MERNA JEAN (PRICE) GILBERT

Merna Jean (Price) Gilbert left her body and went home to the Lord on a beautiful Friday evening May 7, 2010. (2 Cor. 5:6-9)

Born Phyllis Ann in Longview, Wash., August 21, 1932 to Jim and Merna Price, she was quickly renamed by her grandfather to Merna Jean after her mother and her joyful nature (Merna is Gaelic for merry).

She attended R. A. Long High School where she sang in the chorale group for civic luncheons. She also sang for St. Stephens Episcopal Church functions. There, Merna was recognized for her dedicated service to the church. The Price family moved to the Warm Beach area in 1949, where Merna graduated from Twin City High School in 1950, continuing to sing for civic forums with the Twin City High School choral group.

During that summer she worked at the Stanwood Hitching Post grocery store.

On January 6, 1951 she married James N. Gilbert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Seattle. Jim’s family had moved into the Warm Beach area in 1947 from Beacon Hill, Seattle. They built a farmhouse and lived on Port Susan Bay in Warm Beach and raised two girls and two boys. She was a busy mom and homemaker, chasing and busing kids, gardening, canning, sewing, cooking and serving the community. She was a Campfire leader for many years in the 1960s with her oldest daughter, Lory in the group.

Merna and Jim also enjoyed travel and camping.

After the children left home, Merna kept active by volunteering at the Cascade Valley Hospital gift shop, selling Avon, serving the Warm Beach Community Association and the Warm Beach Community Church where she was known as a wonderful cook, hugger, encourager and for her homemade communion elements.

Serving God and her community gave her life meaning and purpose but it was her ability to help people that really made the difference. Merna and Jim adopted whole families and treated them as their own. She was mom and grandma to many.

Loving to sing, Merna joined the Skagit Valley Chorale with family and friends in 1995 until her stroke in May of 2009. Earlier that year, Merna and Jim made Jake’s House Prayer and Worship Center in Arlington, their new church home, where she again enjoyed singing and hugging anyone who needed it.

When the stroke hit last May, Merna lost her ability to encourage, hug, cook and walk but her determination carried on with a twinkle in her eye and her little red heart on her glasses, where it’s been for everyone to see.

Even in her last few months, Merna was teaching her family to be closer and to take care of each other and themselves, so they would be ready when she left.

She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, James N. Gilbert, her brother Jim (Eva) Price and brotherin law Palmer Odegard, her children Lory Lukehart, Wendel (Rhoda) Gilbert, Yvonne (Alan) Thomle, and Thomas Gilbert, grandchildren Trinity (Marcus) Derick, Ben (Lauren) Lukehart, Ken (Kelsey) Lukehart, Rosie Gilbert, Nick Gilbert, Aaron Thomle, Jonathan (Laura) Thomle and greatgrandchildren Cameron and Caden Derick, Olivia, Alexander and Ashton Lukehart and Samuel Thomle.

Her extended family is too numerous to mention here.

She loved us all and we miss her.

Viewing was May 13 and 14 at Gilbertson Fuenral Home, 27001 88th Ave. NW, Stanwood.

A public memorial and a reception will be held Sunday, May 23, 6:30 p.m. at Jake’s House, Prayer and Worship Center, 18824 Smokey Point Boulevard, Arlington.

Memorials can be given to the Skagit Valley Chorale.

Arrangements are under the care of Gilbertson Funeral Home, Stanwood.