Just call her Lu.

Luvilla Marie Maurer was born on Sept. 18, 1952, in Hood River, Ore., to Henry and Gladys Adkins-Maurer. She was brought home to the family farm in Parkdale, where she quickly came to be known as “Lu” or “Louie.”

Born several years after her older brothers and sisters Ronnie, Dorris, Portia and Grant, Lu was the baby of the family. However, that never stopped her from jumping right in when there was work to be done. In fact, baby Louie became quite the tomboy at home, and rarely missed a chance to go hunting with her dad or help her brothers with the farm chores.

She was taught to ride a horse at a very early age, and soon cultivated a love of horses that would last her entire life. The warm memories she had of her first horse, Babe, a beautiful Palomino, never faded. But though she loved to get her hands dirty outside, there were other pastimes she discovered in her girlhood, especially music.

With a name like Maurer, her family’s German heritage could not be denied. In the spirit of that heritage, Lu played the accordion and danced the polka. She also played the piano very well, and danced to any music that moved her, but over the years she never forgot how she loved to polka with her dad, and recalled dancing barefoot with him until there were blisters on her feet.

Having graduated from Wy’east High School in 1970, Lu had grown into a friendly, fun-loving, feminine young woman with ambitions of becoming a beautician. So, she did just that. Between visits with her sister Portia in Seattle and trips to Portland with her girlfriends, she completed beauty school and found work as a hairdresser in Hood River.

Throughout her life she made excellent use of this education, owning and operating both the Cascade Locks Hair Boutique (which she and Rick started from scratch in 1975) of Cascade Locks, Ore., and then the Shear Shop of Moscow, Idaho. Even when she was not running her own business, Lu enjoyed doing hair and nails, and developed a particular fondness for providing her services to the elderly, hairdressing for residents at facilities like the Moscow Care Center.

In 1972 Luvilla married Rick Gurwell, who would be the father of her three children. Their romance was born of shared passions such as music (especially Elvis Presley), which they listened to at least every Sunday; animals, outdoor activities like three-wheeling, snowmobiling, and visiting the coast, and frequent get-togethers with family and friends.

In the 16 years of their marriage they lived first in Hood River, where they had their first daughter, Karriana, then moved to Moscow, Idaho, the birthplace of their second and third children, Kathryn and Grant. Doctors had long expected that childbearing would be difficult if not impossible for her, so she saw each of her three children as heaven-sent. She would have done anything she could for any one of them, and despite the fact that she never thought it was enough, she always gave them her very best.

One of the most difficult choices she ever made was the decision to leave Rick, and though their marriage did not last, it remained a full and memorable period of her life.

To Lu, “home” meant any place where she had friends and family. After her divorce, she did hair in Longview, Wash., where she established another home for herself. With her warm, easy laugh and friendly demeanor she soon developed a close circle of friends there.

Lu remarried in the 1990s, taking the name Bettencourt. Though she traveled around quite a bit with her second husband (whom she eventually divorced), living in a handful of small towns in Oregon, southern Washington and central California, she always came back to Longview.

Her belief in working hard dictated that no matter where she lived, Lu always found ways to keep herself busy. When she wasn’t working overtime at more than one job, she devoted herself to either the extracurricular activities of her kids and grandkids (she attended every game, match, or performance she could, and was never shy about cheering her kids on from the stands), or her own creative pursuits.

She loved to bake, and Lu’s pies were competition-worthy. She also had a most skillful hand at crocheting and knitting. She made everything, from king-sized quilts made of hundreds of finely crocheted squares, to sweaters, hats and handbags, to rugs and valances, to delicate Christmas ornaments and doll dresses. Nearly everything she made, she gave away to the many people she loved.

Despite a life of hard work, Lu always knew how to have fun, how to laugh. She loved funny movies, music and dancing, sharing meals and watching football with her family (her team was the Seahawks), bowling, riding horses and going to rodeos.

