Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
Subscribers Edition, where 450 of 700 stories originate
The most in-depth, comprehensive site about the Skagit
Covers from British Columbia to Puget Sound. Counties covered: Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Snohomish & BC. An evolving history dedicated to committing random acts of historical kindness

Noel V. Bourasaw, editor 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284 Home of the Tarheel Stomp Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug
Site founded Sept. 1, 2000. We passed 5 million page views on June 6, 2011 The home pages remain free of any charge. We need donations or subscriptions to continue. Please pass on this website link to your family, relatives, friends and clients.

R.I.P. Fred Slipper

Born May 14, 1917 . . . Died Oct. 30, 2007

Any time, any amount, please help build our travel and research fund for what promises to be a very busy 2011, traveling to mine resources from California to Washington and maybe beyond. Depth of research determined by the level of aid from readers. Because of our recent illness, our research fund is completely bare. See many examples of how you can aid our project and help us continue for another ten years. And subscriptions to our optional Subscribers Online Magazine (launched 2000) by donation too. Thank you.

We recently visited our newest sponsor, Plumeria Bay, which is based in Birdsview, just a short walk away from the Royal family's famous Stumpranch, and is your source for the finest down bedding. See our Journal feature on this local business and learn more details and how to order items at their website.

Frederick Ward Slipper, age 90, died October 30, 2007, in Olympia, Washington. He was born May 14, 1917, to Gertrude and Fred G. Slipper in Hamilton, Washington. [G is for Gooch, a family name.]
Fred attended elementary school there and graduated from Hamilton High School in 1935. He attended the University of Washington for three years and was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. Fred married Virginia Fellows of Lyman, Washington in 1940. [Virginia is the daughter of Fred Fellows, a longtime banker in Lyman and Sedro-Woolley.]
Fred spent two years in Europe during World War II and returned to Sedro-Woolley, Washington in 1946 and began his career in banking. In 1950, he and Virginia and their young family moved to Ritzville, Washington where he accepted a position as manager of the Ritzville State Bank.
In 1975, Fred retired from banking and he and Virginia returned to Sedro-Woolley where be began his second career as manager of the Courier Times newspaper. Fred was with the Courier Times until 2000. While at the Courier Timess, Fred also discovered a talent for writing short articles and he wrote 264 installments of "Slipper's Soliloquies" for theCourier Times, chronicling life and times in the Sedro-Woolley, Lyman and Hamilton region of Skagit County during his lifetime.
Fred was proud to have been the first World War II veteran elected Commander of the American Legion Post in Sedro-Woolley. [He also provided over the launch of the Loggerodeo celebration in 1948.] He was also proud of his membership in the Lions Clubs of Sedro-Woolley and Ritzville for over 60 years.
Fred is survived by his wife Virginia Slipper of Olympia, Washington. His sons; Fred H. of Olympia, John of Seattle, Andrew of Spokane, and his daughter, Mary Leisle of Spokane. Nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Graveside Services will be Tuesday, November 6, 2007, at 11:00AM at Hawthorne Lawn Memorial Park in Mount Vernon with Pastor Jay Wise of Burlington officiating. Memorials are suggested to the Sedro-Woolley Lions Club. Arrangements and Services under the care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.

Links, background reading and sources

The Slipper brothers help define Hamilton and the Sprinkle sisters tame them. With links to all the Slipper stories.
History of the Hamilton area of the upper Skagit River before the Hamilton Family arrived. With updated links to Hamilton stories.
You can find links to many more features and pioneers at this Upriver Portal website.

Story posted on Nov. 10, 2007, moved to this domain Dec. 12, 2007 . . . Please report any broken links so we can update them
This article originally appeared in Issue 41 of our Subscribers-paid Journal online magazine

Return to the new-domain home page

Links for portals to subjects and towns

Newest photo features

Search entire site

See this Journal website for a timeline of local, state, national, international events for years of the pioneer period.

Did you enjoy this story? Remember, as with all our features, this story is a draft and will evolve as we discover more information and photos. This process continues until we eventually compile a book about Northwest history. Can you help?

Remember; we welcome correction & criticism.

Please report any broken links or files that do not open and we will send you the correct link. With more than 550 features, we depend on your report. Thank you.

Read about how you can order CDs that include our photo features from the first five years of our Subscribers Edition. Perfect for gifts.

You can click the donation button to contribute to the rising costs of this site. You can also subscribe to our optional Subscribers-Paid Journal magazine online, which has entered its seventh year with exclusive stories, in-depth research and photos that are shared with our subscribers first. You can go here to read the preview edition to see examples of our in-depth research or read how and why to subscribe.

You can read the history websites about our prime sponsors
Would you like information about how to join them?

Jones and Solveig Atterberry, NorthWest Properties Aiken & Associates: . . . See our website
Please let us show you residential and commercial property in Sedro-Woolley and Skagit County 2204 Riverside Drive, Mount Vernon, Washington . . . 360 708-8935 . . . 360 708-1729

Oliver Hammer Clothes Shop at 817 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 86 years.

Joy's Sedro-Woolley Bakery-Cafe at 823 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley.

Check out Sedro-Woolley First section for links to all stories and reasons to shop here first
or make this your destination on your visit or vacation.

Are you looking to buy or sell a historic property, business or residence?
We may be able to assist. Email us for details.

Peace and quiet at the Alpine RV Park, just north of Marblemount on Hwy 20
Park your RV or pitch a tent by the Skagit River, just a short drive from Winthrop or Sedro-Woolley

Did you find what you were seeking? We have helped many people find individual names or places, so email if you have any difficulty.

Tip: Put quotation marks around a specific name or item of two words or more, and then experiment with different combinations of the words without quote marks. We are currently researching some of the names most recently searched for — check the list here. Maybe you have searched for one of them?

Please sign our guestbook so our readers will know where you found out about us, or share something you know about the Skagit River or your memories or those of your family. Share your reactions or suggestions or comment on our Journal. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to visit our site.

View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook

Email us at: skagitriverjournal@gmail.com

Mail copies/documents to Street address: Skagit River Journal, 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, WA, 98284.