Margaret Allison Wiffin

Margaret Allison Wiffin died at the age of 93 on Thursday, Oct. 25.

She was born in Spokane, on March 12, 1919, to Reinhardt Gust and Maude Marie (Allison) Warsinske.

She graduated from Ritzville High School in 1938 and then attended two years of Business College.

After a high school romance, she married Owen Arthur Wiffin, on October 19, 1941.

Owen worked at Gust’s Shell Gas Station and ended up becoming part owner. He went into the Army in 1943, and spent two years in India on the Burma Road. She went to work at the Boeing Plant, building airplane parts for the war cause, and she worked in the courthouse in Ritzville and served as president of the American Legion.

They also ran a small grocery store in Seattle, where they ended up raising their daughter, Susan Margaret.

Owen got a job with Great Northern Railway and worked there for over 30 years. She worked at Lerner’s in the Northgate Mall for many years. In 1968, Owen’s job took them to Portland, Ore., where she worked as a Contract Station Postal Clerk for 11 years.

She enjoyed knitting, gardening, camping, traveling with her husband and being with her family. She won a cruise to Alaska that she really enjoyed and the trips to visit Susan in Hawaii. The couple traveled as much as they could to see all parts of the United States. With their love of the sun, it wasn’t long until they bought a place in Yuma, Ariz., and returned there every winter as snowbirds. They enjoyed having the grandkids visit as often as possible.

In 1992, they moved to Gig Harbor, Wash., and enjoyed life at The Lakes, a retirement community.

Following his death on May 8, 2011, she and Lovey the cat, moved to Peninsula, an adult community, and had a beautiful apartment on the second floor.

She was loved by all the residents and staff for her kind, caring nature and she was proud to still be living on her own at 93.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Reinhardt and Maude; her sister, Ruth Marie (Warsinske) Hille; and her husband of 70 years, Owen.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan Margaret (Wiffin-Hansen) Peeling of Gig Harbor, Wash .; three grandchildren, Roni Sue (Hansen) Miller, Jennifer Marie (Hansen) Fulford, Christopher Lee Hansen; and nine great-grandchildren.

A memorial Service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 12 p.m., at the Zion Philadelphia United Church of Christ in Ritzville. Inurnment is to be at the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery.