Gaye Marie Adams

Gaye Marie Ellis Adams passed peacefully to the other side to be with her Savior and her husband in the early hours of Sunday, October 1, 2023. Her daughter, Marie, and son-in-law, Craig were at her side.

Gaye was born on April 8, 1937 in the family home in Menan, ID. to Stillman and Irma Johnson Ellis. She was the second of 10 children. Gaye had 5 sisters and 4 brothers. Growing up on a farm, she learned, at a young age, how to drive a team of horses, shuck wheat and weed sugar beets. She always had a love of the outdoors. And she loved growing a garden and flowers, especially roses.

She started school in Rigby, ID. before the family moved to Starvation Lake outside of Colville, Washington when she was 12. At the age of 14, her family home burned down. The only thing Gaye owned was what she had on at the time. They then moved into town. There she was a babysitter for the Wendell Johnson family.

Just before her senior year of high school, she moved to Mesa, AZ. to live with her aunt, uncle and cousins. Lorna Johnson from Colville let her nephew, Melvin Adams, know that there was a sweet young girl in Mesa that he should look up. He was in his freshman year of college. They dated all through her senior year and when she graduated in June of 1955, she gave him his ring back and moved back to Washington. Mel was broken hearted. But in August that year, he gave her another ring. They were married on October 30,1955 in Apache Junction, Arizona at the home of Mel's parents. Fourteen months later they were sealed for 'Time an' All Eternity' in the Mesa, AZ. LDS Temple. She was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had a great love for her Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. She loved reading her scriptures, Church magazines and books that pertained to the Gospel. She loved genealogy and going to the temple. In her later years, she and Mel worked in the Las Vegas Temple. Gaye also taught as a Seminary teacher in Yakima and Kingman, and a Relief Society and Sunday School teacher.

Gaye and Mel were blessed with 7 children, 5 boys and 2 girls. They lived in Mesa until the late fall of 1966, when they moved to Royal City, WA. to be near Gaye's parents and siblings. While in Royal, she worked with the Cub Scouts as a Den Mother and also on the Grand Coulee Council of the Boy Scouts. She was a homemaker. But when her last child, LeiLani, was in school, she drove school bus for 4 years. She loved taking kids to ballgames and senior trips. She loved sports! Watching and participating. She was on a couple of different bowling leagues, City Softball teams, and Volleyball teams. She was talented in many areas such as sewing, crocheting, cooking, canning, gardening, drawing, painting, and creative crafts.

In 1978, Gaye and Mel moved their family to Selah, WA because of Mel's work. Gaye had a daycare for 4 years and later she was a nanny for 5 boys. She loved children! It was while they were here, that they got their first grandchild, Anthony Westbrook. He was the first of 26. They moved up to Colville in 1982. They were there for a couple of years before Mel bought a Chem-Dry franchise in Yakima. Their sons worked with their dad. Gaye and Mel moved back to Arizona in 1996, only this time it was Kingman. Mel was working with his brother at Mineral Park rock quarry. Gaye could make friends easily. Her smile radiated her love to others. They would be there together for 16 years until 2012 when Mel would pass away 10 days after Gaye's 75th birthday. She stayed in Kingman for 6 years without the love of her life.

She then moved in with her sister, Bonita, and brother-in-law, Roger Sorensen in Grantsville UT. She lived there for 3 years making more friends. But in 2020, she was diagnosed with Colon cancer. She had the tumor removed and was on her way to recovery. She moved back up to Union Gap WA and stayed with her son, Steve and daughter-in-law, Cindy, while her single wide trailer next door was being renovated by her daughter and family. In 2022, she found out that she needed to have a heart valve replaced. She had that done in Seattle in August 2022. It was called a TAVR, transcathere aortic valve replacement. She was doing well after that surgery.

In January, she moved into her trailer even though it wasn't finished. In February 2023, she got to fly with her travel buddy, daughter Marie, to Dallas to see a granddaughter, Avery, be married. Then in May 2023, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Colon Cancer that spread to her liver and lungs. She had another granddaughter getting married August 4th in Utah, so she was told that she had to eat and drink so she could be there for Jessica's wedding.She also got to go to her family reunion in Monterey CA and saw 6 of her 7 living siblings.Two weeks later, she went to Jessica's wedding. She made it! And that was her miracle! The trip was hard on her and the day after she got home, she started going downhill with her health. She got to talk with all of her children and some grandchildren and great-grandchildren before she couldn't speak at all. The day before she passed, her son, Steve, stayed with her until her granddaughter, Natalie, came to watch her so Marie and Craig could go to the fair for a few hours. Steve also took care of her on Sunday mornings while Marie went to church. She called Marie her memory, because she had the memory like Mel. And would say to Marie, “What would I do without you?”

Gaye left behind her 7 children, Steve (Cindy)Adams of Union Gap WA, Richard (Karen) Adams, Marie (Craig) Westbrook, both of Yakima, Jerry Adams, of Farmington, NM, Louis (Charlene)Adams, of Spring Hill, FL, Dee (Casie) Adams and LeiLani (Mike) Billings, both of Shreveport, LA. 28 grandchildren, 42 great grandchildren with 2 more on the way. 7 siblings, Geraldine Christensen, of Salt Lake City, UT, Jay (Sherrel) Ellis, of Washington, UT, Dee Robbins, of Salt Lake City, UT, Tona (Paul) Niebuhr, of St. George, UT, Bonita (Roger) of Grantsville, UT, Max Ellis and Milo Ellis, both of Royal City, WA. Her sisters-in-law, Margaret Adams, Evelyn Johnson, Betty Haws, Nelda (Ben) Davis, and Enid Ellis, and brother-in-law, Richard Carpenter. Numerous cousins and nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Adams, her granddaughter, Morgan Amy Adams and her great-grandson, Samuel Ellis Hall Jakeman, her parents, Stillman and Irma Ellis, sister ElFonda Carpenter, brother Brent Ellis and sisters-in-law Cathy Ellis, Louise Adams, & MaryLynn Adams. Brothers-in-law Harold “Hal” Adams, Leon Adams and Lavoy Adams. And her In-Laws Joseph and Belle Adams.

She will be buried next to her sweetheart in Kingman, AZ.

A Visitation for Gaye will be held Monday, October 16, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at LDS Stake Center, 705 S 38th Ave, Yakima, WA 98902. A funeral service will occur Monday, October 16, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. 705 S 38th Ave, Yakima, WA 98902.

A visitation will occur Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at LDS Stake Center, 610 Eastern St, Kingman, AZ 86401. A funeral service will occur Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. 610 Eastern St, Kingman, AZ 86401.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com for the Adams family.