Wednesday, November 4, 2020
My grandma was a tough cookie.
I wanted to take an opportunity to add some color and details to her obituary.
I remember when I joined the Navy when I would come home on leave I would walk in the door and my grandma would give me the biggest hug and in general wasn’t much of a hugger. She would also always have my favorite pie – homemade lemon meringue ready for me.
In the last year I was visiting her and we were talking about cooking and baking. The subject shifted to pies and I told her I was going to try to make a lemon meringue pie. She proceeds to tell me that she HATED making lemon meringue pies. She in fact thought that they were the worst pie to make ever. At this point her memory was failing her some and I suppose she had forgotten all those pies she had made for me. My grandmother didn’t love loudly but I have no doubt that she was proud of me and loved me.
I actually got closer to my grandma in the last year – maybe I came to understand her a bit more and respect her candor and toughness. I am proud that I come from such good stock.
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Wanda Lea Parsons, 88 years old passed away on Saturday October 31, 2020 in Vancouver, WA.
Wanda was born to her parents, Nathan and Cleo (Cox) Erickson on April 11, 1932 in Benedict, Kansas. Wanda grew up on the rolling plains of Kansas on a wheat farm. She married her high school sweetheart Ray in 1950 and they celebrated 70 years of marriage in March 2020.
Ray and Wanda left Kansas and moved to Portland Oregon in 1964 following a job offer Ray had gotten. While living in Portland Wanda enjoyed packing up all five children every Saturday to explore different libraries around the city. Wanda also loved to visit the Portland Rose Garden. She truly enjoyed all that the city had to offer.
In 1969 the family moved from Portland OR to Washougal WA where they would call home for 30+ years. Wanda began working as a Library Assistant at the Washougal Library. This was a job she would eventually retire from after many years. This was the perfect job for her as she had a passion for reading. She often had an open book in every room at her home. Her grandchildren would often visit her at work and leave with stacks of checked out books.
After retirement in 1997 Wanda and Ray bought property and moved to Lyle, WA. Wanda spent her time in Lyle gardening, sewing, quilting, crocheting and of course reading. The library was too far to drive to so she would have her books mailed to her. Ray and Wanda would make the trip to “town” once a week to do their shopping. They always enjoyed stopping for Mexican food and a margarita on those trips.
Wanda and Ray left Lyle and moved to Camas, WA in 2010 to be closer to family.
Wanda was a very gifted artist. She was an amazing seamstress. Wanda would make beautiful quilts that were often blue ribbon winners at the County Fair. She enjoyed photography as well and was very talented. She had boxes of photos that she had taken of her family. Wanda also had incredible drawing skills. There really wasn’t anything that she couldn’t make.
Ray and Wanda had a marriage that should be celebrated. Ray rarely if ever left the house without giving Wanda a kiss goodbye. When Wanda’s health was failing her biggest concern was that she needed to get home to make “dad” (Ray) lunch. Ray never left her side and would sit with his back tall and steady at her bedside when her health began to fail.
Wanda is survived by her husband of 70 years, Ray. Sons, Steve (Julie) Parsons of Stevensville, MT, Jim (Roxie) Parsons of Washougal, WA; daughters Janet (Barry) Collins of Washougal, WA, Jo (Jim) Hoffman of Washougal, WA, Jill Chilton(Mike Taylor) of Washougal, WA, 10 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, Nathan and Cleo (Cox) Erickson and 2 sisters, Dorothy and Betty and a brother that died in infancy Nathan Jr.
Wanda will be buried at Washougal Cemetery, Washougal, WA. No public services.
