Carol Bales

Carol moved to Klickitat when she was 16 years with her parents, Vincent Fitzpatrick and Beula (Needles) Fitzpatrick, where they owned and operated the Red and White Store in Klickitat. She met her future husband, Richard Elven Bales through the store as he was a butcher. They were married on Dec. 31, 1947, at Grace Lutheran Church in Klickitat and stayed married for 53 years.

Carol loved her life that she built with her husband and raising their son Joe in beautiful Klickitat. They spent many hours watching Joe play sports, camping, and fishing together. Some of Carol’s fondest family times were the camping trips they went on with the Jacobus, Logsdon, and Southard families.

Carol worked outside the home as a billings clerk for St. Regis in Klickitat for many years. She retired from that position when Richard and she opened the grocery store Bales Market in Klickitat; now Canyon Market. As owners of Bales Market, they sponsored numerous bowling, women’s and men’s softball teams.

Carol and Richey joined The Dalles Yacht Club, and made lifelong friends with the Wormingtons, Twidwells, and Mel Dees. Together they took many boating excursions on the Columbia River as well as traveling together to Mexico to relax in the sun with these friends.

After Richey’s passing in 2000; Carol expanded her activities and circle of friends by joining Harmony of the Gorge, Red Hat Society, and Dallesport Jammers. She took various trips to Boston, China, Russia as well as throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to perform with Harmony of the Gorge.

She enjoyed the many senior luncheons she attended in Lyle and The Dalles to play her accordion, converse, and laugh with new and old friends. She was also a member of Grace Lutheran Church, the Ladies Aid, Klickitat Booster Club and was a former member of the Klickitat School Board. In her free time, she enjoyed sewing, quilting, traveling, gardening and fishing.

Carol was able to follow her son’s basketball coaching career by traveling to games to support the Lyle Cougars and Klickitat Vandals with her daughter-in-law Laura. She especially liked the Helix basketball tournament where she could watch games and stay at Wild Horse Casino to gamble a bit. Well, maybe more than a bit.

Carol was a part of the Spooner/Greenwood Family and took family vacations with Joe and Laura and the rest of the Spooners to Mexico and Arizona. She attended the Greenwood Family Reunions and was made an honorary Greenwood after having attended so many weekends with the Spooners and Greenwoods. At these reunions, good food, conversations, games of pinochle, and Carol’s accordion playing with Uncle Otto’s banjo were enjoyed by all.

Carol passed away June 1, 2019, in The Dalles, Ore. She will be missed by all her family and many friends. She never missed an opportunity to be with her family or friends. She is survived by Joseph and Laura (Spooner) Bales, son and daughter in law, Klickitat; Mary Bales, sister in law, Goldendale; John Bales, brother in law, Vancouver; Nancy and Doug Nelson, sister and brother in law, The Dalles; Becky Spooner, Seattle; Leslie Petty and Mike Healow, Lyle; Kyle Petty, Seattle; Megan Petty, San Francisco, Calif.; Scott Spooner, Selah; Steve Spooner, Yakima; Charlotte Spooner, Yakima; Branik Healow of Seattle; Dylan Healow of Settle; the Greenwood Family of Olympia and surrounding areas, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews.

Make donations to Grace Lutheran Church or any community-minded service organization and think of Carol.

The service will be June 20, 2019, at Grace Lutheran Church, 82 Parsonage Rd., Klickitat, at 3 p.m. with dinner following at the Klickitat Community Center.