Metta Bernice Farmer
August 24, 1911 - October 11, 2009
Obituary
Metta was born August 24, 1911 in Burlington, WA to Marie Jensen and Harry Knutzen, just 16 months after her best friend and sister, Harriet, was born. Two brothers followed, Kenneth and Curtis.
Since her Father was the baby of seven Knutzen brothers, Metta had many older cousins with whom she played, attended church and built memories.
The family moved to Bellingham a few years later and Wilbur Farmer set his eyes on Metta in first grade, even running to her house with a doll for her on Christmas Day. He finally won her over many years later.
After Metta graduated from Business College in Bellingham and got a job, and after Wilbur joined the Washington State Patrol and received his first paycheck with which he purchased his wedding suit for their beautiful wedding, the two were married on September 18, 1933.
Son Gerald Wilbur Jerry was born on May 25, 1935 and daughter Monette K. on April 19, 1939.
The family moved to Seattle in 1936 and transferred their church membership to the Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church on October 1, 1936, where Metta and Wilbur remained members until their deaths.
Metta and Wilbur bought their first home in 1936 on N 75th St. near Green Lake and were able to walk to the ‘old’ church on N 70th prior to the building of the new one on N 75th.
Metta was a stay – at home mother until 1949 when she became a woman ahead of her time by starting work at Fentron Industries so she could purchase drapes and carpeting for the new family home Wilbur was building on the lot next to the house they had purchased in 1945 overlooking Ray’s Boat House. She continued working there until 1976.
Friends and relatives enjoyed the view of the sound, the boats and the mountains until Metta moved a few years after Wilbur died.
Metta and Wilbur celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1983 with a grand party and reunion of the wedding party and many relatives and friends. They continued to enjoy activities with Nile Shrine friends and enjoyed winters in Thousand Palms CA, where they golfed with family and friends.
Metta passed away on Sunday, October 11, 2009 at Norse Home where she had lived independently since June of 1999. Since July 13th of this year she has received loving care by both the staff of Norse Home and members of Group Health Hospice.
Metta was predeceased by her parents, by her husband in 1988 and by her son in 1995. Sister Harriet and brother Curtis and a great-grandson, Adam, also predeceased her.
Survivors include her daughter Monette Proffitt of Oregon, daughter-in-law Joyce Farmer of Washington, brother Kenneth of California and sisters-in-law Dorothy and Martha, also of California. Six grandchildren, Bill, Judi, Michael, Heidi, Angela and Garth, four great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson, nieces and nephews also survive her.
Special friends and helpers in the past few years of her life are Jim and Esther Rost and nephew Bob and his wife Lucie Fjeldstad. Thank you for all you did to make her life easier and better.
Thanks, too, to Group Health Hospice, the Norse Home staff and especially the 3rd floor staff for these past three months.
Martha Michaels and Cheryl Martin, you were her special angels in encouraging her all the way; thank you.
Metta was a wonderful, loving, giving daughter, wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt and friend. She was also an excellent cook and loved entertaining people, often feeding them salmon, duck, venison, trout, pheasant, crabs, clams and even geoducks caught or shot by her active husband……………with side dishes of many of his freshly grown vegetables. It must be mentioned here that she was one fantastic card player as well!
Viewing will be Thursday and Friday, October 22nd and 23rd from 9AM until 3PM. Her Memoral Service will be held 10:30 AM on Saturday, October 24th at PHINNEY RIDGE LUTHERAN CHURCH, 7500 Greenwood Ave N in Seattle.
We will all miss her terribly but were blessed to have had her in our lives.
In lieu of flowers, if you wish, the family requests remembrances to the following:
Group Health Hospice
Dept. 4194
P O Box 34936
Seattle WA 98124-9924
Norse Home
5311 Phinney Ave N
Seattle WA 98103
The Jim and Esther Rost Early Childhood Scholarship Fund Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
7500 Greenwood Ave North
Seattle WA 98103
This is a lovely tribute to your mom.
Hugs,
Tracy
‘Mrs. Farmer’,thank you for the sleep-over memories, the clam digging, and especially for my very good friend Monette.
The best thing about a friendship is that we share each others families. How fortunate we were to be able to share in Metta’s life. When we eat chocolate raspberry sticks from Trader Joes, enjoy banana whipped cream cake, or see Sonja roses we will be reminded of her. What a gracious, loving, and strong woman she was. We will miss her.
Metta was my beloved aunt with whom I spoke almost weekly over the last few years. Metta was always up on current events and sports and could support her view with intelligence and humor.
Oh how I remember the wonderful meals she could prepare when I was a kid. We had such great times.
My husband, Sonny, and I had wonderful times in Reno when we’d meet her. She knew the employees, where to play, and how to ”save” her favorite machine.
I really will miss my Aunt Metta, but am so thankful of our times together and the memories they provided me.
May God grant a special place in Heaven for my special aunt. Love, Molly
Metta was my Godmother and I have many fond memories of her and Wilbur my Godfather. They were always there for coversation and company. I attended Phinny Ridge too and remember many Sundays going to their place overlooking Rays Boathouse and visting. We were all blessed to have both of them in our lives for as long as they were. They both made a big influence in my life and what I have become as an adult. God Bless and say hello to Wilbur for me Metta!!
I remember Metta and Wilbur as such good friends and neighbors of my parents-in-law Mabel and Ed Perry. They had many trips and visits together around the Northwest and always a story to tell. What a lovely lady she was! isabel Perry
When I read the obituary, the comment on her work at Fentron brought back fond memories. In the early 70’s I was a staff accountant at Touche Ross & Co. and one of my audits was Fentron. Metta worked for the controller who was not the most cooperative individual. I became acquainted with Metta, found out we were related my father is Victor Knutzen, they were first cousins. I would provide the controller my schedule of requested client assistance, which he would just file in his desk with no plan on doing anything with it. I learned this early and would provide Metta with a copy and she would get what I needed prior to our team arriving for the audit. She was most cooperative and we just learned to ignore the controller. I had forgotten about this until I read the obituary.
I would see Metta occasionally at family reunions. My mother just passed away this year at the age of 93 so I know how nice it is to have someone important in your life to live such a long and relatively healthy life. Jerry Knutzen
Even though I never met Metta, I know she must have been a loving and powerful woman – she raised Monette and was Angela’s grandmother. I’m thinking of you both and send you my deepest sympathy.