ADDIE HAYES

1914 - 2011

Addie Hayes passed away on Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Ashley Gardens of Mount Vernon, a dementia care facility. Addie was 96 years of age.

She was born October 11, 1914 in Moscow, Idaho to John Gustafson and Alice (Davidson) Gustafson.

Early in Addie's childhood, her family moved to Bow, Washington and lived on a small farm that her parents owned between Bow and East Edison on Bow Hill Road.

Addie's childhood experiences were challenging. Her mother died when Addie was twelve years of age. Addie became the "mother" of her younger sister Ruth and her brother Don. Addie's father was kind and a good provider for his family. Addie had excellent homemaking skills and helped her family by doing many household tasks her father asked her to do. She graduated from Edison High School in 1931 as salutatorian.

Addie was a 4-H club member. She studied and practiced projects that increased her homemaking skills. Addie was selected to attend the 1930 National 4-H Club Congress held in Chicago, IL. She traveled by train to this convention that honored the best 4-H Club members from each state.

Addie confirmed her Christian faith in 1929. She and Hilton Hayes were married on November 28, 1934 at Salem Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon. They were married for sixty-two years. Addie and Hilton lived their entire married life in Skagit County, WA. Hilton died October 12, 1996, one day after Addie's 82nd birthday.

Addie developed secretarial and accounting skills, while she attended high school. She worked for several years as a secretary at the Skagit County Cooperative Extension Service. She learned to prepare federal income tax reports. She had a home office bookkeeping and tax preparation service until 2004, when she sold her home property and moved to Creekside Retirement facility in Burlington. She and Hilton began Hilton Hayes Well Drilling, a water well drilling business. Their son Dean now owns Hayes Pump and Drilling.

Addie loved to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers in beautiful gardens at her Bow Hill home, on Ershig Road.

Addie and Hilton enjoyed fishing for trout and camping beside their favorite lakes, especially in British Columbia, Canada.

Addie is survived by her son, Dean Hayes and his wife Lindsey of Mount Vernon; daughter, Susan and her husband Jim Grove of Anacortes; grandchildren, Dean Hayes Jr. and his wife Suzanne, Chris Schaffer, Jennifer Grove and C.J. Grove; great grandchildren, Colin and Carson Hayes, Drake and Daelyn Schaffer; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Hilton; her parents; brother, Don Gustafson; and sister, Ruth Ruthford.

A graveside service will be held at 12 noon on Friday, March 11, 2011 at Bow Cemetery.

A memorial service and reception will follow at 1:00 p.m. at Edison Lutheran Church, Bow.

Arrangements are under the direction of Hulbush Funeral Home, Burlington.

In lieu of flowers remembrances are suggest to Edison Lutheran Church, 14201 Church Road, Bow, WA 98232 or Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation, PO Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98145-5005.