Julia Elizabeth Smithwick

Julia Elizabeth (Culver) Smithwick passed away peacefully on June 13th, 2025, on her mother’s birthday. She was born in Anchorage, Alaska on November 14, 1918. Soon thereafter her family moved back to the Yakima Valley where she grew to adulthood.

Her elementary schooling took place in a one room "schoolhouse" to which she and her older brother, Bob, arrived by horseback. She graduated from High School in Wapato, Washington.

On Christmas day, 1937, she stood beside her soon to be husband and twelve family members where, officiated by her brother Bob, she was married to her husband of 67 years, Robert Allen Smithwick.

In 1939, being 5 months pregnant, she and husband, Bob, boarded a steam ship in Seattle and returned to Alaska. Her first child, Rachel, arrived in August. Mother and daughter as "non-essential personnel" were evacuated from Anchorage in early 1942 after the Aleutian Islands invasion by the Japanese. Bob remained in Alaska building Army barracks to help with the war effort. He followed Julia and Rachel back to the Yakima Valley six months later.

Upon their return, Bob and Julia spent a brief time in Heyden, Idaho where Bob laid down his carpentry tools and "returned to the farm." The next 40+ years they farmed 3 1/2 miles north of Harrah, Washington where son, Larry, was born. And then one mile west of Harrah where daughter, Kathy, was born.

From her early years, Julia had poor hearing and eyesight. At age 15, she got her first pair of glasses, and discovered that one could see the leaves on the trees. Through the years she had three surgeries to improve her hearing. These sensory limitations contributed to her naturally shy deportment around crowds.

In the early 1980s Bob retired and they spent the next 23 years away from the farm. Julia especially enjoyed traveling in their motorhome. They regularly visited their three children who were dispersed all up and down and across the North American continent. Of note is the suspicious coordination of their trips to Alaska with the opening of salmon season on the Russian River. In this regard, husband Bob was never allowed to forget that Julia caught the all time largest salmon.(38 lbs.)

Julia was 85 years old when her husband died. Little did she suspect that she would live as a widow for 21 more years. She lived those years in her own home until the last 4 months. Family members frequently remarked about her positive demeanor during her many "years alone."

All through her life there were two defining realities. The first was her musical giftedness. She began playing the piano at an early age. She played a classical number at her High School graduation, and for her church services for over 60 years. When she could not sleep at night, she composed symphonies in her mind, writing the music for each instrument. She had perfect pitch, and could play anything by ear once she heard it.

The second reality was her life-long walk with Jesus. To her, Christianity was not a religion. It was a relationship, walking through all of life enabled and empowered by Jesus. Anticipating her soon departure from this life, she relished the reality that she would immediately be in the presence of her Lord and Savior, and be so forever! More than anything that can be said about Julia, she knew the peace that can only come from a life entrusted to the keeping of Jesus, the Christ.

Julia was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, her parents, S.C. and Emma (Mondor) Culver, brothers, Bob and Gail, sister Eleanor, grandson Rob, granddaughter Erin, great grandson Jacob, and great great granddaughter, Elianna.

She is survived by brothers Richard and Roger Culver. Sisters, Caroline McGraw and Joanne McReynolds. Children, Rachel (Roy) Getman, Larry (Shari) Smithwick, and Kathy (Roy) Harris. She has also been blessed with 30+ grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, and counting.