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Mrs. Marion Richey Gilbert
"Educated, a former high school teacher, mother of three, and
a farmer's wife gives up family and familiar landscapes to move
west to establish new home." This might have been a headline
at the time the Gilberts emigrated to Yakima from Illinois in 1897
when Marion, energetic and enthusiastic, accepted the challenge
to adapt to a new life for her family. She raised seven children
here, along with managing the 20 acres of orchard land just out
of North Yakima while Mr. Gilbert was developing land in the Lower
Valley. The children were Curtiss, Lois, Elon, Margaret, Horace,
Dorothy, Elinor (who died in infancy), and Evelyn.
Life in the new home was exhausting with gardening, chickens, a
cow, horses, and sheep to take care of along with baking bread,
churning butter, washing clothes on a scrub board, heating water
on the wood stove, and bringing household water up from a cistern
as needed. The children were taught the work ethic very young, and
they all had responsibilities to help in the home and garden. Besides
the physical labor, Marion was involved in many other activities.
She entertained the teachers of the Yakima School District each
fall to show their support for education. All Gilbert children did
go on to college and have professions or interests in the family
business. Cultural activities were important with music lessons,
attendance at the Chautauqua, programs at the theater, and Boy Scouts
as examples. Her interest in health and well being brought about
proper sleeping areas and screened in porches to protect against
tuberculosis and typhoid fever, the dread diseases, but they lost
the baby to whooping cough.
Marion Gilbert was a consistent worker in the Congregational Church,
and made her alto voice heard in the choir regularly. She was instrumental
in building the YWCA and furnishing it, a member of the DAR, an
early president of the Woman's Club which later joined with the
Century Club, initiated the "Talent Night" lecture series,
and was sought for a speaker at many functions. It was a tremendous
undertaking to include all seven children on a trip around the world
in 1913, but she thought travel was an important part of their education.
Politics had always been interesting to Marion from her college
days, and she supported activities for the Republican party and
even signing limericks for campaigns long before she could vote,
and she did promote Women's Suffrage. She promoted good conversation
around the dining room table preparing her children to become active
participants in community affairs.
Marion Gilbert kept a very comfortable and practical home for the
family, but she never referred to it as a "farm house."
The Gilberts were genial hosts, guests were always impressed by
the warmth felt upon entering the home, and they entertained extended
family and many friends often, especially on Sundays and holidays.
Mrs. Gilbert left her mark in Yakima history as a wife and mother,
business woman, cultural enthusiast, and devoted Christian. It is
fitting that this house stands and is being restored to recognize
people of this stature.
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