Carol was born October 28, 1930 in Burr Oak, Kansas to Cecil and Tressie Gossard. She was the third of three sisters. Her father was a farmer and the Dust Bowl of the 1930s made it impossible to continue living in Kansas, so her family moved west to Greenleaf, Idaho, where relatives and friends were residing. She grew up there and graduated from Greenleaf Friends Academy in 1948. During her youth, she was small for her age and told of the good-natured teasing she received from friends who called her ‘itty-bitty Gossard’. Later her height continued to be a constraint as she was slightly too short to pursue her dream job of being a flight attendant.
After high school at the Academy, Carol attended George Fox College in Newberg, Oregon for three years. Running short of funds for college, she left to join her sisters in Medford, Oregon. Carol began working at California Oregon Power Company (COPCO) in Medford as an Administrative Assistant and said that an Electrical Engineer who also worked there caught her eye. Their relationship progressed and she and Dale Cobleigh were married in February of 1957. Carol and Dale had two sons, David in 1958 and Paul in 1961, so she left the workplace to be a stay-at-home Mom. In 1965, the Power Company moved the family to Grants Pass, Oregon and again in 1969 to the Yakima area, where they settled in Selah.
Once the kids were a bit older, she returned to school, graduating with a Master of Arts in Education degree from Central Washington State College in Ellensburg in June, 1971. Shortly afterward, Carol was hired by the West Valley School District where she worked for 20 years as a first-grade teacher at Summitview Elementary School. Many Yakima residents still have fond memories of Carol being their first-grade teacher.
Once she and Dale retired they began traveling as often as they could. By far their favorite location was Hawaii, where they spent every January for 16 years until Dale’s death in 2007. She continued traveling with friends and family to Hawaii and many other locations until her passing. Surprisingly she was also an avid sports fan. She said she had to be since she lived in a household with three men, her husband and sons.
Carol was very active socially, participating in clubs, attending theater performances and meeting with friends. She was also an active member of Yakima Covenant Church, where she attended for the last 47 years. Her friendly, outgoing and considerate nature made her loved by all who met her. Carol was an excellent role model on how to live life; strong faith, devotion to family, willingness to sacrifice for others, and a youthful attitude.
Carol is survived by her two sons and daughters in law, David & Kris Cobleigh of Camas, Washington, and Paul & Celia Cobleigh of Yakima, Washington, three grandchildren, Rachel, Ryan and Hannah, a sister, Ardys Roberts of Newberg, Oregon, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Dale, and a sister, Doris Roberts.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, May 20, 2017 at Yakima Covenant Church, 6015 Summitview Ave., Yakima. A reception will follow in the church foyer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Yakima Covenant Church, Union Gospel Mission or a charity of choice.
To celebrate the life of Carol and share a memory visit www.keithandkeith.com.
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