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Harding, Elizabeth Fairbank Monday, 21 Mar 2005
Elizabeth Fairbank Harding, 89, died March 21 with her family around her at Messenger House on Bainbridge Island.
She was born May 3, 1915 in Minneapolis, Minn., the first of five children of Samuel B. and Helen Fairbank.
The family moved to Hobston, Mont., in 1918, where Elizabeth attended a one-room grade school and high school. She studied the piano and was the church organist. In 1932, the family moved to Seattle, where Elizabeth attended Roosevelt High School for her senior year.
She enrolled in Whitman College in the fall of 1934 and graduated in 1937 with a major in music. That year she met her husband-to-be John W. “Jack” Harding at a college dance, and they were soon engaged.
She taught high school in Kahlotus, Wash., the next two years, and then in Peshastin, Wash. She taught math, world history, Latin, typing, drama and music. She directed several choirs, three plays and the school annual. In April of 1941, she married
Jack, who was working at the University of Washington and was on his way to serve in the Navy.
Their son, John was born in Wilmington, N.C., in 1943, where Jack was stationed. The family moved back to Seattle at the end of World War II, where Elizabeth gave birth to their daughter Janet.
She was active in the League of Women Voters, including service on the Seattle Board and the Washington State Board as treasurer. She was a member of the UW Faculty Auxiliary, and later, the UW Retirement Association.
She enjoyed playing the piano, singing, sewing and cooking, and the company of her and Jack’s long-term bridge club.
She and her husband moved to Bainbridge Island in 1970, added to the family cabin and settled into semi-retirement. Elizabeth cared for her mother who died at Bayview Manor in 1979.
She worked part-time managing the Mountaineers, Inc. book sales before retiring fully in 1980.
Elizabeth and Jack attended the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center exercise and dance classes. They joined the Agate Pass Sail and Power Squadron, and the Poulsbo Yacht Club, took courses offered by the Squadron and began more than 10 years of boating in Washington and British Columbia waters.
In 1986, they cruised to Glacier Bay, Alaska, with Elizabeth’s sister Janet and her sister and other relatives.
She kept up with her friends and her family even when her health was failing. She made her large extended family welcome for family reunions and summer visits at her parents’ cabin and then her home on Bainbridge for 60 years and five generations where she organized meals and helped keep everyone closely connected.
During her final illness, she enjoyed her associations and friendship with the Group Health Cooperative Hospice Team.
She is survived by her husband Jack; son and daughter-in-law John and Phyllis Harding of Bainbridge Island; daughter and son-in-law Janet Harding and Gary Rambo and grandsons Louis and Charles Rambo of Seattle; step-grandson Joe Rambo and his daughter Courtney of Bellingham; her brother and his wife Henry and Martha Fairbank of Durham, N.C.; sisters Ruth Roberts of San Bernardino, Calif. and Janet Thompson of Sunnyvale, Calif.; sister-in-law Jeanette Harding of Phoenix, Ariz.; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her brother and his wife William and Jane Fairbank of Palo Alto, Calif., brothers-in-law Edward Harding of Phoenix, Robert R. Roberts of San Bernardino and Reginald Thompson of Sunnyvale.
A memorial service is planned in early June to accommodate distant relatives.
Remembrances may be made to the Whitman College Scholarship Fund, Walla Walla or a favorite charity.
Smith, Esther Ragna Saturday, 26 Mar 2005
Esther Ragna Smith, 90, died March 26.
She was born to Danish immigrants Adolph and Ragna Krabbe, the youngest of four children in a prominant Bellingham family.
She spent a year at Oregon State College before traveling to Europe, where she studied at Grenoble, France.
She entered the University of Washington during the Depression, and there met her future husband Robert G. Smith on a blind date. She graduated in 1937 with a business degree, and two weeks later she and Smith were married
.
Her husband was called to active military duty in 1940; he was stationed aboard a support ship at Pearl Harbor during the attack on Dec. 7, 1941. The couple were separated for many, many months during the war years.
After the war, her husband resumed his career with Shell Oil on the West Coast, and they moved several times. Except for a six-week stint as a secretary in New York City during World War II, Esther never worked outside the home, raising a family instead.
The couple had three daughters: Syliva, Janice and Louise. In 1959, they bought a home at Pleasant Beach on Bainbridge Island, and moved to Wing Point in 1981. Both avid golfers, they were active in Wing Point Golf Club activities. They were also members of St. Barnabas church.
In 1975, she and her husband made a 10-month trip around the world, visiting Europe, Africa, Russia, Australia and the East Indies. She spent every February in Hawaii.
She enjoyed gardening and was a member of the Lilian McEwan Arboretum Unit 26. She was a lifelong, master bridge player, and started the Duplicate Bridge Association that meets weekly at the Bainbridge Commons. She also enjoyed Joan Crawford movies and “a highball or two.”
