MARY EUPHEMIA GUSTAVSON

MARY EUPHEMIA (PURTON) GUSTAVSON April 7, 1922 - January 11, 2018 Mary E. (Purton) Gustavson, age 95, passed away peacefully and comfortably on January 11, 2018. Born on April 7, 1922 to Thomas A. Purton and Georgia E. (Smart) Purton, Mary grew up in her birthplace Boise, Idaho. She attended Washington Grade School and Boise High School, graduating in 1939. When Mary was three years old, her mother died unexpectedly. Mary was the third of four Purton children, who were then brought up by their second mother, Clara (Vance) Purton. Mary decided she wanted to become a teacher. She attended Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, completing her freshman year there. That is where she met the love of her life, Donald Roy Gustavson. Due to a family move, she transferred to New Jersey College for Women (now Rutgers University) in New Brunswick, NJ, where she completed her sophomore year. World War II was just heating up, and her love Don was already in the Navy. Mary decided to marry Don before he went overseas, rather than wait for the war to end. They were married in Ridgewood, NJ, on September 11, 1942. During the war, Mary and her firstborn child, Fred, stayed with Don's parents, Fred Perry Sr. Gustavson and Phoebe (Williams) Gustavson, in Evanston IL. Mary worked at a bakery, where she gained her love for making bread and rolls fresh out of the oven, apple pies, and coffee cakes. After the War ended, Don returned to Northwestern University where he completed his B.S. degree in 1946. Due to millions of servicemen returning home, apartment rentals were scarce, but Mary's sister Carolee in Boise, ID, had a hold on a new apartment there. So they moved west to Boise, where Don would manage the construction of the Naval Reserve Armory at 131 Myrtle St. Daughters Martha and Julie were born in Boise. In November 1948, Don applied for a job at the Hanford Atomic Works and was accepted. Mary wanted to stay in Boise, because they had just built a new home at 1629 Shoshone St., doing most of the work themselves, but the move was a necessary one. After waiting for a ranch house, they moved to 1510 Cottonwood Dr., Richland WA. In 1953, having added sons Jullian and Robert, the growing family moved to a larger house at 1726 Davison Ave., where Mary and Don lived for more than 60 years. In 1954, the birth of daughter Mary Louise completed the immediate family. After all of her six children were well established in school, Mary resumed her quest to become a teacher. There wasn't a four year college in the Tri-Cities, so she drove daily to College Place, WA where she attended Walla Walla College, completing her B.S. degree in Education in 1962. Mary taught third grade in Richland for the next 20 years: first at Marcus Whitman Elementary School and then at Jefferson Elementary School, where she spent most of her career. Mary was a loving giving person, routinely volunteering and helping others. She taught Sunday School at Central United Protestant Church, where she was also administrator for welfare funds and for referring needy people to the food bank. She taught first aid classes, too. CUP church supported many of the volunteer efforts she was involved with. Always active herself, Mary encouraged her kids to be involved in many activities, such as Scouting, Job's Daughters, Church Camps, baseball, basketball, snow and water skiing, swimming, horseback riding, and camping, and she became very adept at juggling the various differing schedules of six kids. She made sure that all of her children learned how to swim, and she encouraged her kids to have paper routes and participate in school activities. At the end of the Viet Nam War, there was an influx of refugees from Laos and Viet Nam. Mary helped the immigrants adjust to American ways of life, and she founded a school at the "stilts" apartment complex. She taught them English, prepared them for obtaining citizenship, and generally saw to their needs. She also helped several become homeowners. Although she never sought recognition for her work, Mary received many awards. In 1985, she was selected by Governor Booth Gardner as Outstanding Volunteer of the Year. She received several Golden Acorn awards from the Washington State PTA for exemplary and outstanding volunteerism and service. Mary was a regular Red Cross blood donor, continuing donating after receiving her 5 gallon certificate. In 1989 Mary and Don went to England and Scotland with more than 40 members of their immediate and extended family, visiting ancestral homes and sites. The couple also enjoyed additional trips to Europe and to Hawaii. For 50 years, Mary and Don took part in a neighborhood bridge club, the families of which all became very close. Mary was a charter member of P.E.O. Chapter DT, serving as Chapter President twice, and she was active in PEO throughout her busy life. She was instrumental in supporting the P.E.O. funded Cottey College in Nevada MO, where she encouraged two of her own granddaughters to apply and receive scholarships. Our world has lost an outgoing, fun-loving angel of god, and the hundreds of lives she has clearly touched will remember Mary as a very special person who put the welfare of others before herself. Mary was preceded in death by her parents Thomas A. and Georgia E. (Smart) Purton; second mother Clara (Vance) Purton; sisters Evelyn A. Haws (Donald), Carolee E. Cochrane (Frederick), and Claire Purton, who died at birth; brother Thomas A. Purton (Alfreda Bardsley); son-in-law John T. Nebel; and husband of 75 years Donald R. Gustavson. Survivors include her six children: Fred Perry Gustavson III (Lynne), Hawaii; Martha Anne Gustavson, Spokane; Julie Ellen Nebel (John), Wenatchee; Jullian Donald Purton Gustavson, Switzerland; Robert David Gustavson (Donna), Richland; and Mary Louise DeCesare (Michael), Spokane. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, 15 nieces/ nephews, and a large extended family, all of whom she loved very much. A combined memorial service for both Mary and Don will take place at Central United Protestant Church, Richland on Saturday July 28th, 2018 at 2:00 pm: reception to follow. Prior to the memorial service, a family-only graveside gathering will take place at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Richland. The family thanks Magdalena Adult Family Home and The Chaplaincy Hospice for providing comforting care and loving support to both Mary and Don. In lieu of flowers, a remembrance to Mary may be sent to Central United Protestant Church, Richland, or to The Chaplaincy Hospice, 1480 Fowler St., Richland, WA 99352. For online condolences, to share memories, or to view photos, visit askhillcrest.com.