The light morning fog had burned off on Saturday, May 9, 1925 and the Edmonds to Kingston ferry, which had just celebrated its second anniversary the week before, was departing, taking eight cars and visitors across to Kingston. Uptown on Main Street citizens and visitors were frequenting the newly established Edmonds Electric Bakery and the Princess Theater. The theater’s matinee feature was Zane Grey’s The Thundering Herd.

But one of the busiest Edmonds visitors that week was making a delivery to a birthing house across from Edmonds City Park.  As reported in the Edmonds Tribune-Review the following Friday, the stork made five deliveries to Edmonds parents the previous week. On Saturday, he delivered a daughter to Belle and Ralph Sorensen. June Elise Sorensen was their fifth child.

The delivery went well and soon after the birth the proud parents took their daughter to their home to 222 3rd Ave. The Sorensen home had been purchased eight years earlier from John Hobson, who had built the house in 1906.

It is also wonderful to report that June Sorensen (Crump) is still sturdily standing as well. As a researcher and writer, I have had the great pleasure of corresponding with June over the past three years on a few subjects regarding Edmonds history. But recently I realized she was coming up on a monumental birthday. I had the opportunity to travel north to Bellingham — with her son Bob — to meet June and to talk about her memories of Edmonds over the past one hundred years.

Author’s note: If you were to meet June, you would think she is probably around 70 years old. Her memory is amazing, and her thought processes are crystal clear. She lives independently in a home that she and her husband (Bill) purchased 22 years ago. She drives her car across town several days a week to play bridge at the Bellingham Country Club and maintains her own home and garden.

As we sat and talked over lunch at June’s beautiful house, I asked her if she would be so kind as to provide me with her thoughts and memories decade by decade since 1925.  She modestly said she would try to remember and subsequently recounted the following.

Late 1920s – early 1930s.

I had four older siblings, and I remember going down the street where they were playing and asking, “Can I play too?”  Not always wanting a younger child around, I was told: “Go sit on the curb and listen for the wind to blow.”

At other times we all played together on a swing set and in the yard of a house on the corner. But when 3 p.m. came and we heard the whistle at the Quality Shingle Mill, indicating a shift change, that meant that it was time to head home.

The 1930s – The Depression era 

I remember asking my dad for something and he would say “honey, we have to wait for our ship to come in.” As a young girl I would watch the ships coming into Puget Sound, and I would run to ask my dad if that was our ship.

I remember my parents putting cardboard inside our shoes, to cover up the holes in the soles.

As a youngster we would go up to the Edmonds Opera House and look under the stairs for coins after the weekend dances. If we found a penny or more, we would ask to go to Bienz Confectionery to get pieces of candy.

When I was in grade school one of my favorite teachers was Gwen Shakespeare, and Frances Anderson was our principal.

Below our house to the west there were thick woods and several ponds. We often played there. In the wintertime the ponds would freeze over and we would ice skate on them.

After ice skating we would build large bonfires, roast hotdogs and marshmallows in the area that is now Harbor Square.

Author’s note: The ponds would have been where the Edmonds sewage treatment plant is now located and east of where Highway 104 is situated. There is still a swampy area east of Highway 104, which might have been connected to the Edmonds Marsh at one time.

I also remember during the summer we would play around the yard and under the sprinklers that were on our lawn. We would get chilled and then lay on our backs on the sidewalk to get warm.

We would watch the ice deliveryman swing the block of ice over his shoulder with a hook as he delivered ice for our ice box. We would ask him if he would give us a chip off one of the blocks to eat.

I recall going to the Hunziker Stop & Shop grocery store, which was a cash and carry store in the Fourtner Building on the corner of 5th and Main. I went for my mother, who would see advertisements in the Edmonds Tribune-Review for something that was on sale. Off I would go to get the item. If I remember correctly, Durbin’s was on the corner, then Hunziker’s and then Crow Hardware. There was a stairway between Durbin’s and Hunziker’s that led to the apartments on the second floor.

