Virginia Rosalie Blomgren, age 86, of Forks died of pneumonia at Forks Community Hospital on June 14, 2010. A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 24, 2010, at 1 p.m. at the Forks Congregational Church.
She was born in Raymond Washington on September 20, 1923 to Harry E. and Cecelia (Jacobs) Huling. In Raymond her father was manager of the Case Shingle Co. mills, owned by his uncle Elmer Case, known then as the “Shingle King of America.” At age one Virginia moved with her parents and older brother C. Wayne Huling to Fairfax, Washington, where her father started his own shingle mill, the Carbon River Shingle Company. She spent a happy childhood in “camp” surrounded by Huling aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. When the railroad spur shipping the shingles to market closed just as the depression began, her father and his brothers searched for a place where cedar was plentiful and railroads not required. Forks Shingle Co. was established south of Forks and the clan moved again, this time to their permanent home.

Virginia attended high school in Forks, where she had many friends and happy times, graduating at age 16 in 1940. She continued her education at Edison Business College in Seattle. She and brother Wayne lived in a Capitol Hill boarding house, where she met her future husband, Joseph J. Blomgren from Weston, Oregon.
In 1941 when WWII broke out, Joe joined the Army Air Force and Virginia returned to Forks to help out at the mill, made short-handed by the war. Virginia often caught the school bus after work to spend the night with her mother, who during that period was teaching school on the Lower Hoh, then rode the school bus back to the mill in the morning.

Joe and Virginia were married in the Congregational Church in Forks on May 23, 1944. Joe’s assignments with the Air Force afforded the newlyweds several exciting years of travel around the country. In 1947 he was assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, where Virginia and Joe welcomed their first daughter Brenda in 1948.
In 1949 Joe left the Air Force and the young couple settled in Forks, where they had two more daughters, Jo Ann, in 1951, and Jennifer in 1954.

Virginia was a loving and devoted daughter,sister, wife and mother. Her heart was generous and open; she always looked on the bright side, finding the best in everyone. She never complained about anything, even as her health declined. She loved animals and adopted many strays. She loved music and enjoyed it all her life, from playing clarinet in a dance band during high school to serving as organist and choir director at the Forks Congregational Church for many years. She also taught many in the Forks community to play the piano by giving lessons in her home. When her daughters were in high school she taught herself to sew and made them beautiful dresses for the school dances. She enjoyed her home and worked many hours at making her yard beautiful. She and Joe were active in the Forks community and enjoyed
many square dances and Fireman’s Balls with their large group of friends. She was a talented bookkeeper and businesswoman. In 1964 Joe and Virginia along with partners Arvil and Betty Silcox started Forks Telecable Co. Virginia was the company’s business manager until the company was sold and she retired in 1988.

She is survived by her husband of 66 years at the family home, daughters Brenda Abrams (Ted Connely) of Beaver, Jo Ann (Randy) Allen, of Forks, Jennifer Blomgren, of Port Townsend, and nephews Richard (Nancy) Huling and family and James Huling, all of Seattle. She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren, Rex Allen of Forks, Norman Fraker, Celia (Andrew) Formiller, and Jessica Abrams, and great grandchildren Molly and Eric Formiller and Mary Valiant, all of Albany, OR.
Memorial contributions may be made to Friends of Forks Animals Shelter Fund at First Federal, or to the Forks Congregational Church at P.O. Box 266, Forks WA 98331.
 
Robert William Sisson passed away on July 13th at Forks Long Term Care where he resided for the last 3 years.
Robert William Sisson was born to Dewitt Clinton and Nettie E. (Burger) Sisson on their Upper Elwha River homestead on April 18, 1919. Dewitt & Nettie owned and operated the Mountain Inn on the Upper Elwha where they horse-packed people and supplies into the Olympics and raised their 4 children and niece.

Jeanne Harlow Schumann and nephew Jim Harlow. Bob played a major role in Jeanne’s upbringing and he was her favorite!
He attended Lincoln and Dry Creek schools and graduated in 1938 from Roosevelt High School after which he worked in the logging industry. He then joined the Army-Air Corps in 1941 and was stationed in Colorado, Texas, Utah, Nebraska and Arizona for various gunnery and armor schools; in Marana, AZ for Steerman/Pilot school, and then as a tail gunner in Italy, Germany & Romania on B-17 bombers. He returned to Port Angeles after World War II ended where he married Betty Butler in 1945 and they had 2 children, Joel and Diane. They divorced in 1960 and he later married Colleen Heathers, adopting her daughter Christie at that time.

Mr. Sisson was a logger in the Port Angeles, Forks, Clallam Bay areas most of his life and also spent many years working as a pile buck for Owens Brothers on such projects as the lower Elwha one lane bridge, Morse Creek Bridge and many waterfront projects.

He is survived by Joel Sisson (Melissa) of Port Angeles, Diane Sisson Edwards ( Jim) of Forks and Christie Ernest (Bob) of Mooresville, North Carolina. Grandchildren include Janell Edwards Schuller ( Jerry), Justin Edwards, Bill Sisson (Keenya) and Jade Ernest. Great-grandchildren include Cora (14), Conlon (10) and Ryan (6). He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Lorna Harlow, and brothers Harold and Clinton.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Edwards cabin on the Sol Duc River at Eagle Point at Milepost 202, 634 Stormin Norman, on Sunday, July 25th at 1:00 p.m. Please bring pictures and/or memories to share. Food will be provided.
The family would like to thank Dr. John Shima and the wonderful nurses, aides and staff at Forks Long Term for the care and compassion given to their friend “blue eyes.” You are all truly wonderful!

Memorial contributions can be made to the Clallam County Humane Society or Forks Long Term Care Activity Program.

Posted July 22, 2010