Mabel Linnea Bright Kaiser of Spokane went to her eternal home on March 20, 2019. She is survived by two nephews, Ronald L. Pearson (Debbie), Roger R. Pearson (Dorie), a niece, Pamela L. Mulligan (John), and two grand nephews, Lee M. Pearson, PhD (Fatima) and Ryan J. Pearson (Carrie) and great grandnephew Landon A Pearson, all of Spokane. She is also survived by her step family: sons Ronald N. Kaiser (Sue), David C. Kaiser (Roxanne), and granddaughter Courtney L. Magro (Adam), Grandsons D. Nathan Kaiser (Sharon), and Joel M. Kaiser, plus five great grandsons and one great granddaughter, all of Canada. She is also survived by some very dear and close friends.
She was preceded in death by her dear brother Ray A Pearson whom she spent a lifetime building many memories from their early years riding horses on the farm to their final years visiting each other down the hall of the same retirement home; she was always his big sister.
The first generation of Swedish immigrants, Mabel Linnea was born in Spokane, April 3, 1917 to Rudolf and Blanda Pearson. Her childhood days were spent on a beautiful farm near Lake Coeur d’Alene out of Worley, Idaho. She grew up during the depression years and she knew what hard work and sacrifice were.
A retired teacher, she taught in Colfax, Washington, and Seattle, Washington, with the last 32 years of her career at Eastern Washington University, from which she retired as Professor Emeritus in 1974. The first of her family to attend university, she held degrees from Eastern Washington College of Education (EWU) and Colorado State Teachers College (NCSU). She also did graduate work at Columbia University, N.Y., and the University of Washington. Her first two years of college were at the University of Idaho.
In 1953 Mabel was married to Sam H. Bright who was deceased in 1978. In 1991 she was married to William N. Kaiser (Bill) who was deceased in 2008. They were very happy marriages, both filled with trips abroad and around the US and Canada in a motor home.
Mabel was a member and active in many of the following organizations: The First Presbyterian Church, Washington State Retirees, Spokane Area Retired Educators, EWU Retirees, Spokane College Women’s Association, a past member of American University Women, Honorary Societies (Kappa Delta Pi, and Delta Kappa Gamma), and was involved with various education associations during her teaching career, served on many committees and held various offices. She also completed a course in Bethel Bible Study at the church.
Mabel was a dedicated teacher and cared deeply about her students, the little children with whom she worked, as well as the college students. In later life, she took great joy in the friendships she had with those former students of hers. Mabel loved volunteer work in the interim years after teaching, with hours spent with her church, visitations in nursing homes and care centers, and Meals on Wheels for many years.
Mabel Linnea was a loving, caring, giving, compassionate person. She enjoyed her family and friends, and delighted in the God-given marvels of nature. She loved to walk, especially in wooded areas and the beloved hills of home near Lake Coeur d’Alene and saw beauty in many things. She also enjoyed travel which took her to some far-away places including, Israel, China, Japan and Korea, and many countries in Europe, including her parents’ homelands in Sweden, as well as travel in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Mabel has an endowment at EWU that provides perpetual funds for scholarships to students who are elementary education majors. It is known as the Mabel Pearson Bright Scholarship. Any memorial gifts may be made to the scholarship fund at EWU Foundation, 127 Hargreaves Hall, Cheney, WA 99004 or to the First Presbyterian Church, South 318 Cedar, Spokane, WA 99204, or Hospice of Spokane, 121 S Arthur, P.O. Box 2215 Spokane WA 99210-2215 who have been very caring and competent.
Funeral services will be held at First Presbyterian Church, South 318 Cedar, Spokane WA 99204 on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 1:30 pm.
Acknowledgments may be sent to Roger R Pearson 2722 S. Early Dawn Lane, Spokane Valley Wa. 99037.
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