Earnestine Constance Mercer

March 1, 1913 ~ November 3, 2017

Erna passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 3rd at Vashon Community Care, where she was a longtime resident. Erna was born in Capetown, South Africa, on March 1, 1913.

She graduated from the nursing college at Kimberly, as an RN. Erna married Stanley Mercer and they had three sons, Kevin, Anthony (who died at age three), and David. She moved with her family to Vancouver, Canada, in 1953, and later to Laguna Beach, California, where as an RN, Erna did private duty nursing, while assisting her husband in running their beachfront rental cottages. Later they moved to Seattle, Washington.

Erna is preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by sons, Kevin Mercer and his wife Sue, and David Mercer and his wife Robin. Erna has four grandchildren, Sean, Shaya, Sarah and Graeme and two great-grandchildren, Salvador and Ana.

Blessed with a twinkling Irish humor and a fund of interesting stories of her life in South Africa and her travels, she will be sorely missed by all who knew her, including the loving caring staff at VCC.

Blind, deaf and stricken with Dementia, she soldiered on to 104!

A memorial service will be scheduled in December, after Christmas.