Gretchen Hendrickson, 94, of Leavenworth, Washington left this earth to be with her Lord on October 22, 2023. Born in North Dakota, she spent her early childhood in Wenatchee. In 1937 the family moved to Leavenworth. She graduated from LHS in 1947 and then attended WSU. She married Ray Hendrickson in September 1948 in Leavenworth where they raised four children on a beautiful farm. No stranger to hard work, she loved a rustic lifestyle-baking bread in her wood stove oven on laundry day because she had to heat water for the washing! She was an avid outdoors woman-she loved gardening and quilting as well. Many people have been blessed with produce from her gardens and many handmade items from quilts to soft leather baby booties. She was always busy at her sewing machine, making things for others. She continued to garden and quilt even into her last year of life!
She was preceded in death by her daughter Laura, her husband Ray, her parents, one sister and six brothers. She is survived by her brother Jim, sister-in-laws Kathy and Sylvia, her children Ole and daughter-in-law Kathy, Jan and son-in-law Steve, and Kristy; grandchildren Brad, Andy, Heidi, Becca, Heather and AJ; great-grandchildren Kianna, Isaiah, Lydia, Rayna, Tobiah, Jana, Micah, Caleb, Avery, Oliver, Emmitt and Nolan, a special childhood friend Pauline and loving caregiver Theresa.
A celebration of Gretchen’s life will be held on a Sunday in July at the homestead where we can gather to honor her life and share memories.