Julia May McMullen Primbs

Julia May McMullen Primbs (aka Mom, Red Grandma, Grandma, Cookie Monster, Granny Bunny) passed on Thursday, October 29, 2026. She was born in Santa Rosa, California and in her adult life she lived in California, Alaska, Oregon and Idaho before finding her dream home in Salem, Oregon. In her beloved red TR3 convertible roadster, or her sister's green Austin Healey, she also drove around the British Isles, across the United States and up Canada. She loved Oregon's and California's beaches. She graduated from Santa Rosa High School and University of California Davis. She also completed post-baccalaureate work at Oregon State University, University of Idaho and Boise State University.

She was strong, hard working, normally cheerful, wise, creative and high energy. With her early childhood being during the time of World War II, living not far from the Pacific Ocean, and having an older cousin serving our country on a ship in Hawaii, she had stories of that time as well as after with one of her best friends in school being Japanese-American. Always a nurse at heart, her career wove through picking prunes on the family farm, being a nursing assistant in a California county hospital, lab worker at both Dairy Nutrition Lab UC Davis and Entomology Dept. of OSU, high school teacher, homemaker, nursery school teacher, worked in a coffee shop at St. Luke's Boise hospital, mail room worker at Boise State University, head cook at a veteran's home, cook for Head Start California, receptionist, manager of school cafeteria program, State of Oregon Workers Compensation evaluator and DHS Disability Analyst, volunteer in local schools, volunteer for a youth farm and other jobs. She was an American Red Cross certified lifeguard, which came in handy for rescuing more than once her dog Smokey who loved to go swimming. She was a caregiver of people, animals, birds, bees, leafhoppers, and plants. She loved to sew, garden, be outside, do tai chi and walk the dog. She loved shopping at Farm Stores and Hardware Stores. She was helpful at cooking, baking, canning, knitting, crocheting, mending, stitching, fixing, building, roofing, shoveling, raking, weeding, repairing and plumbing. She accomplished her long time dream of getting solar panels installed on her house.

Survivors include her sister Jean McMullen, daughter Kristina C. Primbs-Wetter, son Toby K. Primbs and daughter in law Diana Casas Angeles; Cousins Laura Thomason, Jim Hall, Cathy Decker, Candice and Robert Dahlstet, Bobbie Yokum, Margaret and Tommy Reid, Brian and Agneisgka Cupples; grandchildren Nadia and Payton, Jasmine, Ivan and Sophia, Isabel, Kira, Luna; great-grandson Antonio; cat Charlie; a houseplant that her daughter rescued from being thrown away many years ago; many more loved people and animals.

She is preceded by her husband Edward R.J. Primbs. Ed described Julia as "a priceless gem, a perfect wife, excellent mother, true friend and loyal companion." She is also preceded by her mother Evelyn Laughlin McMullen and father Robert McMullen, mother in law Theresa Anna Kluck Primbs, sister in law Theresa Primbs, sister in law Dorothy Primbs, brother Jay McMullen, brother in law Art Primbs, shepherd mix Smokey, grandbunny Pilot, grandbunny Oliver, many more loved people and animals.

Thank You God for our special Julia, sweetheart, amazing cook, wonderful fabric designer, great mom, best friend, super helper, fun grandmom. She and her homemade pies, homemade huckleberry jam, home sewn pants and dresses, quilts, repair skills are dearly missed. We love you very much.

A remembrance gathering will be held at Virgil Golden Funeral Home on Friday, November 20, 2026 at 10 am and following at Belcrest Memorial Park. Julia Primbs loved flowers and giving to St. Jude's Children Hospital.