Obituary for Nadene Ardelle Senff (Smith)
Nadene Ardelle Smith Senff
4/4/21933 – 5/22/2022
Nadene Ardelle Smith Senff, April 4, 1933, through May 22, 2022. Nadene was born on April 4, 1933, to Chester Doty and Alta Smith in Anacortes, Washington. She was born into a loving family on a farm just outside downtown Anacortes.
Nadene loved the Lord and was part of Christ Ambassadors at the Anacortes Assembly of God, playing the saxophone in the church band and hanging out with friends around the Anacortes area. She attended Anacortes Elementary, Middle and High School as well as elementary school in King City, California, where her uncle had a farm. The Smith family would spend a few months there and then move back to Anacortes.
When Nadene was in her late teens, she met a man named James Senff of Arlington. Within a few years James Senff started sending love letters to Nadene and went out of his way to meet her in Anacortes weekly. Nadene and James began to court each other and went on many adventures such as going out to Campbell Island for fishing and hanging out. By her 20s Nadene became an adventurous young woman. She helped at her uncle's flower shop; worked at Burton's Jewelry in downtown Anacortes and flagged for logging trucks all while spreading the Word of God at revivals throughout the Puget Sound region. When Nadene turned 21 years old, she married James William Senff at Anacortes Assembly of God on 10th Street on June 5, 1954.
Nadene and Jim Senff would work together in Anacortes and Arlington at multiple
different jobs before trying for a baby. Nadene lost her first child and was told by doctors she was not able to bear children. Then God intervened and by 1957 Gordon Dean Senff was born. Then followed Gary James Senff in 1959 and Janell Ardelle Gamlen in 1961 and then Richard Duane Senff in 1963. By the 1960s Jim and Nadene moved from Anacortes and settled in Arlington where Jim was working in the lumber yards and Nadene found her niche in rose garden parties and was a member in the Arlington Rose Society for many years. She also worked at jewelry stores and was part of event committees with other women in the city of Arlington.
Nadene was known to be a welcoming host from an early age. She took care of her younger sister Loralta and brothers Kenneth and Ellsworth by cooking, cleaning clothes and presenting a clean home. As the Senff siblings grew up the community knew about Nadene Senff's potato rolls, feasts and would feed any missionary, homeless and or person in need as well as give them a place to stay. Jim and Nadene hosted several exchange students over the years and created wonderful relationships
As Jim and Nadene's children grew up, they didn't stop working, but added traveling well into the 1980s and welcomed retirement. Nadene would take trips with friends Peggy and Leo as well as the Lummers across the U.S. and into Hawaii. Nadene began to reach out to the women's ministry in the Arlington Assembly and Marysville First Assembly by going to bible studies and Red Hat Club meetings and host events at the church. Her steady dedication to the Lord's work didn't stop there. She would soon welcome 7 grandchildren between 1979 and 1999 and one great grandchild in 2020 and become a constant baker, friend, and grandma. Nadene enjoyed being a grandma up till her death by spoiling them rotten with lots of baked goods and taking them out on excursions and sewing clothes and gifts.
Nadene and Jim Senff were married 67 years and almost made it to 68 years together. Nadene was a caring, humble, and hospitable grandmother, friend, wife, and mother who always told it like it was. In her final days she longed for her mansion over the hilltop and on May 22nd at 3:20 a.m. she entered the pearly gates of Heaven with her family by her side. She was preceded in death by her father Chester Smith of Anacortes and her mother Alta Smith of Anacortes, her brother Kenneth Smith of Anacortes and brother Ellsworth Smith of Anacortes. She leaves behind her husband James William Senff (93) of Arlington; sister Loralta Welk Andersen; children Gordon Senff of Silver Lake, WA; Gary Senff of Pahrump, Nevada; Janell Gamlen of Springfield, Missouri and Richard Senff of Arlington, Washington; grandchildren Tami Senff of Arlington, Washington; Tonya Senff of Silver Lake, Washington; Michael Senff of Shoreline, WA; Rochelle Huckaby of Springfield, Missouri; Nathan Senff of Arlington, Washington; Shantell Gamlen of Springfield, Missouri and Natalie Runyon of Bellingham, Washington; one great grandchild Levi Huckaby of Springfield, Missouri.
A celebration of life is yet to be determined.
In lieu of flowers please send a donation to Engage Ministry at Giving.Ag.org Account #224259. This was Nadene’s favorite mission.
