Ingeborg Skidmore

Have you ever met a person who everyone loves and who, at the same time, truly loves everyone? That person is our mother, Inga Skidmore. Mother is eternally a gift to all who knew her on this earth. Through her totally selfless life, she nurtured her beloved Sunday School classes; she traveled to share that love all over the world…meeting world leaders with a heart that literally shined with her love for God; she lovingly—through study and Wisdom from above—shared her heart with her ladies’ Bible study for years; she spent many years studying Norwegian with her dear friends, Dorothy Bush and Sidsel Cummings; she especially cherished her special friends, Mary Wilder and Olive Nyberg along with Toni Renfrow, Fred Rohn, Margaret Brown and John Sandifer…who all visited her frequently; she thoroughly enjoyed her three table partners at Orchard Park: Babe Lee, Grace Rutherford , and Ruth Zeigler…their continuous, infectious laughter and fun enriched Mom’s last three years; and if all that wasn’t enough…she had a heart so big that her three children, six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren witnessed and continuously experienced her kindness and love close-up. In her 92 years (birthdate, May 3, 1918), we saw her angry once. She simply loved us all. Inga Skidmore, Mom, is the real thing—a God-filled woman. We are certain that on July 12, 2010, she merely passed from this earthly plane and entered into her eternal dimension…simply continuing to do what she always has done here—loving everyone.

Mom was preceded in death by her husband, our Father, Donald Skidmore, Sr., and her two older sisters, Marie Johnsrud and Helga Haugland of Tacoma, WA. She is survived by one younger sister, Lorraine Buntain (husband, Fulton) of Tacoma, WA, and numerous nephews and nieces. Inga’s three surviving children—Donald Skidmore, Jr., of Bellevue, WA; Marilyn Rockwell-Bengen (husband, Fred) of Ferndale, WA; and Sharon Schilperoort of Yakima, WA; and grandchildren—Aaron Rockwell (wife, Hillary and son Luke) of Blaine, WA; Chad Rockwell (wife, Ramah and son Ethan) of Bellingham, WA; Kristen Lipton (husband, Travis; daughter, Lauren; and son, Elliot) of Bellingham, WA; Heather Young (husband, Faron, and two sons—Will and Joshua) of Harrah, WA; Sara Day (husband, Seth, and two children—Reese and Braden) of Yakima, WA; Andrew Schilperoort of Yakima, WA, and Stacey Chapman (husband, Chad, and son Jason) of Puyallup, WA, have all only let Mom/Grandma temporarily leave us. Together we plan on a wonderful reunion when our time on this planet ends.

We wish to thank Charlie and Allison Morales and Randy and Sandy Groves at Orchard Park for their unbelievable kindness to Mother and to all of us through this time. Mom spent her last few months residing at Ellen House. Cindy Clark and all her wonderful helpers were amazing to Mom! Both Orchard Park’s and Ellen House’s generosity and love reflect the same love Mom’s life showed. Thank you!

We would prefer in lieu of flowers, those who wish to honor our sweet mother…please donate to Memorial Hospital Hospice. Natalie Baron and Esther Arrendondo worked so diligently and kindly with Mom and with all of us.

A website is available to add your comments and/or to view Mother’s final tribute: www.KeithandKeith.com .

A memorial service will be held in the Activity Room at Orchard Park Retirement Residence, 620 N. 34th Avenue, Yakima, WA, on Saturday, July 31, at 2 p.m.