Melissa Mae Nichols

90, a former Enumclaw, and Kingston resident, died August 6 in her home at Clearbrook Inn Living Center, Silverdale, WA.Mae was born October 13, 1919 in Madras, Oregon to William Franklin Edmondson, and Della Lee Nichols. She was the oldest of five children, with four younger brothers. Following the 8th grade, she attended Redmond (Oregon) High School. She was only there for about six weeks, but that was long enough to meet a really cool young man by the name of Wilbur Arthur "Bill" Nichols (no relation to Mae's mother). The Edmondson's then moved to Heppner, Oregon, where Mae graduated from High School in 1937. During her high school years, Mae kept in contact with her new friend Bill, and they were married in Heppner on October 23, 1937. Bill died September 10, 1997, just short of their 60th wedding anniversary.Following their wedding, Mae and Bill moved to Enumclaw, WA, where Bill had a job at a local lumber mill. A few weeks later, the mill shut down, putting Bill out of work. In the fall of 1938, Weyerhaeuser purchased the mill, and Bill was back at work, just a couple of months prior to the birth of the first of their two children, Phyllis and Kathryn.They lived in Enumclaw most of their married life before retiring to their summer vacation home in Kingston, WA. Mae was a Girl Scout and Brownie leader, worked as a florist, and sewed professionally for many years prior to working as a secretary at the J. J. Smith and Byron Kibler elementary schools in Enumclaw. In October, 2007, she moved to Clearbrook Inn.Mae is survived by her daughters, Phyllis M. Greene and husband Gary of Kingston, and Kathryn L. Gross and husband Jim of Bainbridge Island, five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren, brothers Dick N. Edmondson of Sacramento, California, and Jack N. Edmondson of Portland, Oregon, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.At her request, there will be no services, but the family will have a celebration of her life at a later date.