She loved visiting her sister, Portia, and brother-in-law, Stan, in Camano, Island, Wash.; she loved taking the train with Portia to visit their brother, Grant, and sister-in-law, Lois, in Myrtle Creek, Ore. She loved going with Portia to get a mocha at their favorite coffee stand, and going fishing with Grant.

She loved autumn in the Northwest, sharing butterhorns with her kids, and doing hair for little old ladies and gentlemen. She loved every dog she ever had, most recently Tia and Pepsi. She loved goofing off with friends and family. She loved her family. She loved anything that made her laugh. Basically, Lu loved to live.

Lu never lost her talent for hairdressing, but she found a second calling when she started care giving in the early 1990s. She had always known a fondness for the elderly, so it was only natural that jobs such as managing small residential care facilities eventually led her to become a C.N.A.

As though they were her own family, she cared for the residents and coworkers wherever she went, but one facility in particular had a special place in her heart. She worked at the Woodland Rehabilitation Center of Woodland, Wash., for several years. There, she had been affectionately called Lu-Bell, and was loved by staff and resident alike for her down-to-earth, light-hearted, hard-working personality.

She was thrilled to return to Woodland and Woodland Rehab after more than a year away, and the very morning she came back to work was the last morning she knew. The beloved facility that was like home to her was where she took her last footsteps, drank her last cup of coffee, and laughed her last laugh.

Luvilla Marie Maurer-Gurwell-Bettencourt passed away Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, at the young age of 55. She took her last few breaths in the loving arms of her three children.

She is survived by her dear sister and brother-in-law, Portia and Stan Wilkes of Camano Island; her dear brother and sister-in-law, Grant and Lois Maurer of Myrtle Creek; her beloved children, Kori Lyon and her fiancé, Bob DeCamp, of Longview, Kathryn Gurwell and her fiancé, William Joersz, of Portland, Ore., and Grant Gurwell and his fiancé, Kila Hinton, of Everett, Wash.; her seven wonderful grandchildren, Matt, Brittany, Jordan, Zachary, Chelsea, Shyane and little Shaun, whom she called Hank; several loving nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends; and her little old Shih Tzu, Tia. Her passing reunites her with her mother and father, her siblings, Ronnie and Dorris, and her cherished dog, Pepsi, who all preceded her in death.

Her interment will be private, but a celebration of life service will be held at the Woodland Rehabilitation Center at a later date. Contact Kori at (360) 957-0224, or Katie at (503) 807-9930 for further information. Remembrances may be made to Emergency Shelter Groups of Cowlitz County (360-425-1176).

Joe Wilbur Brookover, affectionately known as Will, passed away Dec. 31, 2007, at Ashley Manor of Hood River, Ore. He was born July 1, 1912, in Shawnee, Okla., to Campbell C. and Edith (Coffin) Brookover. His birth was followed by six girls.

The family moved to Petaluma, Calif., in 1925 where they operated a chicken ranch. Will graduated from Petaluma High School and went to work for McPhail Fuel Company where he worked through World War II as his job was considered necessary for fueling the ships involved in the war effort.

Will married Mary Belle Graham in 1937 and they had three daughters, Marcia, Susan and Mary Jo. He retired from McPhail Fuel in 1970.

After retiring he moved to Hawaii where he lived in Pahoa for 25 years. He enjoyed square dancing and growing flowers, trees and vegetables. His favorite tree was the Royal Palm. Will moved to Hood River in 2000.

Will is survived by his three daughters, Marcia Berkhover, of San Diego, Calif., Susan Brookover of Ulapalakua, Hawaii, and Mary Jo Bartlett, of Mt. Hood, Ore.; and three grandchildren, Susan Brittain, Ginger Sadlier and Sean Sadlier.

Masonic funeral rites will be performed at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, at Anderson’s Tribute Center. Graveside rites will follow at Idlewilde Cemetery of Hood River, Ore.

Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson’s Tribute Center (Funerals, Receptions, Cremations), 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; (541) 386-1000; www.andersonstributecenter.com.