Clara Emily Johnson was born to Mathies and Martha Stolsvik Johnson on June 14, 1908 in the small town of Roseau, Minnesota. Both of her parents were from Norway but met and married in the United States. Clara was one of nine children who worked on the family?s farm which grew wheat, barley, and rye. They had a few horses and cows which needed tending too. Life was hard but Clara had fond memories of some of her siblings, her mother, and her Uncle Laurtis. Clara was first married to Clifford Cash which she had two daughters: Elaine and Marian. This marriage did not last and was bitterly short. After her divorce she moved to work with her sister, Ollie. The two of them lived and worked together in the restaurant business and helped each other take care of their children. From Montana they quickly opened their own diner in Spokane, Washington. In her early twenties Clara met and married William Bill Cummins in Spokane, Washington. Bill adopted Clara?s two girls. Together they had a daughter, Billie Jo. They raised the three girls and were married for over 40 years! Even though they met in Spokane, they did not stay there. They were one of the first 50 families who pioneered in Grand Coulee in the building of the dam. During World War II they moved back to Spokane where Clara worked as a civilian with the 2nd Air Force at Geiger Field Air Force Base. Clara was the first female aluminum welder in the state of Washington. She was flown to many different areas to weld aircraft. She welded the famous ?Susy Q? war bomber. She was one of few to have her name on that plane. That plane flew 50 missions before it took a hit. That hole almost nicked Clara?s name. This plane was used to sell war bonds from then on. After the war, Clara & Bill with their children, moved to Seattle. They bought and ran a hardware store. Clara got a job at J.C. Penney?s. Bill?s health suffered because of the damp climate so in the late 1940's they moved to Kennewick, Washington. Clara was able to transfer to a J.C. Penney?s store in Kennewick. Bill and Clara owned a horse meat market with Bill?s brother and his wife. Bill earned money as an electrician. Clara continued to work at the department store and both worked at the meat market in their spare time. It was during these years that Clara & Bill took up flying small aircraft. Both obtained their pilot?s licenses and took many flights in their Cessna airplane. In 1972, Bill Cummins passed away. Even though his health hadn?t been good it was a shock to the whole family when he died suddenly of a heart attack. He was sorely missed and Clara stayed a widow for eight years. During these years, Clara became a tour guide in the Philippines. She made 17 trips to the Philippine Islands. When she wasn?t traveling she sold Avon cosmetics. In 1980, Clara married Stan Anderson, an old family friend. Stan was a retired tool and die man machinist. They took up traveling together and visited many countries on many continents. They also traveled to many of the states in the United States. They saw many sights, met many friends and relatives. Unfortunately, Stan was struck with Alzheimer?s disease and eventually had to live in a nursing home. Clara went and saw him often with her family. She made arrangements to stay with him at the nursing home during the holidays. In the first presidential election that Clara was old enough to vote in, she remembers voting for L. Smith who did not win the election. She lived through many United States Presidents...beginning with Teddy Roosevelt, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and now, George W. Bush. In Clara?s lifetime she has seen many historical events. She was alive during the sinking of the Titanic, the Great Depression, the assassination of John & Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., the outlawing of racial segregation and discrimination, Neil Armstrong?s first walk on the moon, and Watergate. She?s lived through World War I, Pearl Harbor & World War II, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and now Freedom for Iraq. All wars are awful but she told me that she thought World War II was probably the worst because of the terrible things Hitler did. Granny has been witness to many changes in the world. From the first mass produced Ford automobiles to the elegant Grand Marquee; from outdoor outhouses to indoor automatic flush toilets; from operator assisted telephones to cellular phones; from ?Lindy? crossing the Atlantic to space ships landing on Mars; from room sized computers that add, subtract, multiply, and divide to lap top micro computer with giga-byte hard drives; from the ?Brownie? camera to palm sized video camcorders; from cross country trips in unreliable cars that take many days or weeks to a flight on a jet that takes but a few hours. Life wasn?t always easy but she always made the best of it. She welcomed many people into her home through the years, fixed many meals, and made many beds. She was always there to lend a helping hand. She has experience joy and sorrow. Her three children gave her 12 grandchildren, and later 15 great-grandchildren. But she has lost two husbands, two daughters, one grand-daughter, brothers, sisters, family and friends. Clara was 99 years old when she passed away. During her life she lived it fully. Never letting her age keep her from doing what she wanted and traveling when she could. She was well loved by her family and many friends. She will be greatly missed.