Gwendolyn Leone Rainford

Gwendolyn Leone Gee was born on September 15, 1932 in Lead, SD to Melvin and Leone Gee. Gwenie, as she was fondly called by her siblings, was the oldest child followed by her baby brother Bill, who she loved and adored. Her family moved to Yakima in 1938 and it was there that she started her education. Her family grew to include sisters Suzanne and Linda. Gwen always took special care of her younger siblings.

Gwen loved learning and excelled in all subjects in school. As a young girl she loved to spend her summers laying in the grass reading a book.

She attended Yakima High School where, during her senior year, she was crowned the Apple Blossom Festival Princess. As Apple Blossom Princess, she attended the Governor’s Ball with her boyfriend Harry. She graduated in 1950. She started working at the Yakima Republic newspaper and married her high school sweetheart Harry Rainford at First Presbyterian Church on August 28, 1954. They moved to Seattle so Harry could attend the University of Washington and Gwen worked for the Seattle Times. In 1956 they returned back to Yakima where they started their family and welcomed their children, Susan, Mike and Scott. Gwen delighted in her children and made a wonderful home for their family. She also was the bookkeeper for Harry’s business, Rainford Ltd., for several years, and later worked at Fergusons Carriage House as an interior decorator. When Harry and Gwen moved to Salt Lake for a couple of years, she worked at Nordstrom as the manager of the Women’s Department. They then moved back to Yakima and opened Minit-Lube, and Gwen became the bookkeeper there for a few years. Her greatest accomplishment was her family, and she loved spending time with her husband and children, 8 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren.

Gwen was an avid reader and still took regular trips to the library where she checked out multiple books each week. She looked forward to her weekly bridge games and loved spending time with her friends. She was a sports enthusiast and enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren play in different sports over the years. On Sunday afternoons you could always find her and Harry watching a tennis match, Mariner baseball, football, or soccer game on TV.

Gwen was a longtime member of Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church where for many years she served as a Deacon. As a Deacon, she helped many church families during their time of loss and sickness. She was also a member of the Mary McLean Guild at the church. Gwen loved to travel, she and Harry traveled to Hawaii, Jamaica, Europe, and the East Coast during the Fall. She also traveled to Mexico with her children and sister. Her favorite place to travel was with her family to the Oregon coast every summer, which started with her honeymoon with Harry 62 years ago.

Gwen was good at so many things, especially being a treasured wife and friend, creating a lovely home for her family, and she was an excellent cook. Her family loved all her baked items, her pies, cakes and cookies were the best! She also enjoyed gardening and spent many hours relaxing in her garden reading.

Gwen will be missed by all who knew her, but her spirit will live on through her family. Her life was an example to put God first, and she always thought of others before herself. Gwen was content with her life and had a quiet strength and faith. We rejoice knowing that she is with Jesus and her family members who left before her, and know that we will see her again one day.

She is survived by her husband of over 62 years, Harry Rainford, her children: Susan (Randy) Searl of Yakima, Mike (Teresa) Rainford of Moxee, and Scott (Lori) Rainford of Yakima, her grandchildren: Adam (Nicole), Emily, Josh (Elizabeth), Kyle (Heather), Cameron (Rebecca), Michael (Rebecca), Kody, Kennedy (Landon) and her great grandchildren: Aavry, Natalie, Linkin, Gavin, Ethan, Claire, Kylie, Tsajohns, Jamarion, Destiney, Taryn, Presley, Phoenix, and Emery, her siblings William (Linda) Gee of Camas, WA, Suzanne (Cliff) Jensen of Hagerman, ID, Linda (Roger) Lopossa of Rainier, WA, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her baby sister, Mary Lynn, and great granddaughter Poet Elizabeth Fisk.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Cottage in the Meadow for their love and caring compassion for Gwen. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that donations be made to Cottage in the Meadow, Grace of Christ Deacons Fund, or Union Gospel Mission.

A Celebration of Gwen’s life will be Saturday, April 1, 2017 at 11 am at Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church, 9 South 8th Avenue, Yakima. To share a memory of Gwen, please visit www.keithandkeith.com.