Grace F Wilson

1928 - 2017

Grace F. Wilson died peacefully in her sleep on June 24 in Tualatin, OR at the age of 89.

Grace is survived by her brother and sister-in-law Thomas and Colleen Foster of Portland OR; sons and daughters-in-law, Charles and Janet of Euless, TX, Thomas and Kathy of Salem, OR, Michael and Fran of Juneau, AK, Timothy and Luan of Portland, OR, daughter and son-in-law RuthAnn and Jim Bowman of Juneau, AK; grandchildren Charity, Jeremy, Emily, Jesse, Michael, Leah, Talitha, Wesley, Abby, and great grandchildren Ian, Iona, and Jack.

She is preceded in death by her husband Charles B. Wilson and by granddaughter Melissa Jean Bowman.

Grace was born in 1928 in Ontario, OR to Wilber and Ruth Foster. During her younger years she assisted with the family beekeeping business, and in caring for farm animals, including chickens and milk cows. With a high school friend she had a memorable experience in Oregon's Malheur National Forest, where she and her friend kept watch throughout the summer in a fire lookout tower. She graduated from Nyssa, Oregon, High School in 1946, and attended Eastern Oregon College.

On November 27, 1947, Grace married Charles B. Wilson. In a nine-year span the couple welcomed five children into their home, who they faithfully nurtured, taught and encouraged to pursue their own goals.

They first lived in Ontario, where Charles was employed in the Oregon Employment Office. From there they moved to Klamath Falls and later to Lebanon, Oregon, and finally to Juneau, Alaska, as Charles continued working in the Employment Offices in each of those communities. For many years Grace operated a licensed day care out of the family home. After the children were older, Grace worked as an administrator with the State of Alaska, Fishermen's Fund.

Following retirement they returned to Lebanon where Charles pursued his love of gardening, which yielded large quantities of produce which Grace canned and preserved. Their later years were spent in Keizer, Oregon, a suburb of Salem, where they were involved in an active retirement community until Charles' death in 2008.

Grace was an outstanding cook and a very competent organizer of large meals, receptions, and other events in the Methodist Churches of the various communities where they lived. The entire family was active in those churches. Grace was quite involved in the United Methodist Women's mission work, and she and Charles sang in their church choirs. In retirement, she volunteered at the Lebanon Senior Center and served as coordinator for Meals-on-Wheels for Lebanon and in the Tri-County region. She worked as a church office volunteer for several years at Salem's First United Methodist Church.

A memorial is scheduled for September 23, 2017 at First United Methodist Church of Salem. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Eagle River United Methodist Camp, at PO Box 211385, Auke Bay, AK 99821.