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1982.
She is survived her daughters and their husbands, eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Remembrances can be made to Hospice or a charity of the donor’s choice.
Peterson, Ray ‘Pete’ Sunday, 13 Mar 2005
Ray “Pete” Peterson, 64, of Bainbridge Island, died March 13 at Jefferson General Hospital in Port Townsend.
He was born Oct. 11, 1940, in Seattle, to Robert Victor and Ilmi Victoria (Alto) Peterson, and grew up on Bainbridge Island.
He started Ray Peterson Bulldozing with his father in 1964. Throughout the years, he mentored and taught many how to operate his heavy equipment and drive dump trucks.
He donated his time and equipment to the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club, the library, Little League baseball, the soccer club and the Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce.
He married
Holly Hofstatter in 1999 in Reno, Nev.
He maintained homes on Bainbridge Island and in Quilcene.
He is survived by his wife Holly; daughters Lisa (John) Hays and Shari Peterson; father and mother-in-law John and Marilyn Hoffstater; brothers-in-law John Hoffstater and Scott (Cindy) Hoffstater; sister-in-law Heather Hardy; grandchildren Tricia, Hope and Isaac; nieces Andrea, Nikki and Izzy and nephews Jason, Tim and Conrad.
A celebration of life will be held from 3-6 p.m. April 9 at the Eagles Fraternal Order No. 3586, 4230 Lincoln Road in Poulsbo. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Quilcene Fire Department, P.O. Box 142, Quilcene, WA 98376, or the Discovery Bay Fire Department, 2200 Old Gardiner Road, Sequim, WA 98382.
Davis, Lillian Irene Monday, 14 Mar 2005
Former Bainbridge Island resident Lillian Irene Davis, age 99, died March 14 at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton.
She was born Aug. 24, 1905, in Arcola, Saskatchewan, Canada, to Albert T. and Laura (Britton) Davis. She was a clerk at the post office in Winslow for seven years and kept books for Bainbridge Arts and Crafts for four years.
She enjoyed working in her garden and traveling. Her favorite destination was the mountains in British Columbia.
She moved to Bremerton in 1996 after the death of her sister, Laurel E. Davis in 1995. She resided at Canterbury Manor, an independent senior community, where she enjoyed many activities, especially watching the Seattle Mariners.
At age 99, she then moved to the Lake House, an adult family home, until the time of her death.
She has no survivors; at her request no services will be held.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home.
Caskey, Viola Alina Wednesday, 23 Mar 2005
Former Bainbridge Island resident Viola Alina Caskey, age 86, of Poulsbo, died March 23 at Martha and Mary Nursing Home.
She was born in Gackle, N.D. on March 17, 1919, to Axel and Hilda (Ritola) Bergren.
She moved to Brush Prairie, Wash., at age six and spent her youth there, graduating from Battle Ground High School. She moved to the San Francisco area where she met Albert Caskey.
They were married
Jan. 18, 1940 and celebrated over 60 years together until his death in 2001.
She worked at General Foods for over 25 years. They lived in the San Francisco Bay area until 1975 when they retired to Vashon Island. They lived on Bainbridge Island from 1999-2002.
Viola enjoyed reading, gardening, spending time with her family, volunteering time at her church, cooking and travel.
She is survived by one son, Richard Albert Caskey, Corvallis, Ore.; two daughters, Deanna Caskey, Bend, Ore.; Charlotte Caskey, Suquamish; three brothers, Ray Bergren, Beaverton, Ore.; Bob Bergren, Vancouver, Wash.; Bill Bergren, Brush Prairie; three sisters, Virginia Bratton, Auburn, Calif.; Lillian Agliano, Salinas, Calif.; Judy Fettig, Brush Prairie and two grandchildren, Nathan Caskey and Kristian Wilson
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. March 26 at Bethel Lutheran Church, 12919 NE 159th St., Brush Prairie. Interment will follow at the Bethel cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home, Bainbridge Island.
Reese, Jr., William I. ‘Bill’ Wednesday, 16 Mar 2005
William I. “Bill” Reese, Jr., 52, died March 16 at home.
He was born on Jan. 13, 1953 in Seattle to William and Joanne Reese. He grew up in Seattle and spent all of his summers on Bainbridge Island.
He graduated from Roosevelt High School, in 1971. He worked in the grocery business for nearly his entire life. He started at the A&P; store in the University Village in Seattle when he was in high school.
He moved to Bainbridge Island in the early 1970s and went to work for Town & Country Market where he was produce manager until the mid-1980s.
He also worked in the produce departments of Market Place and Central Market in Poulsbo. During the past five years he managed a Salvation Army thrift store in the Lake City area of Seattle.
