Grace Bargreen Parsons

They called her "Amazing Grace." Grace Bargreen Parsons, who died March 12, 2015, two weeks after her 106th birthday, lived a busy and fulfilling life that included lots of family and lots of golf. She was born Grace Cohoe Wilcox in Seattle on February 25, 1909, and the family left the city soon afterwards to establish a farm in the wilderness overlooking Mount Rainier near Roy, Washington. Two more siblings, Helen and Truman, soon joined Grace and her older sister Marian. Their parents, Judson and Betty Wilcox, worked long hours every day, as did the children, to establish what has now become the renowned Wilcox Family Farms, providing eggs to families and businesses in several states. To the end of her life, "the Farm" was a special place for Grace, and she visited whenever she could. In later years she was very proud of her Wilcox nephews and their children for making the farm such a success. Grace grew up in a loving environment that prized work, education, music, and religious faith. Her early singing talent flowered during her studies at Washington State University, when she frequently appeared as a radio soloist. She taught music for a year in the Arlington School District, but she resigned in favor of marriage and a family with her husband, the late Howard S. Bargreen. Together the couple had four children, Sharon, Sam, Claudette (Teddi), and Howard J. (Howie). Because of Howard's business interests (Bargreen Coffee, Bargreen-Ellingson Restaurant Equipment Company, beer distributing companies and souvenir businesses) and his 25-year position as a Washington State Senator, Grace often entertained customers and traveled on business trips. She was a founder of the Everett Assistance League and the Everett Opera Guild, and a mainstay of the Junior Club, the Everett Book Club, the Ladies Musical Club, and the Everett Golf & Country Club, where she organized musicales for the annual women's "Doe Day." During the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, she worked alongside Howard (who was one of the World's Fair commissioners) in the souvenir business, and also in two subsequent fairs: the San Antonio "Hemisfair" and the South Carolina Tricentennial. Grace loved parties and good friends, family picnics, and dinners with an increasing crowd of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She experienced sorrows along with the joys of life. The great tragedies of Grace's life were the early losses of her three oldest children, Sam, Sharon, and Teddi, and her husband Howard (who died in 1987). Each time, Grace rallied and made the best of what could not be changed. Her resilient spirit was a lesson to all the family. After two decades of widowhood, Grace met a fellow golf enthusiast in Palm Springs, where she was spending her winters, Edgar Parsons, whom she married in 2002 (he passed away in January, 2015). They enjoyed the golf courses of Seven Lakes Country Club in Palm Springs, and the Everett Golf & Country Club. Her later years were a good life of family, friends, and fun, and Grace enjoyed it to the fullest. Grace's youthfulness and longevity always inspired awe. Doctors would call a nurse into the office to guess her age, and even medical professionals were usually off by at least a decade. At age 100, Grace went to renew her driver's license; the examiner gave her a routine eye test and renewed her license for five years. Grace is survived by her son, Howie; and by fourteen grandchildren, Kim, Melissa, Greg, Gigi and Robert (children of Sharon and Kim Blunt); Cheryl, John, Tammy, Peter, and Paul (children of Sam and Carol Bargreen); Alexander and Peter (children of Teddi and Sandy Brodie); and Owen and Maren (children of Howie and Melinda). She also is survived by 27 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. A memorial event will be scheduled later. Remembrances in her memory may be made to Camp Killoqua (Camp Fire USA).