Marilyn Mohn Lane
Marilyn Mohn Lane died July 24 after a full and rewarding life. Born in 1922 to the pioneer Mohn family of Bothell, WA, she was the only daughter of Arnold Mohn and Eva Lyons Mohn.
She was raised in a generous and warm-hearted environment of Norwegian aunts, uncles and cousins. She grew up, with her brother Jamie, during the Depression of the 1920s and 30s, but her adolescent experiences and the family love and support she received provided an emotionally rich childhood that supported her throughout her life.
Marilyn graduated from Bothell High School and attended the University of Washington from 1940-43 and joined the Delta Gamma sorority. During that time, she met her spouse and life-long companion Dick Lane. They were married in 1943 in Riverside Chapel, NYC.
After World War II, Marilyn and Dick settled in Yakima and raised four children. She led Blue Bird and 4-H groups for her daughters. She participated in community service and church groups and served as the statewide president of the League of Women Voters. Marilyn played golf and bridge weekly and excelled as a scratch duplicate bridge player. Her geology study group became lifelong friends who met weekly to study part of the geology of Washington State, later hiking to that area to see what it actually looked like.
After the children were grown, Marilyn traveled internationally, either with Dick or with her women friends. They went on small group tours and some noteworthy trips include Russia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Greece, and other countries in Europe and the Far East. In the late 1990s Marilyn, Dick and their two older daughters travelled to England and Norway on a family roots trip. Besides hiking and golfing, Marilyn cross-country skied, fished and boated. With Dick, she spent ten summers at a cabin in the remote Canadian Gulf Islands, catching seafood, maintaining a vegetable garden and exploring the islands. Family and friends enjoyed weeks at the cabin, fishing and discovering the rugged beauty of the area.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Dick, in 2011. She is survived by her four children: Sharon Sumpter of Winthrop, WA, Linda Lane of Accord, NY, Jim Lane of Moxee, WA and Mary Lane of Olympia, WA, six grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on August 15 from 12-3pm at the Woman’s Century Club in Yakima. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marilyn’s name to the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy.