Author’s note: Today this would be the space from Starbucks running south on 5th Avenue South to the Edmonds Bookshop.

As kids we would “soap” windows on Halloween, but we didn’t do anything more.

When we were a little older, in the winter three or four of us would go to the top of Dayton Street and sled from there down to the railroad tracks.

1940s: Employment, Graduation, WWII, Marriage — beginning of military life

When I was 15, I went to work at the Princess Theatre,which is now the Edmonds Theater. I worked as an usher and cashier. I earned 35 cents per hour. I worked for Mr. and Mrs. Berry and Mr. and Mrs. Brown until I graduated from high school.

When I first started working it was still at the end of the Great Depression and there were still a few “hoboes” — as we called them then –around. I was instructed to come straight home and be aware of my surroundings. One night when I got home my parents weren’t home yet, so I went next door to our neighbors as I had been instructed. But they weren’t home either. So, I went back to our house and hid on the front porch. When my parents arrived about 10 minutes later, and my father went to park the car, there was a man in the driveway. The man never tried to harm me, but he could have. My grandmother, like others, fed the men that were down and out at the time.

In the summer of 1941, I remember Lionel Brown, the owner/manager of the theater being so excited when we got a popcorn machine. We had never had one before.

When the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, it was a Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941 and everyone was glued to the radio listening to the news and the President.

The next day at school, all the talk was about the attack and the fact that the United States was entering the war.

After the shock of the attack on Pearl Harbor life went on, but there were lots of changes. There were blackouts. Everyone covered their windows and there were no lights allowed at night.

There was rationing of food and gas. As kids we walked down the middle of the street, there was no traffic, as gasoline was not available.

There were lots of places to purchase “war bonds.” We had a contest at the high school to see who could sell the most war bonds, and I won.  My cousin took second place.

There were collection points for rubber and metal in the middle of the street. I and others volunteered to be “airplane spotters” working on a watch tower that had been erected down near the waterfront.

Food and supplies were uncertain, so everyone raised a large “victory” garden. We had a huge garden, potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, beets, green beans. We also had fruit trees and raspberries. My mother canned everything. If my dad had shot a deer, she would make meatballs and canned them. They also made mincemeat from deer meat and canned it. My father liked to fish and hunt and of course would bring home clams and crab. I don’t really like clams as we often had them for dinner either in chowder or fried. We also had chickens, as did all our neighbors.

During the war my oldest sister Lillian joined the Women’s Auxiliary Corp (WAC), my oldest brother Roy was in the Marine reserves and worked at Suburban Transportation, my brother Bob was in the U.S. Navy and my youngest sister Annie worked for the government in Tacoma. My youngest brother Ralph Jr. was too young to work.

Author’s note: A look at June’s 1943 Edmonds High School yearbook photos and notations provided a sense of who she was then.

Her yearbook read: “June, leader in many activities, is President of the Girl’s Club and of the Snohomish County Girls’ Club. June is the recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution award this year.”

Those medals were presented to children, grades 5-12 who were dedicated to honor, service, courage, leadership and patriotism.

June’s memories continued:

After high school I went to work for Puget Sound Power & Light in Seattle. I took the bus to work and did filing and typing for them. Then I started classes at the University of Washington and got a part-time job at Suburban Transportation in Seattle. (Note: Suburban Transportation was the new name after the merger of the Yost Bus Company and Seattle Coach Company.)

Suburban Transportation hired several of the pilots returning from WWII. There I met and started to date John “Bill” Crump.

We were married at the Hughes Memorial Church in Edmonds in the autumn of 1946.

After we were married, we lived in an apartment for a few months while Bill and a neighbor built us a small house out of building materials Bill had obtained at Paine Field. The address was 18902 94th W. in Edmonds. We later added an upper level in 1953.

Author’s note: June and Bill continued to own the house until 1989.

