Carol Alice Wilke Hoagland, 72

Former Bonners Ferry resident Carol Alice Wilke Hoagland, 72, of Mount Vernon, Wash., passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sept. 5, 2007, at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon.

Carol was born Dec. 8, 1934, in Alexander, N.D. to Adam and Alice Rhoades Wilke.

Shortly after moving to Bonners Ferry in 1936, she lost her father. Thereafter she was well raised by her loving, hard-working mother and older siblings.

Carol grew to be incredibly self-reliant, confident, strong-willed and independent. These exceptional character traits stood her in good stead to the very end of her days.

Carol was an outstanding student and popular with classmates at Bonners Ferry High School. She participated in many extra-curricular activities. Carol was a Badgerette, cheerleader and princess of the May Festival. She set high standards for her younger sisters and brother and any other aspiring underclassman.

After high school, Carol worked at Moyie River Lumber Co.

Carol's husband, William "Bill" Richard Hoagland, was from Spokane with deep roots in Boundary County. Evidently there was more than grandparents and baseball pulling him back to Bonners every summer.

Carol and Bill were married Dec. 21, 1955, in Coeur d'Alene. They then lived on the campus of Eastern Washington University in Cheney where they began to raise a family.

Carol was instrumental in her husband's college education. She steadfastly supported Bill's athletic endeavors, and took care of the housework and a good deal of the homework.

After residing in Cheney; Spokane; Ft. Benning, Ga.; Missoula, Mont.; Kelso; and Federal Way, Carol spent the last 33 years in Mount Vernon.

She always loved adventure and travel. In her late teens, Carol traveled by bus to Riverside and later to San Francisco, Calif., to visit sisters.

Each spring, for more than 30 years, she relaxed on the Island of Kauai with her husband, friends and relatives.

Over the years she embarked on many exciting adventures to the Bahamas, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Greece and numerous other foreign countries.

In brave defiance of the illness that would eventually take her life, Carol realized a life-long dream and traveled to the wilds of Africa with a daughter and two granddaughters in December 2006.

Throughout the years, Carol spent much of her free time at Skagit Valley Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Wash. She was a keen competitor and rarely missed a short putt on the green, or a quick trick at the card table. Carol was proud to have aced all three of the par threes on her home course and shot numerous rounds in the high 70s.

She was a voracious reader with an incredible vocabulary and an amazing knack for crossword and other puzzles.

Carol was an active and successful member of the Big Rock Investment Club. She greatly enjoyed visitors to her home and was a wonderful cook and gracious hostess. Her home-baked pies were without peer.

Carol was preceded in death by her husband, companion and friend of over 50 years; parents; and dearly beloved sister, Lois Jennings.

Carol is survived by daughters Darby Vickaryous, Kelly Hulbert and Cheryl Hoagland; sons Keith and Paul Hoagland; nine grandchildren; sisters Joyce Thompson, Joanne Kucherry and Janet Vickaryous; and brothers Dean, Ray, Duane and Roger Wilke.

Carol will be remembered as a loyal and true friend.

At Carol's request there was no service.

Memorials may be made to Cancer Care Center Capital Campaign, P.O. Box 1376, Mount Vernon, Wash., 98273.