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The Skamania County Pioneer, Stevenson, WA., November 28, 1980, page 5

'MICK' SOOTER DIES AT 85; WAS WORLD WAR I VET

Elmer E. "Mick" Sooter, World War I veteran and a resident of Underwood since 1941, died in Hood River Sunday, November 17 at the age of 85. He would have observed his 86th birthday this week.
Mr. Sooter spent his entire life in the west and was a rancher and horseman. During World War 1 he served with a horse-drawn artillery outfit, a 346th Field Artillery, with the A.E.F. in France.
He was a past president of the Skamania County Saddle Club and a member of the White Salmon Posse. He will be remembered for the many years he carried the flag with saddle club riders in the annual Stevenson parade.
As a young man and he was given the sobriquet "Mick" by a saddle-pal in Montana who thought he looked Irish. He carried the nickname of the rest of his life although the name Sooter is believed to be of Swiss origin.
Mr. Sooter was born November 25, 1894 in the Cherokee Nation territory of what is now Oklahoma. His father, John F. Sooter, was originally from Tennessee and his mother, nee Julia Belle Poindexter, was from Texas.
In 1900, when he was six years old, Mr. Sooter moved west with his parents and they lived first near Lyndon, Washington and later in British Columbia before homesteading near Landing, Idaho. When he was 18 he went to work for a horse breeder near Grangerville, Idaho, who sold horses to the French and British armies.
When he was 21 Mr. Sooter also filed for a homestead in Idaho but following World War I chose not to qualify for the claim.
He enlisted in the army early in World War I and after training at Camp Lewis (now Fort Lewis), Washington, was sent to France with the 346th Field Artillery, where he continued working with horses and riding with the teams pulling the guns and caissons.
After the 1918 Armistice, Mr. Sooter returned to civil life and worked for a Montana cattle rancher. When his employer was elected sheriff of his county, Mr. Sooter was appointed deputy and served in that capacity for a time.
He later moved to Walla Walla where a brother was ranching and on August 24, 1936 was married to Ruby Skeen, whom he had originally met at Landing, Idaho, where her father was postmaster.
Mick and Ruby Sooter made their first home in Walla Walla and moved to Underwood in 1941 were Mr. Sooter's brother Elbert and his wife Elva, Ruby's sister, were living.
At Underwood Mr. Sooter built his own home and over the years built other houses as well. He was active in community affairs. His wife Ruby was appointed postmaster at Underwood when Clifford Cordier, the postmaster, died in 1942 and she served in that capacity for almost 34 years, retiring in October, 1976.
Mr. Sooter had enjoyed good health during most of his life and only recently began to fail. He had planned to enter a veterans hospital and was staying temporarily in a nursing home when he succumbed.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Veterans of World War 1. He had been baptized in the Bethel Congregational Church, White Salmon.
Besides his wife Ruby at home, he is survived by a sister-in-law Elva Sooter of Underwood; a sister-in-law Mayme Sooter of Loma Linda, California; a nephew Howard Sooter and a niece Virginia Tate, both of Underwood; and several other nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by five brothers and one sister.
Funeral services were held Friday, November 21 at the Gardner Funeral Home in White Salmon with the Rev. Frederick Haag officiating. Internment followed at the historic Chris-Zada Cemetery in Underwood.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Bethel Congregational Church, White Salmon.

The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., November 27, 1980, page 8

ELMER R. "MICK" SOOTER

Elmer Sooter, an Underwood resident, died in Hood River Nov. 17. He was 85 years old.
Services were Nov. 21 in Gardner Funeral Home, White Salmon, the Rev. Frederick Haag officiating, with internment in Chris-Zada Cemetery, Underwood.
Mr. Sooter is survived by his wife, Ruby Sooter, Underwood; a sister-in-law, Elva Sooter, Underwood; a nephew Howard Sooter, Underwood, and a niece Virginia Tate, Underwood.
He was born Nov. 25, 1894 in Cherokee Nation, Okla., to Mr. and Mrs. John D. Sooter, and came to Underwood in 1941. Mr. Sooter was a rancher, a veteran of World War I, and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was baptized in Bethel Congregational Church.
Gardner Funeral Home, Inc., had charge of arrangements. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Bethel Congregational Church.