Whenever our family speaks of Grandma Effie, we smile at the memory of her. She was kind to all she met and loved by all.
Effie was born on her parents' farm on Brown Road, west of Ellensburg, in Kittitas County, Washington on February 8, 1900. She was one of eight children. Her early memories were of farm life, feeding chickens and being with her large family. When she was twelve, she remembered seeing her first motion picture. It was called Custer's Last Fight. The silent movie was continually flashing lights on the screen and Effie remembered a ferocious headache when she left. They had a dog named Rover that could do tricks that disappeared the day that traveling gypsies came through the Valley.
Effie graduated from high school in 1917. Although they grew up in close proximity to each other in Ellensburg, Effie and Ralph Kinkade did not meet until 1917. Two years later, she was working as a Cashier in the Lauderdale Store when she married Ralph at the home of her parents on the Dollarway. It was March 2, 1919, the 27th anniversary of her parents' wedding and only the immediate family was present. The couple left by train for a short honeymoon in Seattle and then returned to Ellensburg to make their home.
Effie had daughters Lois and Doris in Ellensburg while her husband worked in Ellensburg. They moved to Tacoma where daughter Marilyn was born. They had briefly returned to the Kittitas Valley in the 1930's when son David was born. In 1948, they moved to Riddle, Oregon. She was a member of Eastern Star and made many friends there. Effie was well known for her rose and iris garden. She would spend many hours tending to her flowers. When the local garden club would have a contest, she would pick out her best blooms and display them in coke bottles. She would earn a lot of ribbons. Every Memorial Day weekend, she would have Ralph pack her remaining flowers in wet newspaper for the drive to the family cemetery in Ellensburg. Then she would carefully allot each grave some iris and roses, letting the grandchildren place them on the sites. One year she laughed because her two granddaughters (Charlene and Margie) had placed flowers on her own future resting place so they wouldn't have to later!
Effie was working for the Post Office while in Riddle. She would sort the mail and forbid her grandchildren from looking at the wanted posters. She had her hair cut when she was in her late 60's, but she looked the same anyway because she always wore it up. Each morning she would have it down for breakfast and then put it up. Effie remained of a slight build her entire life. She had a kind face and smiled constantly. She loved people.
She and Ralph had many friends in Oregon but decided to move to Puyallup, Washington in 1965. Effie loved to be with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was at her best in the kitchen at family dinners. She was always sitting nearest to the kitchen, a precarious place to sit because the closest person to the kitchen had to fetch more items for the table. Effie would usually eat last because she would be constantly up and about to ensure that enough food was prepared. When her granddaughter had a beau over for the first time, Effie readied the entire meal so that all her granddaughter had to do was put stuff in the oven and pick up the fish and place it in the electric skillet. Effie had forgotten that her granddaughter had an aversion to touching dead fish and did not want to do this. She wasn't just matchmaking - she was making life easier for someone else!
Effie had a collection of tea cups and of dogs. Ralph built display areas for her beautiful cups and had a wall unit to display her dog collection. When a grandchild gave her an ugly figurine of a dog, she would display it in a place of honor for a month or so and then it would disappear. When asked about the missing gift, she would always say that she put it up so it would not get broken. She was the epitome of a grandmother: full of good advice, always fair, and always had time to listen and teach.
She and Ralph took many trips to visit friends and relatives. They often went to Ellensburg and met their daughter's families at camping sites. In 1967, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1969, they went back east to visit their son. Effie had heart problems while there. They had also visited their son previously in Hawaii where Effie had the misfortune of being allergic to the flower lei placed around her neck. In 1973, she and Ralph returned to Ellensburg.
Effie always took care of her house. It was immaculate and she never would go to bed unless her dishes were done. She sewed her own clothes and had her final heart attack while sewing. Ralph was with her when she died, less than two weeks shy of her 75th birthday. Two years later Ralph said he was still finding shoe boxes stored away somewhere, neatly labeled by Effie, of ten year old checks. Effie was very organized and always wanted to make things easier for other people. No one ever heard anyone ever say a bad word about Effie. She was a wonderful woman.
Family Memories:
Grandpa Ralph fixed for Effie the frame necessary to make tie quilts. Then Effie taught daughters how to do those quilts, working long hours together on several very special additions to their households.
