| Name | Mary Elizabeth Gibbons  |
| Birth | 19 Oct 1921, Manville, WY20 |
| Death | 3 Apr 2007, Puyallup, WA20 |
| Religion | Christian |
| Father | Clyde John Gibbons (1887-1949) |
| Mother | Florence Eunice Meyers (1896-1967) |
An account of the 1946 earthquake by Betty Elliott
Eunice Ann was 4 years old at the time.
Eunice carefully aligned her wooden letter blocks to form the words found in her Little Golden Dictionary. Her blond curls fell forward brushing the golden tanned cheeks as her dark eyes searched for the next letter. Suddenly the floor joggled under her bottom. She looked up bewildered. The floor began writhing beneath her.
I saw terror flooding her face as she noticed the everything in the room was moving. Chandeliers and drapes swayed, and empty chair rocked, a vase slid across the table; every motion was repeated in the large plate glass mirror as it scraped against the wall.
China rattled in the hutch. Every joint and beam in the house creaked and groaned in protest. the front door flew open of it’s own accord, revealing the lawn surging in waves.
Bursting into tears, Eunice scrambled to her feet and stumbled across the undulating floor into her father’s outstretched arms. Although he continued to comfort her, holding her close, her sobbing and quaking lasted long after the world around us had returned to normal.
For days she would not let me out of her sight. For weeks she would be in a different room than I, only after being reassured thaw I would not go upstairs or outside without her. It was many months before she became a carefree child again.
The earthquake in the seattle area in April of 1949 did not damage our house or possessions but it shattered the tranquillity of our little girl.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, she found that her sense of security was put back together again by time and by her growing trust in a caring God. As she advanced though childhood, the teen years into adulthood, she was not plagued by an undue fear of being alone or traumatized by the prospect of earthquakes or other natural disasters.
In fact, Eunice return from Guam in 1975 feeling cheated, for there had been no hurricane during her one year stay on the island.
Obituarary 20
Mary Elizabeth Elliott, lovingly known as Betty, died on July 3, 2007, at Good Samaritan Hospital, in Puyallup, WA. She was 85. Betty was born to Clyde and Florence Gibbons, on October 19, 1921, in Manville, WY. She married Orville Elliott in Bellevue, WA, in 1939. They lived in Seattle for many years, moving to Sumner in 1963, and recently moved to Puyallup. She was a homemaker and co-owner of a family business. She proudly earned her high school diploma at the age of 35. She was active in Sumner Assembly of God Church. Betty was known for her twinkling eyes and her welcoming smile. She enjoyed cooking, baking, needlepoint, and sewing. She studied the Bible throughout her life and offered spiritual encouragement to all. She is survived by her husband Orville, brothers Don and Earl, daughter Eunice Hakanson, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Ralph, Frank, Clarence, and John; sisters Elsie and Esther; daughter Orlene; sons Russ and Keith; and great-grand-daughter Ashley Anne. A memorial service will be at Sumner Assembly of God, 1400 Silver St., Sumner, WA. at two o'clock p.m. on Saturday, July 14, 2007.
Published in the News Tribune (Tacoma) on 7/12/2007.20
| 1 | Orville Newell Elliott |
| Birth | 24 Jul 1917 |
| Religion | Christian |
| Marriage | 24 Sep 1939, Bellevue, WA |
| Children | Orlene Naomi (1941-1982) |
| E. A. (Living) | |
| Russell Dean (1946-1997) | |
| Keith Newell (1954-2006) |