Ethel E. Cuplin

Ethel was born in Kalispell, MT on March 15, 1932, she was the second of five children born to Merl Belmont Olson and Belva LaRose Taylor.  She attended St. Mathews Grade School except for one year when she attended West Side School.  High school was Flathead County High School of three years.  Her father worked in Missoula for a year and moved the family to Missoula in the summer of 1949.  Graduation was from Missoula County High School 1950.

.

She attended the University of Montana for a quarter and worked for the Fox Movie Theater until July 1953.  In July of 1953 she married Alton Cuplin, they moved to Tacoma, WA where he was stationed at McCord AFB.  She gave birth to a son there, Robert Lawrence.  The summer of 1954 her husband went overseas to Japan for 18 months.  She lived with her parents and son during that time.  The fall of 1955, on her husband’s return, they moved to the panhandle of Florida where they were stationed at Eglin AFB.  The end of May 1956 her husband finished his enlistment and they moved to Tulsa where he went to aircraft mechanic school.  Ethel gave birth to her second son, Stephen Raymond, that August.  The fall of 1957, having finished mechanic school, they traveled to Missoula.  Their third son, Richard Melvin, was born January 1958.  Ethel worked at the theater again.

.

In January 1959 they moved to Seattle and her husband went to work for a feeder airline.  Ethel was interested in politics (John Kennedy) and campaigned in his behalf.  She became active in church activities, including fund raising.  Her oldest son started school!  1961 they purchased a home.  Her second son started first grade.

.

1963 our youngest son started first grade and Ethel was home alone for the day.  She became a Den Mother for a Cub Scout Den.  Tours of McDonalds and other interesting activities filled the meetings.  In time the boys outgrew Cub Scouts.

.

She went to work, and enjoyed it.  She worked in cost accounting, cashier and accounts payable.

.

After 22 years working she retired. Grand kids, a few trips were as busy as she wanted to be.  A Cruise to SE Alaska, trip to England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales were a lot of fun.  She always wanted to go to Ireland again.  A trip around the Horn of South America was the last trip.  The most fun for her on the trip was a stop at the Falkland Islands.  They spoke English!

.

Ethel passed away December 13, 2010. She is and will be missed.