Marilyn Dawn (Ferguson) Pulliam | Obituaries

Marilyn Dawn Pulliam, 90 years old, died in Vancouver, Washington on March 21, 2021. She herself wrote most of the following obituary:

Marilyn was born on September 4, 1930 in Denver, Colorado to Lester J. and Lula (Barrett) Ferguson. The family moved to Yakima in 1934, where Marilyn attended Roosevelt Elementary School Franklin Jr. High and graduated from Yakima High School in 1948.

She and Dewite Pulliam were married on April 9, 1949 in Yakima. The daffodils were in bloom and Dewite bought her a bunch that day. During their 44 years together, Dewite’s insurance career took the family to Seattle, Portland-Oregon, and Peoria-Illinois. The couple returned to Yakima from Portland in 1977. Marilyn worked for Mercy Enterprises and then became an accountant / office manager for the Washington Hop Commission / Hop Growers of Washington for several years. In 1995 she retired.

The great-granddaughter of the early Pioneers of Kittitas Valley, she was an avid genealogist and a member of the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society, Daughters of the Pioneers, and the First Christian Church of Yakima. She was a sports fan and enjoyed gardening, reading, and crossword puzzles.

In addition to their beloved family, another special blessing was their group of “Sisters of the Heart,” a wonderful, fun, generous, loving group of elementary and high school friends – Annie, Carol, Marian, Liz, Bev K. and Bev McP.

Marilyn was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, daughter and member of Dewite’s extended extended family. She is led by three daughters, Judith Pulliam and husband Dr. Lee Drucker of Portland, Oregon survived; Nancy Pulliam and husband Rick Brincefield of Vancouver, Washington; and Pamela Pulliam Dreyer of St. Helens, Oregon; three granddaughters, Victoria Dreyer and Maya Drucker and Michelle Brincefield – all in the greater Portland area; and two great-grandchildren, Nohili-cy McCoy and Ellanora Reidy.

Marilyn was led to her death in 1994 by her beloved husband Dewite Pulliam and parents Lester and Lula Ferguson.

No funeral will take place at her request. A private funeral will be held at Yakima’s Terrace Heights Memorial Park. If desired, monuments instead of flowers for Highgate Together (a financial aid fund for needy team members) will be valued at https://www.highgateseniorliving.com/highgate-together.