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- [S5] Obituary.
Theresa Wilton
Theresa Wilton, 93, passed away at Mount Angel Towers in Mount Angel, Oregon on Thursday, July 2, 2020. She was born Theresa Lorraine Gamache on July 28, 1926 in Yakima, Washington to the late Louise Anna (Champoux) Gamache and Albert Charles Gamache. Her childhood was spent in Toppenish, Washington on a hop farm with her mother and father, siblings Amos Gamache, Ambrose Gamache, Virgil Gamache, Francis Gamache, Olive Deitzen, and Sister Theresa Louise all who preceded her in death.
She married her high school sweetheart Gerald (Jerry) Frederick Wilton at Saint Pauls Cathedral in Seattle, Washington on February 12, 1945 while he was on leave from serving in the navy during World War II. After Jerry's return from the Pacific theater, they lived in Port Orchard, Washington for a short time. They then moved to Toppenish, Washington where they took up hop farming. The family expanded to include three children, Fredrick (Rick) Wilton, Kathy Ann (Wilton) Garling, and Gregory Charles Wilton. After many years they sold the farm and became partners in the Bi Mart Company in Yakima, Washington. In 1963 as the company grew and prospered, the family moved to Eugene, Oregon. Jerry managed the local Bi Mart store and Theresa settled into managing the household. They lived in Eugene for the next 28 years. During that time they built a cabin on the Oregon coast, water skied on Fern Ridge Reservoir, and extensively traveled the northwest in their Cessna airplane.
After Jerry retired, they moved to Green Valley, Arizona in 1990. They explored the southwest and enjoyed a cabin in the Santa Catalina mountains and a condo in Puerto Penasco, Mexico.
After living in Arizona for over 20 years Theresa and Jerry moved back to the Northwest to be near their children, eventually moving to Mount Angel Towers retirement home. Jerry passed in 2017 and was laid to rest in Willamette National Cemetary, where Theresa will also be laid to rest with Jerry.
Theresa is survived by her three children, Fredrick (Rick) Wilton (Sandy), Kathy Garling (Mike) and Greg (Carla), and her grandchildren Natalie Maarouf (Ebi), Emily Garling (Richard Perry), and Sara Stout (Shaun) and by her great grandchildren Jackson, Jamieson, Connor, Everett and McKenzie.
A sincere thank you to Mom's caregivers at Mt. Angel Towers Healthcare Center and to Providence Benedictine Home Health and Hospice. Mom was so appreciative of the care she was given and so was her family. Assisting the family is Unger Funeral Chapel - Silverton.
Please sign the guest book at www.registerguard.com/legacy
Published in Eugene Register-Guard from Aug. 21 to Aug. 23, 2020.
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