Josie Wilson

Emma Josephine "Josie" Wilson passed away peacefully at the age of 98 at her home in Chinook, WA on Friday, February 2, 2024 surrounded by family.

Josie was born at home in Ferndale, WA. on June 29, 1925 to Anton and Regina (Reichlin) Schorno, immigrants from Switzerland.

Josie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Carl Theodore 'Ted' Wilson; and her siblings, Joe, Genie, Tony, Elsie, and Dena. She is survived by her brothers, Leonard and Dave, and sisters, Hilde and Verna.

Josie is survived by two daughters; Gail (Herb) Messick and Teri (Karl) Plato, along with seven sons; Brad (Jane) Wilson, Brian Wilson, Boyd (Val) Wilson, Bernie (Laura) Wilson, Tim (Deanna) Wilson, Jason (Shane) Wilson, and Rex (Jeri) Wilson. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren whom she truly adored and loved every precious moment spent with them. They truly loved their "Grandma Josie" and her famous peanut butter cookies.

When Josie was 20, in the Summer of 1945, she went to Tyee, AK to work in a cannery as well as care for the children of the owners. Josie returned to Washington that Fall and began working as a telephone operator in Mount Vernon, WA for a few years before meeting Ted in 1949 who was working for Samish Fish Hatchery in Burlington, WA. Josie and Ted were married on February 17, 1950 in La Conner, WA. Ted worked for the Washington State Department of Fisheries while he and Josie started raising a family. In the Summer of 1957, they moved to Chinook, WA. and started Chinook Custom Cannery with Ted's parents, Harry and Pearl Wilson. They ran a very successful fish cannery for over 30 years, employing many local kids and adults. Several years after closing the cannery in the late 1980's, Josie and Ted converted the building into Chinook Mini Storage, which Josie continued to run until she was 92. Along with running the cannery and the mini storage, Josie also worked for years at Ilwaco Pharmacy until the age of 75.

As Josie and Ted were raising their nine children, Josie was a cub scout leader, taught CCD, and also worked at Chinook Packing Company in the Winter months shaking crab. She and Ted would also peel cascara bark to sell. Josie loved the Wilson family trips, including camping, clam digging, and exploring and finding old artifacts all while making many fun family memories. Josie and Ted always looked forward to their trips to Reno with family and friends. Many fun stories were shared upon their return home, however, some stories most likely fell under "What happens in Reno stays in Reno!".

Josie loved cooking and baking. She will always be known for her famous peanut butter cookies. She would generally burn the first batch, but every batch thereafter was perfect! The cookie jar on her counter was always full of these delectable treats and she would generally have plenty more in the pantry to refill the cookie jar once it was empty. Josie always made her famous cookies for family get-togethers. When family and friends came to visit they could always count on having her famous cookies. "You know where they are", she would say.

Josie was an avid reader, loved playing solitaire on her laptop, and was a devout Catholic who spent her afternoons praying and praying on the rosary. She loved feeding "her" birds in her yard. She never wanted them to go hungry, even if it meant she had to go out in gale-force winds to fill their feeder! She had a beautiful view of the river from her living room and enjoyed looking through her binoculars at the ships and boats as they passed by. Josie lived a long and adventurous life, and was loved by all who knew her. She and Ted had a large family and holidays at the Wilson house were always full of love, laughter, and happiness. Josie had a wonderful and sassy sense of humor. She had a huge heart, and was loving, caring and thoughtful. She will truly be missed by her large family and all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

On the day of her passing, family and friends saw numerous rainbows throughout the day. Josie was truly shining her love down on everyone and saying "remember me in the rainbows".

A service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Seaview, WA. A luncheon will follow. Burial will take place at Ilwaco Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Vincent de Paul, PO Box 648, Seaview, WA 98644 or Chinook Food Bank, PO Box 243,Chinook, WA. 98614.