In the late 1940's, David recalls his parents buying a small woodburning "trash stove" that sat next to the electric cooking stove. They would light that each winter morning for heat in the kitchen. During that time they bathed in a wash tub, with Effie heating water on the stove for Saturday night baths. Ralph was too big to sit down in the tub, Dave recalls with a smile.
Grandson Jim's sickbays at Kinkades: 6-pack of Coke (prescribed for upset stomach) and a cowbell on the bed to call Grandma when he needed her.
Grandma Effie planted gardens whereever she went. Of her it was said, give her any 5x6 spare space in the yard and she will create a 36 foot garden. A treasured picture (taken only with the heart) was her kneeling on the ground to show grandsons Jim and Scott how to properly plant seeds, on a 1970's visit to their Virginia home.
Granddaughter Charlene was always impressed on how Effie was forward-thinking and had multiple photographs of her pregnant, unusual for the early 1920's.
When Grandson Orin brought home a bride from Germany, Effie and Ralph embraced her into the family at first meeting. They made everyone feel special in their lives.
Effie was born on her parents' farm on Brown Road, west of Ellensburg, in Kittitas County, Washington on February 8, 1900. She was one of eight children. Her early memories were of farm life, feeding chickens and being with her large family. When she was twelve, she remembered seeing her first motion picture. It was called Custer's Last Fight. The silent movie was continually flashing lights on the screen and Effie remembered a ferocious headache when she left. They had a dog named Rover that could do tricks that disappeared the day that traveling gypsies came through the Valley.
Effie graduated from high school in 1917. Although they grew up in close proximity to each other in Ellensburg, Effie and Ralph Kinkade did not meet until 1917. Two years later, she was working as a Cashier in the Lauderdale Store when she married Ralph at the home of her parents on the Dollarway. It was March 2, 1919, the 27th anniversary of her parents' wedding and only the immediate family was present. The couple left by train for a short honeymoon in Seattle and then returned to Ellensburg to make their home.
Effie had daughters Lois and Doris in Ellensburg while her husband worked in Ellensburg. They moved to Tacoma where daughter Marilyn was born. They had briefly returned to the Kittitas Valley in the 1930's when son David was born. In 1948, they moved to Riddle, Oregon. She was a member of Eastern Star and made many friends there. Effie was well known for her rose and iris garden. She would spend many hours tending to her flowers. When the local garden club would have a contest, she would pick out her best blooms and display them in coke bottles. She would earn a lot of ribbons. Every Memorial Day weekend, she would have Ralph pack her remaining flowers in wet newspaper for the drive to the family cemetery in Ellensburg. Then she would carefully allot each grave some iris and roses, letting the grandchildren place them on the sites. One year she laughed because her two granddaughters (Charlene and Margie) had placed flowers on her own future resting place so they wouldn't have to later!
Effie was working for the Post Office while in Riddle. She would sort the mail and forbid her grandchildren from looking at the wanted posters. She had her hair cut when she was in her late 60's, but she looked the same anyway because she always wore it up. Each morning she would have it down for breakfast and then put it up. Effie remained of a slight build her entire life. She had a kind face and smiled constantly. She loved people.
She and Ralph had many friends in Oregon but decided to move to Puyallup, Washington in 1965. Effie loved to be with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was at her best in the kitchen at family dinners. She was always sitting nearest to the kitchen, a precarious place to sit because the closest person to the kitchen had to fetch more items for the table. Effie would usually eat last because she would be constantly up and about to ensure that enough food was prepared. When her granddaughter had a beau over for the first time, Effie readied the entire meal so that all her granddaughter had to do was put stuff in the oven and pick up the fish and place it in the electric skillet. Effie had forgotten that her granddaughter had an aversion to touching dead fish and did not want to do this. She wasn't just matchmaking - she was making life easier for someone else!
Effie had a collection of tea cups and of dogs. Ralph built display areas for her beautiful cups and had a wall unit to display her dog collection. When a grandchild gave her an ugly figurine of a dog, she would display it in a place of honor for a month or so and then it would disappear. When asked about the missing gift, she would always say that she put it up so it would not get broken. She was the epitome of a grandmother: full of good advice, always fair, and always had time to listen and teach.