He was an outdoors guy. He loved fishing, tennis, swimming, snorkeling and riding the waves on vacation in Ixtapa, Mexico. He also enjoyed animals, gardening, cleaning, and cooking.
He was married
three times. His first wife was Terry Raffetto of Chelan, Wash. In 1983 he married
Marcy Oakley of Suquamish. His third wife, Michelle Mackey Reese, preceded him in death in January 2000.
He is survived by his parents William Sr. and Joanne Reese and his brothers Mike (Patsy) and Gary (Diane) all of Bainbridge Island; his nieces Tracy (Chris) Dew of Issaquah, Shannon Reese of Ellensburg, Kim (Matthew) Bund and great nephew, Jacob of Houston, Texas, and nephew, Matthew Reese of Bainbridge Island. He is also survived by his aunt Marilyn (Lou) Lacey of Union, Wash.; his cousins Scott, Doug, Brad, and their families; and cousins Linda Wight of Bellevue, Bill Maier, Dave (Paula) Maier and their families of Bainbridge Island.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. April 2 at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, Bainbridge Island.
In lieu of flowers the family requests remembrances be made to the Salvation Army, PAWS, or Helpline House of Bainbridge Island.
Quitslund, Eve Sunday, 20 Mar 2005
Eve Quitslund, 90, died March 20 at her home on Sunrise Drive.
She was born Eva May Kitchel in Cass County, Ind., on Oct. 2, 1914, the fifth of nine children of Edgar and Mary (Bechtelheimer) Kitchel. She grew up on a small farm, knowing all 40 of her first cousins.
After high school, she went to stay with an aunt in Washington, D.C., where she attended secretarial school, then found a job in a typing pool at the Department of Agriculture.
There she met Ford Quitslund, a native of Bainbridge Island. They were married
in Indiana on Sept. 12, 1937, and settled in Arlington, Va.
Sons Jon and James were born in Washington, D.C., and Dana in Presque Isle, Maine.
In 1945, the end of World War II made it possible to move the family to Bainbridge Island. A fourth son, Gary, was born in Winslow.
Eve designed the floor plan of their new home, completed in 1947 on waterfront property settled by Ford’s grandparents.
She later designed a small house near the water below their original home; they moved to the beach house in 1964, modifying it to provide for visiting family, other guests and their own comfort as they grew older.
Her door was always open; she welcomed any and all guests with warmth and incomparable baking.
While raising four sons, she was deeply involved in the community. She served as president of the Parent Teacher Association (also as an officer of the state PTA), and served in many capacities as a member of Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church.
She helped found the Bainbridge library and was active in Music and Arts, the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital Guild and Girl Scouts.
After Ford’s retirement, Eve joined Perlatti Real Estate, where she sold homes for 18 years and built friendships with many of her clients. Her earnings helped her indulge a love of travel, often combined with seeing her siblings.
She is survived by sons (and daughters-in-law) Jon (Toby), James (Sabine), Dana (Nancy) and Gary (Linda Whitehead), all of Bainbridge Island; her brother Arthur Kitchel of West Lafayette, Ind.; her sister Alice Study of Oxford, Ohio; six grandchildren (Jesse, Beth, Philip, Gabriel, Sarah and Signe) and one great-grandchild (Garey). Her husband Ford preceded her in death in 2003.
A memorial service at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church is scheduled for 1 p. m. April 14.
Remembrances can be made to the scholarship fund of Bainbridge Music and Arts (P.O. Box 10011, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110) or Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church (P.O. Box 131, Rolling Bay, WA 98161).
Arrangements were by Kass Funeral Home.
Hanson, Johanna E. Thursday, 24 Feb 2005
Johanna E. “Joan” Hanson, 93, of Port Hadlock died Feb. 24 in Port Townsend.
She was born Nov. 10, 1911, in Barrett, Minn., to Amos B. and Randina (Josendalh) Benson. She was educated in a one-room schoolhouse in Hoffman, Minn.
She married
Carroll C. Hanson on Oct. 21, 1929 in Fergus Falls, Minn., and was a homemaker.
She enjoyed knitting and sewing, family get-togethers, being a hostess and baking bread to give as gifts to family and friends.
She was a member of a Bainbridge Island knitting club, the Norwegian Grandmothers Club of Poulsbo and Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Chimacum.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1998.
She is survived by sons Carroll D. “Dean” (Gloria) Hanson of Bellingham, Leonard A. (Delphine) Hanson of Las Vegas, Nev., Chris A. (Cleo) Hanson of Sparks, Nev. and Harlen H. (Nancy) Hanson of Huntington Beach, Calif.; daughters Beverly A. Winger of Tracyton, Carolyn J. (Ray) Lowrie of Nordland, Wash., and Darlene B. (David) Elliott of Savannah, Mo.; 26 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services were March 13 in Chimacum.
