Evelyn Grenz Obituary

James McCourt

Obituaryies

Evelyn Mae McCourt of Auburn passed away Thursday, October 5, 2017 in Auburn. She was 95.

Evelyn was born to Frank and Jessie Grenz on January 28, 1922, in Shrag, Washington. She was the eldest of seven children. Evelyn was a very sociable young girl. Her mother finally had to put a lock at the top of the door or Evelyn, at age 4, would be found down the street tap dancing, as the townspeople would stand in a circle clapping.

When Evelyn wasn't helping with her siblings, she worked at the Pasco theater, as usherette. As this was depression times, her sister said, she'd clean her clothing every night...and called her a prissy little thing.

Evelyn met her future husband, Jim McCourt, while working at The Depot, in Pasco on the Navy Base. They were married, July 14, 1943. Evelyn and Jim moved to Seattle, Washington for a while, then moved to Sequim, Washington. In Sequim they started their own store/gas station, called McCourts, she pumped gas, while he started working in the bank of Sequim. Later they moved from Sequim to Grandview, Washington where she started her own children's clothing store called, The Small Shop.

In 1968, they moved back to Seattle area, where she couldn't sit still, so she went to work at Nordstrom.
Then she decided to manage apartments. She did that for many years, until Jim decided to work for a bank in Port Angeles. Ten years later they moved back to Bellevue, where she ended up managing condo's.

Evelyn and Jim enjoyed dancing, jazz, and doing the Chattanooga Choo Choo at The Washington Athletic Club. They also enjoyed horse races and taking trips to Reno and Lake Tahoe. They had a grand time together for almost 65 years.

Evelyn was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. She always stood up for our flag and was a very proud example with her hand over her heart. Her family remembers her as a great role model. She will be deeply missed by all that knew her.

Survivors include her loving children, Teresa Bjornson, Janice Pennington and Barbara Stone. She was preceded in death by all her siblings, Bernice, Beatrice, Irene, Marian, Donald, Darreld, and Janet.

A graveside service will be held at 11:15am, Thursday, October 12, 2017 at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent. A reception will follow at The Rock Wood Fired Kitchen in Covington.

James ‘Jim’ Henry McCourt

A graveside service for former Sequim resident James “Jim” Henry McCourt will be held at 1:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, June 18, at Tahoma National Cemetery, 18600 SE 240th St., Kent. Mr. McCourt died June 10 at the age of 87.

He was born March 20, 1921, in Sequim to Clinton and Jessie McCourt. He was raised in Sequim and graduated from Port Angeles High School. Following high school, he furthered his education, earning a degree in banking.

He entered the United States Navy on April 7, 1942. He served throughout World War II and was discharged in January 1947. After the war, he returned to Sequim where he worked for the Bank of Sequim, eventually becoming bank manager.

On July 14, 1943, he married Evelyn Grenz in Port Angeles.
In the mid-1950s, he and his wife also operated McCourt’s in Sequim, a successful gas and grocery station. In 1960, he and his family moved to Grandview, where he managed Security Bank of Grandview. In 1968, he went to work for the Bank of Seattle in Lake City, as bank manager. In 1974, the family moved back to the peninsula, where he managed the Port Angeles Bank. In 1980, he and his wife retired from banking and moved to Bellevue, where he started a second career as a real estate agent and property manager. He retired again in the early 1990s.

He enjoyed driving, golf, tinkering with drums, music, dancing, travel and spending time with his family.
His family remembers him as a loving and compassionate husband and father who possessed a warm personality and wonderful smile and was always a snappy dresser.
Survivors include his wife, Evelyn of Bellevue; children Janice Pennington of Port Angeles, Barbara Stone of Sequim, and Teresa Bjornson of Kent; sister June Kane of Bellevue; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Flintoff’s Issaquah Funeral Home and Crematory was in charge of arrangements.