She and Ralph took many trips to visit friends and relatives. They often went to Ellensburg and met their daughter's families at camping sites. In 1967, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1969, they went back east to visit their son. Effie had heart problems while there. They had also visited their son previously in Hawaii where Effie had the misfortune of being allergic to the flower lei placed around her neck. In 1973, she and Ralph returned to Ellensburg.
Effie always took care of her house. It was immaculate and she never would go to bed unless her dishes were done. She sewed her own clothes and had her final heart attack while sewing. Ralph was with her when she died, less than two weeks shy of her 75th birthday. Two years later Ralph said he was still finding shoe boxes stored away somewhere, neatly labeled by Effie, of ten year old checks. Effie was very organized and always wanted to make things easier for other people. No one ever heard anyone ever say a bad word about Effie. She was a wonderful woman.
Family Memories:
Grandpa Ralph fixed for Effie the frame necessary to make tie quilts. Then Effie taught daughters how to do those quilts, working long hours together on several very special additions to their households.
In the late 1940's, David recalls his parents buying a small woodburning "trash stove" that sat next to the electric cooking stove. They would light that each winter morning for heat in the kitchen. During that time they bathed in a wash tub, with Effie heating water on the stove for Saturday night baths. Ralph was too big to sit down in the tub, Dave recalls with a smile.
Grandson Jim's sickbays at Kinkades: 6-pack of Coke (prescribed for upset stomach) and a cowbell on the bed to call Grandma when he needed her.
Grandma Effie planted gardens whereever she went. Of her it was said, give her any 5x6 spare space in the yard and she will create a 36 foot garden. A treasured picture (taken only with the heart) was her kneeling on the ground to show grandsons Jim and Scott how to properly plant seeds, on a 1970's visit to their Virginia home.
Granddaughter Charlene was always impressed on how Effie was forward-thinking and had multiple photographs of her pregnant, unusual for the early 1920's.
When Grandson Orin brought home a bride from Germany, Effie and Ralph embraced her into the family at first meeting. They made everyone feel special in their lives.
Whenever our family speaks of Grandma Effie, we smile at the memory of her. She was kind to all she met and loved by all.
Effie was born on her parents' farm on Brown Road, west of Ellensburg, in Kittitas County, Washington on February 8, 1900. She was one of eight children. Her early memories were of farm life, feeding chickens and being with her large family. When she was twelve, she remembered seeing her first motion picture. It was called Custer's Last Fight. The silent movie was continually flashing lights on the screen and Effie remembered a ferocious headache when she left. They had a dog named Rover that could do tricks that disappeared the day that traveling gypsies came through the Valley.
Effie graduated from high school in 1917. Although they grew up in close proximity to each other in Ellensburg, Effie and Ralph Kinkade did not meet until 1917. Two years later, she was working as a Cashier in the Lauderdale Store when she married Ralph at the home of her parents on the Dollarway. It was March 2, 1919, the 27th anniversary of her parents' wedding and only the immediate family was present. The couple left by train for a short honeymoon in Seattle and then returned to Ellensburg to make their home.
Effie had daughters Lois and Doris in Ellensburg while her husband worked in Ellensburg. They moved to Tacoma where daughter Marilyn was born. They had briefly returned to the Kittitas Valley in the 1930's when son David was born. In 1948, they moved to Riddle, Oregon. She was a member of Eastern Star and made many friends there. Effie was well known for her rose and iris garden. She would spend many hours tending to her flowers. When the local garden club would have a contest, she would pick out her best blooms and display them in coke bottles. She would earn a lot of ribbons. Every Memorial Day weekend, she would have Ralph pack her remaining flowers in wet newspaper for the drive to the family cemetery in Ellensburg. Then she would carefully allot each grave some iris and roses, letting the grandchildren place them on the sites. One year she laughed because her two granddaughters (Charlene and Margie) had placed flowers on her own future resting place so they wouldn't have to later!
Effie was working for the Post Office while in Riddle. She would sort the mail and forbid her grandchildren from looking at the wanted posters. She had her hair cut when she was in her late 60's, but she looked the same anyway because she always wore it up. Each morning she would have it down for breakfast and then put it up. Effie remained of a slight build her entire life. She had a kind face and smiled constantly. She loved people.
