Mabel B. Thompson

1909 - 2012

Mabel B. Thompson died peacefully at her Ephrata home on Monday, February 20, 2012. She was born in Wenatchee to Frank T. and Bertha M. (Hill) Bell of May Valley on October 16, 1909. During that same year, Grant Country was formed and Ephrata was incorporated.

Frank T. Bell's interests in real estate and Democratic Party politics produced many adventures for Mabel, her younger brother Victor F. Bell, and first cousin Frank A. Bell, who was orphaned at a young age and raised by Frank T. and Bertha. While Mabel's early years were spent in May and Hiawatha Valleys west of current Moses Lake, she attended schools in Hiawatha, Montana, Seattle, and finally Ephrata through the 8th grade.

Frank T.'s interests in politics led him to the office of U.S. Senator C.C. Dill (Spokane) where he served as his private secretary. Mabel attended 9th grade at North Central in Spokane, 10th and 11th grades at Eastern in Washington, D.C. and finished in December 1926 at Franklin in Seattle. Senator Dill thought the world of Mabel and saw that she got to see Walter Johnson pitch and Calvin Coolidge's inauguration among many other political and social events in Washington, D.C.

Mabel attended the University of Washington and graduated with a B.A. in history and political science in August 1929. The Great Depression had arrived and she was fortunate enough to find a high school teaching position in Oroville, WA, where she taught history, English, algebra, drama, and social studies, as well as coached the girls' intermural basketball team for 3 years.

At that time single women teachers would lose their jobs if they got married. She had met Benjamin D. Thompson while in college. She also needed to teach for 3 years as part of the requirement for lifetime teach and principalship certificates. Mabel and Ben were married in secret on December 27, 1930, by a justice of peace in Renton. Ben stayed in Seattle as a meat packing foreman. Mabel returned to teaching in Oroville where she masqueraded as Mabel Bell until June 1932 when she returned to Seattle. This completed her lifetime certificate requirements. The young Warren Magnuson (later U.S. Senator) and Mabel founded the Young Democratics of King County during this period.

In the meantime Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected. He appointed Mabel's father, Frank T. Bell to be the U.S. Commissioner of Fisheries. Frank's job included territorial fisheries as well as fur sealing in Alaska. There had been evidence of governmental neglect in the treatment of the natives on the fur-sealing Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. He knew Mabel's husband Ben could go there and see that people would be treated appropriately. Ben arrived on the last boat in the fall of 1933. Mabel was to follow on the first spring boat of 1934 after their first child was to be born. She lost the baby and almost lost her own life. She was told never to get pregnant again.

Mabel did go on the first spring boat of 1934. They spent the next year and a half on the Pribilofs . Mabel taught school. With her famous homemade noodles, she bribed the local Russian Orthodox priests to treat the native island children less severely. When Mabel and Ben left the islands in the fall of 1935, the priest said, "Mrs. Thompson, you have been a mother to my people." Mabel was 26 years old.

Mabel and Ben returned to Seattle but moved shortly to manage the Bell Dairy in Cascade Valley near Neppel (now Moses Lake). They received permission from the mother of a 15-year-old native girl from the Pribolof Islands to bring her to the dairy. They continued to raise Sara Smith (Saraphema Philamonoff), who became an excellent surgical nurse and anesthetist.

In the fall of 1937 when Mabel learned that the Grand Coulee school system needed a high school principal and teacher for one year so she took the job. In the meantime the Bell Hotel in Ephrata was being built. In the spring 1938, Mabel and Ben became managers and part owners of the hotel. Ben was 39 and Mabel was almost 29. Their lifelong commitment to Ephrata and Grant County had begun.

The Bell Hotel was the hub of Ephrata. Mabel and Ben threw themselves into its management. During this time they defied the doctors' orders and had their only child, Bertha (Bebe) Thompson in the summer of 1941. World War II began and the hotel was filled with traveling salesmen, railroad and telephone workers, and military personnel. Mabel was the civilian Red Cross volunteer for the area during her time at the hotel and dealt with many military problems.

After the war the irrigation project was being constructed. The hotel entertained everyone from sheepherders on annual break to high officials in construction and from foreign countries. Even the great baritone, William Warfield of Showboat movie fame, spent the night. Mabel's entire family were deeply involved with the Democratic Party and were instrumental in the election of several country and state officials. During this period Mabel became a charter member of the Grant Country Historical Society and a subsequent lifetime member.

Ben died suddenly in 1956 and Mabel continued to operate the hotel until 1961 when she disposed of her interest. She began teaching English at Ephrata High School. For 15 years, she directed plays, coordinated dinner theater musicals, and became the favorite teacher of many who continued to visit and correspond with her until she died.

In 1976 the school district decided that she was too old and forced her to retire. She became the Director of the Ephrata Senior Center. During her leadership the new center was built and at least 400 meals were served per week. After about 14 years of her stewardship of the center, she "retired" at age 82.

In 1991 Mabel volunteered to answer the phone and entertain the clients at her daughter Bebe's CPA office. She also told her daughter what she could do better in the office and did so until Bebe and Mabel retired in 2007. Mabel continued to be active in the Democratic Party and was a delegate or alternate to national conventions in 1976, 1980, and 1996.

Mabel became famous for her interesting birthday and Christmas Eve parties and dinners at Don's in Soap Lake. Even at over 100 years old Mabel would sit in the school house answering questions from visitors at the Grant County Historical Museum. She was an avid Seattle Mariners fan and attended many games. Many fans helped celebrate her 100th birthday as her image was displayed on the Jumbo-tron.

Mabel was named Grant County Citizen of the Year in 2009 and had also been honored as outstanding Democrat in Grant County and Washington State. The Democratic booth at the Grant County fairgrounds is dedicated to Mabel as designated by a permanent plaque.

Mabel is survived by her daughter, Bebe Thompson (Ephrata, WA); niece Sue (Bell) Anderson and her husband, Gordon Groff (Moses Lake, WA); grandnieces Kim Groff-Harrington and Stacie Kentop and son Owen Kentop(Bothell, WA); great-grand nephews Alex Harrington and wife Brandy (Mukilteo, WA) and Zachary Harrington (Annapolis, MD); her wonderful extended family including Ron and Linda Purcell (Ephrata, WA); Josh and Natasha Purcell and son Miles (Everett, WA); Ron McComb (Seattle, WA); Mike Roland (Ephrata, WA).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any of the following: First Presbyterian Church (172 Ivy Street SE, Ephrata, WA 98823); Grant County Historical Society (P. O. Box 1141, Ephrata, WA 98823); Grant County Democrats (3326 Wild Goose Road NE, Moses Lake 98837); Ephrata School District, Attn: Diane, Drama Department donation (499 C St NW, Ephrata WA 98823); Ephrata Senior Center (124 C St NW, Ephrata, WA 98823).

Please share your thoughts and memories for the family and view the online tribute video at nicolesfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Nicoles Funeral Home of Ephrata.