MARIE LEHONORA LYNCH was born May 28, 1910 in Yacolt, Washington to William T. and Marie Anna(Koschnitzky) Lynch. Her parents divorced in 1920 and on December 20th, 1920, her mother married Carl Edwin Johnson, who Little Marie and her sister Anna, loved dearly.
Marie and her sister were raised on the 
Yacolt Farm, which their mother was able to keep
after the divorce. It provided milk, meat and vegetables to the surrounding logging camps
and mills, one which -- the Murphy Timber Company -- was on their property.
The quotations on this page are exerpts from Marie's eulogy, written by her daughter, Carolyn Rinta:
"She told us that as a young girl growing up, she dreamt of marrying a "Cattle King" and bounding over the prairie on her horse. That, in spite of hard years, growing up on the Yacolt Farm.
But after her time as a nanny in Portland, she grew lonesome to return to her parents and
that Yacolt Farm. She secured the only job available within walking distance for a young lady;
a "flunky" at the nearby logging camp (for you non-loggers, that's the girl who waited on tables
and helped in the kitchen at the cookhouse).
She soon took notice of a handsome machine operator (Archer Womack), but was too shy and
polite to approach him - so she did what any woman would do, plied him with food, putting extra
pickles and cookies in his carry out lunch sack! We never found out how she knew which sack
was his, but love finds a way!"
Archer passed away on April 11th, 1994 in Castle Rock, Washington.
"Marie and Archer were married in Portland (Oregon) January 3, 1929, witnessed by Archer's sister, Alene and her husband, Henry Huebner." They had 65 wonderful years together as husband and wife.
"Their first home was in a tiny cabin behind the present Yacolt School -- their "summer residence" that first year, a tent, up Dole Valley, S.E. of Yacolt by the logging camp. When another huge forest fire swept the region, the entire camp escaped by riding the railroad flatcars as the logging locomotive roared through the flames to carry them all to safety.
We've been shown many old pictures and told many stories of all the fun the couple had while living in the Yacolt area. Mom loved to roar around the countryside in their open roadster "bug", her hair flying in the wind and her German Shepard on the seat beside her."
From this union, Archer and Marie had two girls, Carolyn June, born April 14, 1932 and Sandra Lee, born January 26, 1938.
"Mom loved living at Headquarters Camp. Fifteen years of forging life-long friendships and fun adventures; especially with her dearest friend, Helen Haskin. It might be picking wild blackberries, chasing wild geese (literally) or playing Halloween pranks.
She was one to want to help others. She saw during the Depression that many of the children at Toutle Lake School had very little in their lunch sacks. She and several other mothers organized to secure government commodities so all the children could have a warm lunch each day. In fact, she worried about anyone being fed, as any of you know who ever visited her home!
Marie was such a good cook! Two years running she won the county cake baking contest, using her old wood kitchen range. One year she won a sofa and chair; the next, an electric range. The trouble was, they did not have AC current at Headquarters! She was also barred from entering the cake baking contest anymore. After one of the prize winning events, the men at Headquarters shop stole Daddy's lunch to get his dessert, only to find just graham crackers with powered sugar frosting.
Mom valued education even though she was not able to finish high school. She just knew every family in Cowlitz County should own a World Book and would take almost anything as a down payment! We were especially proud that she was appointed to the first Cowlitz County Educational Advisory Committee and the only lay person on that committee.
She enjoyed the relationships and people she met through her activities in PTA, as a 4-H leader and her envolvement in Easter Star and Rainbow Girls.
Mom was a good role model as a wife, mother and homemaker. Above all, she loved her family so much and looked forward to every visit by loved ones."
"Little" Marie passed away on October 26th, 2001 in her home in Castle Rock, Washington. A celebration of her life was held on Tuesday, October 30th at the Castle Rock United Methodist Church and was interned at Whittle-Hubbard Cemetery in Castle Rock.
Marie Lehonora Lynch Womack
1910 - 2001
I will not have the house bedecked
And tables spread for me.
Go strew the wide fields daisy flecked
The way they used to be.
Find me a rising wind to blow
Toss up a cloud or two,
And wait beside the tree we know,
When I come home to you.