For the first two years of our marriage Bill kept flying both professionally and recreationally. He gave flying lessons and flew from Paine Field to various locations in the Alaskan bush, delivering goods and supplies.

In October 1948 we welcomed our first son, Terry, to the family. Terry was born at Swedish Hospital in Seattle.

Bill missed the military though, so he reenlisted and we moved to Germany from 1949 until 1952. While we were in Germany, Bill was active in the Berlin airlift, flying food and supplies into West Berlin.

In 1952 we moved back to McChord for a short period of time. While at McChord our second son, Bob, was born. Bill’s squadron was then moved to Moses Lake in 1953.

We lived in Moses Lake for five years (1953-1957). While we were stationed there, we welcomed our third and fourth sons, Eric in 1953 and David in 1955.

In late 1957 we moved to Japan. We were in Japan from 1957 – 1959. Bill was flying and providing security services.

From Japan we moved to Hawaii for two years (1959-60) and then on to San Antonio, Texas (1961-1962).

We had been able to come back for about nine months in 1957 and lived in our house until we departed to Japan. Outside of that short period our immediate family was stationed around the world for 14 years. We did, however, come home for a short visit during the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.

My siblings for the most part remained in the Edmonds area, so we did hear about Edmonds through the years. My oldest sister Lil and youngest brother Ralph Jr. lived in the family home at 222 3rd Ave. My older brother Roy lived on 3rd Avenue and my older sister Annie resided on Hindley Lane. Only my older brother Bob moved away to California.

1963-1966 Reestablishing roots and JFK assassination.

In 1963, I told Bill that I and the boys weren’t going to move anymore. The boys and I came back to our home on 94th Street and the boys entered the Edmonds School District. Terry was 15, Bob 11, Eric 10 and David 8. Later, Terry graduated from Meadowdale High School because of the boundary then, and Bob, Eric and Dave graduated from Edmonds High School.

When we arrived back in Edmonds, I was saddened to find that the Hughes Memorial Church, where we were married, had been demolished. Also, some of the older stores that I grew up with were gone and new ones had taken their place.

There were, however, several stores in the downtown area where I shopped including Weller’s Men’s Shop and Orner’s Shoes. There were also a couple of nice dress shops, as well as kitchen and gift shops.

There wasn’t much going on in the downtown area in the evenings; most of the shops closed at 5 or 6. I remember Tucson’s Restaurant that was in downtown Edmonds for many years, first on Main Street between 4th and 5th and later the corner of Third and Main.

There was a lack of good restaurants in the downtown area. What was nice about a small town was the fact that the owners knew their customers.

On Nov. 22, 1963 we watched the news regarding the assassination of President Kennedy while he was riding in a motorcade in front of the Texas School Book Repository in Dallas, and we later watched the suspected assassin Lee Harvey Oswald being shot and killed by Jack Ruby in the Dallas prison’s hallway. It was a devastating time for our country.

While I and the boys were settling back into life in Edmonds, Bill was still active in the military until 1966, being stationed in Turkey and then Omaha, Nebraska before retiring.

1966-1973

During this period, we as a family were happy to be back home in Edmonds. We were busy raising the four boys. I worked part time at Crow’s Hardware Store. My older sister Annabelle had married David Crow, the owner.

Bill worked for Boeing, Safeco and for Crow’s Hardware as well.

We bought a cabin in Skykomish and spent a lot of fun times skiing and having family and friends join us.

1973-1983 Bill’s Hardware& Marine

When Dave Crow decided to sell his hardware business to Edmonds Lumber, Bill and I decided to open our own hardware store. Our store was in the plaza where the Cascadia Museum is today. At the time the plaza was also the home to a large Safeway store, a liquor store and a laundry.

During those 10 years we had lots of customers, made many friends, and helped people with their hardware needs. Bill would often go out to their homes and businesses to assist them, if needed.

1983-1989 Edmonds Civic Involvement

After we left the hardware business, Bill was involved in several civic activities surrounding the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the restoration of the Veterans’ Memorial Monument that now resides at the Edmonds Cemetery. Bill also bought an airplane and was providing air services for different events.