She and Ralph had many friends in Oregon but decided to move to Puyallup, Washington in 1965. Effie loved to be with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was at her best in the kitchen at family dinners. She was always sitting nearest to the kitchen, a precarious place to sit because the closest person to the kitchen had to fetch more items for the table. Effie would usually eat last because she would be constantly up and about to ensure that enough food was prepared. When her granddaughter had a beau over for the first time, Effie readied the entire meal so that all her granddaughter had to do was put stuff in the oven and pick up the fish and place it in the electric skillet. Effie had forgotten that her granddaughter had an aversion to touching dead fish and did not want to do this. She wasn't just matchmaking - she was making life easier for someone else!
Effie had a collection of tea cups and of dogs. Ralph built display areas for her beautiful cups and had a wall unit to display her dog collection. When a grandchild gave her an ugly figurine of a dog, she would display it in a place of honor for a month or so and then it would disappear. When asked about the missing gift, she would always say that she put it up so it would not get broken. She was the epitome of a grandmother: full of good advice, always fair, and always had time to listen and teach.
She and Ralph took many trips to visit friends and relatives. They often went to Ellensburg and met their daughter's families at camping sites. In 1967, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1969, they went back east to visit their son. Effie had heart problems while there. They had also visited their son previously in Hawaii where Effie had the misfortune of being allergic to the flower lei placed around her neck. In 1973, she and Ralph returned to Ellensburg.
Effie always took care of her house. It was immaculate and she never would go to bed unless her dishes were done. She sewed her own clothes and had her final heart attack while sewing. Ralph was with her when she died, less than two weeks shy of her 75th birthday. Two years later Ralph said he was still finding shoe boxes stored away somewhere, neatly labeled by Effie, of ten year old checks. Effie was very organized and always wanted to make things easier for other people. No one ever heard anyone ever say a bad word about Effie. She was a wonderful woman.
Family Memories:
Grandpa Ralph fixed for Effie the frame necessary to make tie quilts. Then Effie taught daughters how to do those quilts, working long hours together on several very special additions to their households.
In the late 1940's, David recalls his parents buying a small woodburning "trash stove" that sat next to the electric cooking stove. They would light that each winter morning for heat in the kitchen. During that time they bathed in a wash tub, with Effie heating water on the stove for Saturday night baths. Ralph was too big to sit down in the tub, Dave recalls with a smile.
Grandson Jim's sickbays at Kinkades: 6-pack of Coke (prescribed for upset stomach) and a cowbell on the bed to call Grandma when he needed her.
Grandma Effie planted gardens whereever she went. Of her it was said, give her any 5x6 spare space in the yard and she will create a 36 foot garden. A treasured picture (taken only with the heart) was her kneeling on the ground to show grandsons Jim and Scott how to properly plant seeds, on a 1970's visit to their Virginia home.
Granddaughter Charlene was always impressed on how Effie was forward-thinking and had multiple photographs of her pregnant, unusual for the early 1920's.
When Grandson Orin brought home a bride from Germany, Effie and Ralph embraced her into the family at first meeting. They made everyone feel special in their lives.
Effie was born on her parents' farm on Brown Road, west of Ellensburg, in Kittitas County, Washington on February 8, 1900. She was one of eight children. Her early memories were of farm life, feeding chickens and being with her large family. When she was twelve, she remembered seeing her first motion picture. It was called Custer's Last Fight. The silent movie was continually flashing lights on the screen and Effie remembered a ferocious headache when she left. They had a dog named Rover that could do tricks that disappeared the day that traveling gypsies came through the Valley.
Effie graduated from high school in 1917. Although they grew up in close proximity to each other in Ellensburg, Effie and Ralph Kinkade did not meet until 1917. Two years later, she was working as a Cashier in the Lauderdale Store when she married Ralph at the home of her parents on the Dollarway. It was March 2, 1919, the 27th anniversary of her parents' wedding and only the immediate family was present. The couple left by train for a short honeymoon in Seattle and then returned to Ellensburg to make their home.
