of her own childhood experiences of being on the receiving end in the same manner."

"She was a special lady and always enjoyed family gatherings with food and telling of stories. She seemed to remember people and incidents that others had long forgotten. She worked diligently at crossword puzzles and loved playing board and card games. She will be forever missed. 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.' (II Timothy 4:7-8)"

She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Charles McCorkle; her daughter, Lenora Meehan of Kenai; sons, James Meehan of Palmer and Steven Meehan of Wasilla; grandchildren, Kirstin Meehan of Kenai, Neal, Wade and Clinton Meehan of Wasilla, Lisa Meehan-Nelson of Fairbanks and Misty Holcomb of Palmer; sister, Helen Riley, and brother, Bob Havemeister, both of Palmer, and many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews in Alaska and out of state. Also surviving her are a large number of loving friends.

Arrangements were made by Valley Funeral Home & Crematory in Wasilla.