George H Shelton

GEORGE WAS BORN ON MARCH 2, 1925 TO HARRISON AND AMANDA (FREEMAN) SHELTON IN YELLVILLE ARKANSAS. HE SPENT HIS CHILDHOOD THERE, AND WHEN HE WAS OLD ENOUGH HE WENT TO WORK FOR THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORP. WHILE WORKING THERE HE HELPED BUILD THE PICNIC PAVILLIONS AT BUFFALO RIVER PARK, AND YOU CAN STILL SEE THE BEAUTIFUL STONEWORK THERE TODAY, AND IT HAS BECOME A NATIONAL STATE PARK. SHORTLY AFTER THAT HE STARTED DATING AND EVENTUALLY MARRIED DOROTHY WELCH ON APRIL 7, 1943. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 69 WONDERFUL YRS IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, AND HAVE BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL.

IN HIS YOUNGER YRS GRAMPA AND GRAMMA SPENT A LOT OF TIME FOLLOWING THE FRUIT HARVEST UP FROM ARKANSAS WHERE THEY STOPPPED AND LIVED IN KINGSBURGH CALIFORNIA FOR 2 YRS AND EVENTUALLY ENDED UP IN YAKIMA, WASHINGTON WHERE THEY RAISED THEIR FAMILY. WHILE LIVING IN WASHINGTON GRAMPA WORKED IN THE FRUIT INDUSTRY USUALLY AS A FOREMAN SO THEIR HOUSING WAS INCLUDED. THEY LIVED ALL THROUGH THE VALLEY FROM PROSSER TO NACHES, WHERE THEY STAYED UNTIL MOVING TO YAKIMA. WE WOULD GO ON RIDES WITH GRAMPA AND GRAMMA TO OLD WORKSITES ONE THEY ALWAYS FOUND FUNNY WAS UP ON SCENIC DRIVE WITH ALL THE "FANCY HOUSES" WHEN THEY LIVED THERE IT WAS ALL ORCHARDS AND GRAMPA WAS A FOREMAN.

GRAMPA HAD A BRIEF TIME OFF DUE TO BACK SURGERY WHEN HE CONTINUED TO GO BACK TO WORK THEY FOUND THE PERFECT JOB FOR THEM BOTH, THEY MOVED TO TACOMA AND WERE CARETAKERS OF A SMALL ESTATE FOR MR. AND MRS. JAMES H. WIBORG. DURING ALL THE TIME THEY LIVED THERE THE GRANDKIDS LEARNED ALL ABOUT FARM WORK AND LABOR, MOST KIDS WOULD FROWN BUT IT GAVE US ALL GREAT WORK ETHIC AND I THANK HIM EVERYDA Y FOR THE EXPERIENCE. THEY WORKED THERE FOR ABOUT 13YRS THEN CAME BACK TO YAKIMA TO RETIRE AND BE CLOSER TO THE FAMILY.