Effie had daughters Lois and Doris in Ellensburg while her husband worked in Ellensburg. They moved to Tacoma where daughter Marilyn was born. They had briefly returned to the Kittitas Valley in the 1930's when son David was born. In 1948, they moved to Riddle, Oregon. She was a member of Eastern Star and made many friends there. Effie was well known for her rose and iris garden. She would spend many hours tending to her flowers. When the local garden club would have a contest, she would pick out her best blooms and display them in coke bottles. She would earn a lot of ribbons. Every Memorial Day weekend, she would have Ralph pack her remaining flowers in wet newspaper for the drive to the family cemetery in Ellensburg. Then she would carefully allot each grave some iris and roses, letting the grandchildren place them on the sites. One year she laughed because her two granddaughters (Charlene and Margie) had placed flowers on her own future resting place so they wouldn't have to later!
Effie was working for the Post Office while in Riddle. She would sort the mail and forbid her grandchildren from looking at the wanted posters. She had her hair cut when she was in her late 60's, but she looked the same anyway because she always wore it up. Each morning she would have it down for breakfast and then put it up. Effie remained of a slight build her entire life. She had a kind face and smiled constantly. She loved people.
She and Ralph had many friends in Oregon but decided to move to Puyallup, Washington in 1965. Effie loved to be with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was at her best in the kitchen at family dinners. She was always sitting nearest to the kitchen, a precarious place to sit because the closest person to the kitchen had to fetch more items for the table. Effie would usually eat last because she would be constantly up and about to ensure that enough food was prepared. When her granddaughter had a beau over for the first time, Effie readied the entire meal so that all her granddaughter had to do was put stuff in the oven and pick up the fish and place it in the electric skillet. Effie had forgotten that her granddaughter had an aversion to touching dead fish and did not want to do this. She wasn't just matchmaking - she was making life easier for someone else!
Effie had a collection of tea cups and of dogs. Ralph built display areas for her beautiful cups and had a wall unit to display her dog collection. When a grandchild gave her an ugly figurine of a dog, she would display it in a place of honor for a month or so and then it would disappear. When asked about the missing gift, she would always say that she put it up so it would not get broken. She was the epitome of a grandmother: full of good advice, always fair, and always had time to listen and teach.
She and Ralph took many trips to visit friends and relatives. They often went to Ellensburg and met their daughter's families at camping sites. In 1967, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1969, they went back east to visit their son. Effie had heart problems while there. They had also visited their son previously in Hawaii where Effie had the misfortune of being allergic to the flower lei placed around her neck. In 1973, she and Ralph returned to Ellensburg.
Effie always took care of her house. It was immaculate and she never would go to bed unless her dishes were done. She sewed her own clothes and had her final heart attack while sewing. Ralph was with her when she died, less than two weeks shy of her 75th birthday. Two years later Ralph said he was still finding shoe boxes stored away somewhere, neatly labeled by Effie, of ten year old checks. Effie was very organized and always wanted to make things easier for other people. No one ever heard anyone ever say a bad word about Effie. She was a wonderful woman.
Family Memories:
Grandpa Ralph fixed for Effie the frame necessary to make tie quilts. Then Effie taught daughters how to do those quilts, working long hours together on several very special additions to their households.
In the late 1940's, David recalls his parents buying a small woodburning "trash stove" that sat next to the electric cooking stove. They would light that each winter morning for heat in the kitchen. During that time they bathed in a wash tub, with Effie heating water on the stove for Saturday night baths. Ralph was too big to sit down in the tub, Dave recalls with a smile.
Grandson Jim's sickbays at Kinkades: 6-pack of Coke (prescribed for upset stomach) and a cowbell on the bed to call Grandma when he needed her.
Grandma Effie planted gardens whereever she went. Of her it was said, give her any 5x6 spare space in the yard and she will create a 36 foot garden. A treasured picture (taken only with the heart) was her kneeling on the ground to show grandsons Jim and Scott how to properly plant seeds, on a 1970's visit to their Virginia home.
Granddaughter Charlene was always impressed on how Effie was forward-thinking and had multiple photographs of her pregnant, unusual for the early 1920's.
When Grandson Orin brought home a bride from Germany, Effie and Ralph embraced her into the family at first meeting. They made everyone feel special in their lives.
Family Members
Siblings
