Eulogey
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Middle Aged (35-54)Accents
US African AmericanTranscript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
Gretchen Valade was born on June 19th to Monroe and Bertha Randall. She was the third child of their eventual four. She grew up in a great neighborhood full of kids in the rainier beach community of Seattle days were spent biking, skating, climbing trees and playing kick the can in the alley until the street lights came on. The family also spent time at Hood canal camping in the Pacific Northwest and doing cross country road trips to see family in Indiana. Gretchen attended Emerson Elementary and Rainer Beach High School. After high school, Gretchen went to Central Washington University where she earned a degree in elementary education with teaching jobs in the Seattle area. In short supply, her option was to go to Oregon, which she didn't want to do so. She went to work at the post office. Instead, she started working for the post office around 1976. Following, after her father and brother there, she met Floyd Vale Junior. The two started dating and soon were married and bought a house in the Highland Park neighborhood of Seattle. Floyd. The third moved in with them full time shortly after Gretchen and Floyd later had two daughters, Lindsay and Christy Gretchen was very involved in the kids' lives. She was a scout leader for Floyd's boy scout troop and president of the PT A at Highland Park for several years where she organized bazaars and fundraisers for the school. She would make the family's Halloween costumes, most notably a Christmas tree, Donald Duck and the entire cast of the Wizard of Oz. She was always willing to help with fundraisers and chaperone trips. She went to Russia with Christie to Hawaii and California with the All City band and Victoria BC with the South High school marching band. When the girls were in high school. Gretchen was a part of the parents group for the All City marching band. She would make pins for the school and for the band, she would often car pool, Lindsay and Christie and friends to various parades around the city and she could also be found giving out water to the band at the end of the parades. Gretchen was an avid bowler. She continued to bowl while pregnant with both the girls and up until last year when COVID shut down the bowling alleys, she would make trips to bowl at nationals including trips to South Carolina and several to Reno. Gretchen was welcoming to all people and pets alike. She opened her house and basement to many of her children's friends. Several moved in for weeks or months. At a time, some friends never left. She made a home that was safe and welcoming for everyone. She treated all of her children's friends like they were hers. And Gretchen had many sons and daughters over the years. She also loved animals. I don't remember a time there wasn't an animal in her house over the over the years she's had countless cats, dogs, a rabbit or two and a bunch of fish, one fish. One of the girls got it at a school carnival. Ended up living for about 15 years. She would often run into people she knew anywhere and everywhere. Much to the embarrassment of her Children. Even on a family trip to Glacier National Park, Gretchen ran into someone she knew from Highland Park. She was friendly to everyone, friends and strangers alike and she could strike up a conversation with anyone in line at a grocery store. Gretchen was the type of person people went to for advice. She was always willing to lend an ear to those that needed to vent as well as those seeking advice. Oftentimes her advice came back to us in the form of a question about our feelings and what we thought we should do rather than telling us what to do. This. January Gretchen was given the devastating diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer. The last six months have been full of surgery treatments, appointments and discomfort. Gretchen remained positive and always responded to the question of how are you doing with good? Even when we knew she wasn't after having a blood clot go from her leg to her lung. Gretchen left us on July 27th, leaving her family and friends gutted, but grateful for her love and lasting influence in all of our lives.