Wanda Marie Gates

Wanda Marie Gates

Knock Knock

Who’s there?

Wanda wish you a beautiful and joyful life.

Wanda was born in Randle, Washington to teenage parents. She spent her childhood running the woods with a cowbell, raising her siblings, throwing cow patties at cute boys and stuffing homemade biscuits in her pockets. Her family moved to Juneau, Alaska where she continued looking out for her brother and sister as well as having new chores. Without electricity, there was water to carry from the river to the house, firewood to be split and stacked, and a generator to be started in the morning. She had been honing her sense of humor for quite some time, including putting a stuffed elk head in her brother’s bed before turning on the generator for light. She graduated from Juneau Douglass High School and began to pursue an education in botany at the University of Washington. Her wandering spirit led her astray before she finished college and as she was so fond of talking about, she hitchhiked across America. She took all kinds of jobs, picking tomatoes, planting trees, cleaning houses, dory fishing, even working for The Port of Grays Harbor. She loved talking about getting stuck in a home-made chastity belt that had to be cut off at the Hoquiam Police Department. (It’s real, I saw the article.) She lived a rowdy life for a few years and made some questionable choices, as 20-somethings do. She bought her house for $7000 and moved into it via dump truck load. She worked at Scott’s Store for a while where she met my dad, John. They enjoyed cruising logging roads, camping, fishing, hiking and drinking.

When I was born, she wanted a different life for me. She cleaned houses and babysat so that she would be there anytime I needed her. She became more active in her church, in fact, becoming the go-to, for helping set up and clean up for events. She widened her circle of care for anyone and everyone in need. “She would give you the shirt off her back.” Many times, we went without because she’d determined that someone else in the valley needed resources more than we did. She was the first person to show up with food, and hands ready to work, whenever tragedy struck the community. By the time I was school-aged, she began driving the school bus, much to my chagrin. Yet her helping hands spread even further. She made all kinds of deals with students- “if you bring your grades up, I’ll make you any kind of pie you want.” After what seemed like hundreds of pies, I know she was the reason quite a few students tried out for sports, had new school clothes and shoes, paid for pictures, had food to eat, and ultimately graduated high school. She always wore the craziest earrings, if anyone bought or made her earrings, she would proudly wear them and gush about the gift-giver.

She eventually retired from driving school bus and being a yard guard. She still cleaned houses to help make ends meet, but her favorite job was being Grammie Goof.

She dedicated her whole life to the improvement of her community and loved ones.

The world needs more people like my mom.

Her passing left a gaping hole in this world and if she were here now, she would say, “Love each other, be kind, be grateful, share what you can, pay it forward, someone is always worse off than you are.”

I love you, mom.

10,000 sparkling stars

5,000 raging rivers

2,000 snowy mountaintops

And

1 infinite heart

Wanda’s Last Birthday Party will be a potluck celebration on Saturday, October 11th, 2025, from 12:00pm-3:00pm at the Wishkah Valley School Gymnasium. Please take a moment to share your memories, stories, and notes of condolence for the family at www.fernhillfuneral.com. Arrangements were entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, WA.