4/4/21933 – 5/22/2022
Nadene Ardelle Smith Senff, April 4, 1933, through May 22, 2022. Nadene was born on April 4, 1933, to Chester Doty and Alta Smith in Anacortes, Washington. She was born into a loving family on a farm just outside downtown Anacortes.
Nadene loved the Lord and was part of Christ Ambassadors at the Anacortes Assembly of God, playing the saxophone in the church band and hanging out with friends around the Anacortes area. She attended Anacortes Elementary, Middle and High School as well as elementary school in King City, California, where her uncle had a farm. The Smith family would spend a few months there and then move back to Anacortes.
When Nadene was in her late teens, she met a man named James Senff of Arlington. Within a few years James Senff started sending love letters to Nadene and went out of his way to meet her in Anacortes weekly. Nadene and James began to court each other and went on many adventures such as going out to Campbell Island for fishing and hanging out. By her 20s Nadene became an adventurous young woman. She helped at her uncle's flower shop; worked at Burton's Jewelry in downtown Anacortes and flagged for logging trucks all while spreading the Word of God at revivals throughout the Puget Sound region. When Nadene turned 21 years old, she married James William Senff at Anacortes Assembly of God on 10th Street on June 5, 1954.
Nadene and Jim Senff would work together in Anacortes and Arlington at multiple
different jobs before trying for a baby. Nadene lost her first child and was told by doctors she was not able to bear children. Then God intervened and by 1957 Gordon Dean Senff was born. Then followed Gary James Senff in 1959 and Janell Ardelle Gamlen in 1961 and then Richard Duane Senff in 1963. By the 1960s Jim and Nadene moved from Anacortes and settled in Arlington where Jim was working in the lumber yards and Nadene found her niche in rose garden parties and was a member in the Arlington Rose Society for many years. She also worked at jewelry stores and was part of event committees with other women in the city of Arlington.
Nadene was known to be a welcoming host from an early age. She took care of her younger sister Loralta and brothers Kenneth and Ellsworth by cooking, cleaning clothes and presenting a clean home. As the Senff siblings grew up the community knew about Nadene Senff's potato rolls, feasts and would feed any missionary, homeless and or person in need as well as give them a place to stay. Jim and Nadene hosted several exchange students over the years and created wonderful relationships
As Jim and Nadene's children grew up, they didn't stop working, but added traveling well into the 1980s and welcomed retirement. Nadene would take trips with friends Peggy and Leo as well as the Lummers across the U.S. and into Hawaii. Nadene began to reach out to the women's ministry in the Arlington Assembly and Marysville First Assembly by going to bible studies and Red Hat Club meetings and host events at the church. Her steady dedication to the Lord's work didn't stop there. She would soon welcome 7 grandchildren between 1979 and 1999 and one great grandchild in 2020 and become a constant baker, friend, and grandma. Nadene enjoyed being a grandma up till her death by spoiling them rotten with lots of baked goods and taking them out on excursions and sewing clothes and gifts.
Nadene and Jim Senff were married 67 years and almost made it to 68 years together. Nadene was a caring, humble, and hospitable grandmother, friend, wife, and mother who always told it like it was. In her final days she longed for her mansion over the hilltop and on May 22nd at 3:20 a.m. she entered the pearly gates of Heaven with her family by her side. She was preceded in death by her father Chester Smith of Anacortes and her mother Alta Smith of Anacortes, her brother Kenneth Smith of Anacortes and brother Ellsworth Smith of Anacortes. She leaves behind her husband James William Senff (93) of Arlington; sister Loralta Welk Andersen; children Gordon Senff of Silver Lake, WA; Gary Senff of Pahrump, Nevada; Janell Gamlen of Springfield, Missouri and Richard Senff of Arlington, Washington; grandchildren Tami Senff of Arlington, Washington; Tonya Senff of Silver Lake, Washington; Michael Senff of Shoreline, WA; Rochelle Huckaby of Springfield, Missouri; Nathan Senff of Arlington, Washington; Shantell Gamlen of Springfield, Missouri and Natalie Runyon of Bellingham, Washington; one great grandchild Levi Huckaby of Springfield, Missouri.
A celebration of life is yet to be determined.
In lieu of flowers please send a donation to Engage Ministry at Giving.Ag.org Account #224259. This was Nadene’s favorite mission.