Kenneth James Gibson

Long time Moses Lake resident Kenneth James Gibson passed away on July 20, 2014.

Ken was born April 7, 1923 at his parent's farm in Fruitdale, Oregon.

Ken became an airplane mechanic upon signing up for service in 1941 before World War II began. He was shipped out to New Guinea in 1942. Ken used to say he didn't fly the planes but "kept the airplanes flying" like the A20 Attack Bomber, the B26, B17 and the B29 Super fortress.

Following WWII Ken moved with his first wife to various locations around the United States. In Wichita, Kansas the Boeing Company was hiring, and Ken got on there. His daughter, Judy, was born there. Boeing moved him to Seattle and from there he moved to Moses Lake in 1955.

Ken had already been looking at Moses Lake due to the irrigation water that come in through with the Columbia Basin Project. Growing hay was what he learned as a youth and what he wanted to do as an adult. In the last news article his daughter wrote about him explained why he chose to be a hay farmer. "I never thought about it, because I just went into what I know."

Boeing was building airplanes at Larson Air Force base. There Ken was part of building the KC135 and the B52. airplanes that still exist today. The B52 became his favorite. Ken built his family a house in Moses Lake near the Grant County Fairgrounds. In 1960 Ken bought a hay farm in Block 40 while still working for Boeing. There he would build another house for his family. In 1964 Ken was one of the first farmers to purchase a Harbed, and went into custom work around Grant County. With three harobeds Ken offered harrobedding 24 hours a day.

In 1970 Ken started managing a 1200 acre hay farm on the Frenchman Hills on the Royal Slope. His daughter would later name that farm the "funny farm" for all of the "characters" her Dad hired to work for him.

Always the innovator Ken turned the hay farm into a cubing operation. He was part of the first growers to send hay cubes to Japan, Hawaii and Alaska. By 1973 Ken operated his own hay farm on the west end of the Royal Slope.

In 1980 Ken married Artie Williams. Soon after Ken had to go back to farming five of those six units after the buyer failed the contract. It was during those years that Artie, then a retired registered nurse had to learn to be a farmer. Ken would later say what a big difference that made since Artie had been willing to move to the farm and work with him. He always told his daughter how "good" his wife was to him.

Ken retired from farming in 1991, and moved back to Moses Lake. There Ken was a regular volunteer at the Moses Lake Senior Center. Any piece of electronics or tool was either updated or repaired by Ken. He was one of the presidents of the center. Ken and Artie were avid square dancers and round dancers and enjoyed traveling around Washington on their Honda 500 motorcycles.

Ken was always there to help people especially with anything thing that needed welding or mechanics. He told his daughter once that "if I wasn't helping you, I'd be helping someone else."

Ken is preceded in death by his parents, Bert F. and Teelia H. Gibson, sisters Juanita Gluck and Ruth Fulton and ex-wife E. Warrene Gibson.

Ken is survived by his beloved wife, Artegae Gibson, daughters, Judy Spalding and Celia Williams. Grandchildren: Lacey Spalding, David, Daniel & Erica Aldaco.

A viewing at Kayser's Chapel will be July 23 noon to 5 pm. Ken will be interned at the Guarding Angels Columbarium Niche.