On the evening of December 3, 2021, after celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary that day, Walter Mabry’s lovely bride, Edith, died peacefully at The Ponderosa assisted living facility in Yakima, Washington. She was 93 years young and sharp until the end. Her death was a graceful exit to a generous and caring life very well-lived.
Edith Amelia Mabry was born on April 14, 1928, to William and Amelia (Flagler) Mai at home on a farm near WaKeeney, Kansas. She was the middle child and only girl in a family of five children. Growing up and coming of age in a small town with German Russian heritage during the Great Depression and World War II, she learned to be practical and frugal but was always caring and generous to others. Edith graduated from Trego Community High School in 1946. She attended Bethany College to study piano and organ in Lindsborg, Kansas, for one year. Then, she and a girlfriend struck out for an adventure in Denver, Colorado, where they found jobs working in a bank and rented an apartment together. Edith enjoyed her days in Denver and began attending St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. At a Singles Potluck at the church on Valentine’s Day in 1949, Edith met a charming young man from Washington State who was in Denver attending Watch Repair school. A courtship ensued and Walter and Edith were married on December 3, 1949, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in WaKeeney.
On July 4, 1950, the young couple arrived in Walter’s hometown of Yakima. Edith loved to tell the story that when she first saw the big brown hills of Yakima and realized that she definitely wasn’t in Kansas anymore, she cried; however, she soon grew to love the beautiful orchards and vineyards of the Valley and she grew gorgeous roses and other flowers in the rich volcanic soil. She was soon a busy mother with the arrival of Lizabeth Anne in 1951, Timothy Parker in 1954, and Kevin William in 1959. Edith enjoyed caring for her husband and children as a homemaker. They joined the Fireside Group for young couples at Central Lutheran Church, which was the beginning of many close lifelong friendships.
In 1966, Edith began employment as an Instructional Aide in West Valley schools, and she enjoyed her work with children who had special needs until her retirement in 1988. At that time, she and Walt began a new phase of their lives as travelers throughout the United States in their motorhome. They downsized to a condominium on Cherry Park Court in Yakima. They enjoyed the “snowbird” life with winters in the warm South so much that they purchased a park model home at a resort in Mesa, Arizona, where they enjoyed socializing and participating in the many activities available there. As they grew older and their health began to fail, they settled back into their condo for several years and then moved to The Ponderosa assisted living facility in the fall of 2019. Edith always saw these changes as where they needed to be at that time in their lives, and she maintained a positive and cheerful outlook on life, even during the isolation of a global pandemic. She remained Walter’s faithful caregiver until the end.
Edith loved music throughout her life. She played clarinet in the marching band and piano and organ at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in WaKeeney when she was in high school. She enjoyed attending Yakima Symphony Orchestra concerts at the Capitol Theatre and summer band concerts in Randall Park. She loved to sing, in the high school choir, the Central Lutheran Church choir, the Yakima Community Chorus. . . and also while driving to work, unloading the dishwasher, pulling weeds in her flower garden, and any other time that things seemed a little too quiet! Walter and Edith loved ballroom dancing and were so smooth and fun to watch. During retirement, Edith joined the Dancing Grannies, a group of women who performed line dances at various venues around the community. We can only imagine the joyful voice that she is adding to the heavenly chorus and how her tapping feet are now a part of the Dancing Angels!
Edith was an extrovert and never met a stranger. When checking out at the grocery store, she greeted cashiers by name and inquired about their family and health. She enjoyed watching sports, especially the Seattle Mariners, and she usually knew the latest schedules and scores. She liked bald eagles, rhododendrons and roses, water aerobics, and cooking nutritious meals. She had a flair for color and design, loved to dress up, and always looked classy. True to her Kansas farm roots, sunflowers made her smile and she always paid careful attention to the weather forecast!
Central Lutheran Church in Yakima played an important role in Edith’s life, and she taught Sunday School, served as President and held other offices in Central Lutheran Church Women, and sang in the church choir for many years. When she encountered times of struggle or challenge in her life, she turned to her faith for guidance and strength.
Family was the most important thing in the world to Edith, and she was greatly loved by her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as well as extended family and so many friends. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Walter T. Mabry; children: Beth Farrell & Jeff Kokita and Tim & Dianne Mabry of Yakima, and Kevin & Kathy Mabry of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren: Amelia Farrell & Todd Irving, Abigail & Eric Rhoads, Jae Farrell & LaDawn Olney of Yakima, Jon Farrell of Cheney, WA, Julie & Chad Bremerman and Brandon & Meleah Mabry of Yakima, Callie Mabry of Holden Village, WA, and Cortney Mabry & Ben Stevens of Denver, CO; and great-grandchildren: Haley & Tyler Baxter and Gracie, Avery, and Ryan Rhoads, SiJin Farrell, Hannah and Emma Bremerman, and Kierra and Jace Mabry, all of Yakima. She also leaves a brother, Howard & Charlotte Mai and daughter Janet of Denver, CO, and sister-in-law Betty Mai of Topeka, KS, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceeded in death by her parents; her brothers: Emil (Sam) & Patty Mai, Clarence Mai, and LeRoy & Myrna Mai; and infant granddaughter Kate Waller Mabry.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, December 9, 2021, at Central Lutheran Church in Yakima. Please wear a mask regardless of your vaccination status. Memorial donations may be made to Central Lutheran Church, 1604 W. Yakima Avenue, Yakima, WA, 98902.
