Billie Davenport

YAKIMA - Billie Treva Davenport was born Oct. 19, 1921 in Spokane, WA and died August 13, 2013 in Yakima, WA. Mom grew up during the depression and being the only daughter of the late Rev Haskell and Pansy Tudor, Mom learned how to squeeze a dollar. She first lived in Montana and always had fond memories of the Gallatin Valley. She moved with her folks to Naches when her father became the pastor of the Naches Presbyterian church in 1935. Mom worked in the warehouse during the cherry season during the late forties and fifties. She was the Naches Town Librarian for many years. She also taught Sunday school, worked on the election board and was an airplane spotter for the Civil Defense during the Korean War. As a young girl mom always wanted to live on a farm and raise her family there and never move again. She did live out her life on the farm. Mom was a stabilizing force in maintaining the farm as it is today with both encouragement and helping out whenever she could. During the war years Mom lived in Washington, D.C. for a number of years and it was one of the highlights of her life. Now with a new daughter, Tommie, she returned home to Naches to live on the family fruit farm. In the following years she added two sons to her family, Johnny and Lex. Over the following years she accumulated 6 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and 1 great great granddaughter. Mom was proud of her family and even with advanced Alzheimer’s her last thoughts were about her family. Mom had her ups and downs, as we all do, and after a divorce she met Rue Davenport and was married in 1978 and a new life opened up for her as she learned to fish and enjoy camping and traveling to Arkansas to visit Rue’s family from time to time. Mom will always be remembered as loyal, loving, honest, a conservative Republican, generous, a disciplinarian, forgiving, a lover of dogs, and outspoken. Most of all she will be remembered as the best friend, and mother, a family could have. Billie is survived by three children, Tommie G (Jim) Simpson, John T (Nancy) Thompson and Lex L Thompson. Mom requested a simple graveside service which will be held Saturday, August 17 at 10:00 a.m. at the Wenas Cemetery in Selah. Memorials may be made to Memorial Hospice or the Yakima Humane Society. Share your memories of Billie online at www.valleyhillsfh.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Billie Davenport, please visit our flower store.