One of the events was at the Lavender Festival in Sequim. After seeing Sequim and the area, we decided to retire to the “sun belt.” We sold our home for over 40 years and bought an acre with a house on it above Sequim.

1989-2003 Retirement in Sequim and 911

We continued to be busy with “retirement.” Bill became active in the Rotary, American Legion and VFW in Sequim. I volunteered at a consignment store, and we welcomed our children and grandchildren whenever they could come to visit.

We also traveled back and forth to see family and friends in Edmonds. During those 14 years we were amazed at how expensive it was becoming to live in the Edmonds area.

On Sept. 11, 2001 I heard about the attack in New York on television and told Bill to turn on the television in his room to see what was happening. That day terrorists hijacked four passenger planes and crashed two into the World Trade Centers’ twin towers in New York Center, and one into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the crew and passengers fought back. Like the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, it was a sad day in America and yet the incidents brought us together as a nation.

2003-current day

In 2003, Bill’s health started to decline so we decided it was time to move back, but we found we could not afford to purchase a home in Edmonds. Given that our eldest son, Terry, was living in Bellingham, we decided to move there. We liked Bellingham due to its size, a small town like Edmonds and it also brought us close to family.

—-

On Feb. 8, 2008 Bill passed away. Despite the loss of her husband of more than 61 years, June has continued to be a model of consistency and strength. She still comes to Edmonds, seeing family and friends and visiting Bill’s and family members’ gravesites.

When I asked June to reflect upon what her impressions of Edmonds are today, here is what she said.

“The changes in Edmonds are unbelievable. The drive into the city is still the same, seeing the water and the Olympics but old homes are replaced by condominiums. The shops are still nice but updated. So nice to still see the Edmonds Bakery and Princess Theatre. Sunset Avenue has lost its charm with so many large homes being built.”

I then asked June one final question: “Is there anything you would like to tell the Edmonds population today?” Her reply:

“Edmonds is a charming, picturesque community with so many more activities than what I had. Enjoy your surroundings and keep the small-town image if possible.”

In reflection:

When I first spoke to June via email a couple of years ago I didn’t stop to think about what her life span had encompassed.

Imagine…

Being a sophomore in high school when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred and as a teenager volunteering to be a aircraft spotter on a two-story platform built near the Edmonds waterfront.

Later marrying a war hero, army pilot and traveling the world as a military family for 14 years while raising four sons. This included a perilous time in Germany while your husband was flying food and supplies into West Berlin during the Berlin airlifts.

Arriving back home in Edmonds at age 38, reestablishing roots with your four sons, while your husband is in the military for two more years, one year abroad. Experiencing the shock of the JFK assassination and trying to make sense of it for yourself and your youngsters.

Becoming deeply involved in Edmonds both in civic affairs and in running a successful business for over a decade.

Semi-retirement in Sequim for 14 years while maintaining close ties to family and friends in Edmonds.

Living through the tragedy of 911 as a long-time military family.

In 2003, deciding to move back for your husband’s health reasons and discovering you could no longer afford to live where you had grown up.

Finally relocating to the small town environment of Bellingham, close to your oldest son in 2003. Despite losing your long-time husband five years later, you continue to live independently for the next 17 years.

On May 9, June will celebrate her 100th birthday with many of her family members and friends. Her four sons and their families live close: Terry in Bellingham, Bob and Eric in Edmonds, and David in Brier. June also has seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren nearby.

What an amazing life and still going strong.  Happy Birthday, June!

Thanks go to June Sorensen Crump and Bob Crump for their assistance in researching this article and providing photographs of June’s life.  Additionally, thanks go to the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society and the Edmonds Historical Museum for their assistance.

For further information on the life of John William “Wild Bill” Crump, you can read our two-part article: part one here and part two here.  You can also read about the history of June’s paternal grandfather, O.C. Sorensen, here.