Elsie Margaret Hendrix Wilborn, 83, of Oak Harbor, passed away Saturday, April 6, 2013.
She was survived by her husband of 61 years, Cramer “Stretch” Wilborn.
Elsie Wilborn was born in Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 18, 1930, to the late David B. Hendrix and Lida Rule Hendrix. She graduated from Sevier County High School and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee.
Elsie served as an OB/GYN nurse for most her career, 15 years, at the naval hospital at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station before retiring.
She had a passionate regard for family planning services, staunchly supported women in having a voice in family planning and a decisive voice in their health.
Elsie went back to school in Newark, N.J., in the early 1970s to become one of the country’s first nurse practitioners, pioneering new territory between the roles of doctor and nurse in the treatment of patients and in family planning services.
She was married 61 years to Cramer “Stretch” Wilborn, who recently passed away on March 27, 2014.
She is survived by her four children, Michael Kay Wilborn (Katherine Hale) of Woodinville, Wash., Katherine Xina Barnes (David) of Jay, Fla., Linda Kay Fritsch (David) of Bremerton, Wash., and David Cramer Wilborn (Jessica Prince) of Mercer Island, Wash.
She is also survived by three grandchildren, Michael Wright (Tracy), Jonathan Fritsch (Vanessa) and Rebecca Cain (Michael), and nine great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, Elsie may be remembered through her life work in Planned Parenthood by way of donations made to International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF) — www.ippfwhr.org — a recognized international leader to ensure access to reproductive health care, especially for poor and vulnerable people, or through her passion for sewing by way of donations to Quilts of Valor, whose mission is to “cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing;” Quilts of Valor Foundation, P.O. Box 728 Lebanon, N.H., 03766.
Cramer “Stretch” Wilborn, 92, of Oak Harbor, passed away Thursday, March 27, 2014.
Cramer Wilborn was born in Bannister, Va., on March 17, 1922, to the late Zorah Mitchell Wilborn and Florence Virginia Cramer Wilborn. He was married 61 years to the late Elsie Margaret (Hendrix) Wilborn, who passed away last year, April 6, 2013, at age 83.
He graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in December 1942.
Cramer went on to get his pilot’s license from Feraldo’s Flying Service in August 1948, which shaped his career and life.
Fondly known to friends and family as “Stretch,” Cramer started his career in aviation when he joined the Navy in September 1942, serving 20 years as an aircraft mechanic aboard many aircraft carriers during both WWII and the Korean War and served at Whidbey Island under Heavy Attack Squadron Eight (VAH-8), before retiring a chief petty officer in December of 1964.
He later served in a civilian capacity at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station as head of the jet mechanics lab from 1967 until his second retirement.
Stretch also taught airframes and power-plants at Skagit Valley College.
Stretch logged thousands of hours of flight-time in dozens of different aircraft. His passion was intoxicating to anyone fortunate enough to share the cockpit with him.
He is survived by four children, Michael Kay Wilborn (Katherine Hale) of Woodinville, Katherine Xina Barnes (David) of Jay, Fla., Linda Kay Fritsch (David) of Bremerton, and David Cramer Wilborn (Jessica Prince) of Mercer Island.
He is also survived by three grandchildren, Michael Wright (Tracy), Jonathan Fritsch (Vanessa) and Rebecca Cain (Michael), and nine great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to National Naval Aviation Museum, where a memorial to his name will honor his life achievements in aviation, and which he befriended in his last days, keeping his spirits up to the end. https://secure.qgiv.com/for/namfcim
Memorial services for Elsie and Cramer are 2 p.m. May 24 at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 555 S.E. Regatta Drive, Oak Harbor, Wash.
