Winifred Edna Dodge-Fowells, 94, passed away Aug. 13, 2009, at the United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley. She was born March 19, 1915 in Portland, Ore., to Carl and Edna St. Helen.
Winifred grew up and was educated in Portland. In 1934, she married Thomas C. Dodge of Portland and began what became a 54-year love life of being a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Besides her other callings as a friend, excellent bridge player, conversationalist, and raconteur; Winifred and Tom had four children: Allan, Merton, Penney and Fred.
Tom’s work in the canning industry took them to numerous locales on both U.S. coasts and Europe. They retired in 1970 while residing in Chicago, and moved to Anacortes to build their dream home overlooking Similk Bay. Upon completion of their home, they traveled extensively and often.
In 1990, Tom passed away and Winifred stayed in the home for several years until she married Harry Fowells, a longtime friend of the family and moved to Oak Harbor. In 2007, a few years after Harry’s death, Winifred moved to Country Meadows Village in Sedro-Woolley. Due to her failing eyesight, she began to listen to books on tape from the Library of Congress and enjoyed much of what was offered.
Winifred will be remembered as fun loving, funny, smart, witty, well educated, an accomplished pianist, and a women of quiet faith. She will be sorely missed by many.
Winifred is survived by her three children, Allan R. Dodge and his wife Rosanne of Stuart, Fla., Merton A. Dodge and his wife Mary Ann of Sedro-Woolley, and Penney J. Auld and her husband W. Dave of Chehalis; nine grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; her brother, Carl L. St. Helen and his wife Dorothy Ann of Vancouver, Wash.; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents’ husbands, Thomas C. Dodge and Harry Fowells; a son, Frederick R. Dodge; a grandson, Kurt Auld; a great-grandson, Derek Baker; and a sister, Dorothy Clark.
A Memorial Celebration of Life Service will be held Thursday, Aug. 20, at 2 p.m. at Lemley Chapel, 1008 Third St., Sedro-Woolley. A reception will follow the services at the chapel. Inurnment will be at the Grandview Cemetery Mausoleum in Anacortes at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the Library of Congress. Please share your memories of Winifred and sign the online guestbook at www.lemleychapel.com.
