Teresa J. Buher

Palmer resident Teresa J. Buher, 85, died in her sleep Feb. 7, 2011.

A memorial service has yet to be scheduled at the Veterans and Pioneers Home in Palmer. She will be buried this summer at Fort Richardson National Cemetery alongside her husband.

Teresa was born March 10, 1925, in Shafter, Calif., and later moved to Wasco, where she was raised on a dairy farm. She earned an associate’s degree in education from Bakersfield Bible College just before entering the armed forces. She served in the U.S. Army from June 1949 to October 1952 as a medical tech reaching the rank of sergeant during the Korean War.

She met the love of her life and was married in San Francisco on March 4, 1955. As the wife of a sailor, she traveled to many places, settling in Oak Harbor, Wash., where her husband retired from the Navy. They moved to Ketchikan in 1977 and to Eagle River in 1985. She resided at the Chugach Senior Center until 2006. From 2006 until her death, she lived at Providence Extended Care, Anchorage Pioneers’ Home and Palmer Veterans and Pioneers Home.

She loved being around family and friends, attending church, discussing Bible prophecy and Christ’s return. She liked taking walks on beaches and having cheeseburgers with her two sons while they lived on Whidbey Island. She loved to garden and can vegetables, and made world-class crunchy sweet pickles. Red hats were one of her favorite fashions and colors to wear. When visiting her, she would always have to give you something whether it was food, books or clothes, just so you didn’t leave empty handed. She was thrilled to receive gifts and to spend time with her grandchildren. She was an amazing woman and mother and will be missed by her sons and family.

She had a deep admiration for all those in uniform and for their service to her country. She often spent Memorial Day remembering the fallen and loved to sit and talk with military men and women. She was a member of the VFW posts in Ketchikan and Eagle River, and the American Legion in Chugiak.

A few days before she passed away, she got to see her family gather around and read passages from the Bible, tell stories and talk about heaven.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Allen and Kathi Buher; son, James Buher; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and sister, Anne Broesma and family in California.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Harold Buher, and her parents.

Arrangements were by Kehl’s Funeral Home in Palmer.