Bus Jungquist, S-W businessman, passes away

Another icon of Sedro-Woolley is gone. “Bus” Jungquist, owner of the furniture store in downtown Sedro-Woolley from 1967 to 2008, was a big supporter of Sedro-Woolley and our high school. He passed away on April 1, 2009 at the age of 91.

Bus graduated from Burlington-Edison High School in 1936 and attended WSU for one year. He married his college sweetheart, Bernice, in 1939 and served in the Army from 1943 until 1946. He worked in several business in Skagit County (including owning Bus’s Grocery on Jameson Street in S-W) until he opened Bus Jungquist Furniture in 1967. It was an anchor store in our downtown, long before the concept of “malls” and “anchor stores” became familiar. He served as the distribution center for miniature wooden hope chests provided by the Lane Furniture Company to all graduating senior girls and we all made that shy trip into the store to ask for ours. It was such a great pleasure for him and the Lane representative became one of his closest friends.

He was an active Rotarian and belonged to George Baldridge Post #43 American Legion and Trinity United Presbyterian Church. He was a mainstay at Joy’s Bakery downtown where we all still go to “see and be seen”. He served the city and his community in many other ways. His full obit is available at:
http://www.legacy.com/skagitvalleyherald/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=125703681

Or check www.goskagit.com for obituaries published on April 4, 2009.

Thanks, Bus, for showing us what an independent business owner does for the town he supports. We remember you.

Coach Spud Walley passes away

Spud Walley passed away on March 4, 2009 as the result of a stroke on February 19th. He taught in the SW school district and served as a member of city council for 16 years and then Mayor for 20 (nonconsecutive) years. But we remember when he began to coach the SWHS wrestling team in 1969 and put SW on the state wrestling map.

His teams won the league title 12 times, the regional title 10 years in a row, and state championships in 1976, 1981, and 1983.

Services will be Saturday, March 14th at noon PDT at the SWHS gymnasium. The service will be webcast - check www.lemleychapel.com for details. His full obituary is also available at the Lemley web site.

So thanks, Spud, for your dedication to SW students. You were part of our high school experience.