Francye King passed away June 7, 2005, one month shy of her 85th birthday. Francye’s neighborliness, generosity, hardworking nature, and sense of fun were all hallmarks of her character.

Born Francye Featherston, she was raised in the ranching community of Featherston, Oklahoma, to parents born in Indian Territory and members of the Choctaw Nation. She worked her way through college as assistant dietician. After teaching for several years, she traveled by train to the Hanford Works in 1947. She worked as an accounting clerk at Hanford and married Glenn King in 1948. She often remarked in later years, “The best thing I ever did was move to Richland.” She raised a son and daughter, a dachshund, and a cat, and adopted various people into her family along the way. She was an important member of the extended King clan, consisting locally of the families of Dick and Betty and Bob and Nancy. She was a member of Central United Protestant Church, and volunteered there in various capacities over the years.

Once the kids were in junior high school, she thoroughly enjoyed her work in the travel office at Battelle, retiring in 1984. She loved and was immensely proud of her kids Craig and Susan, daughter-in-law Georgia, and granddaughter Kalie. After husband Glenn died, she visited Sunset Memorial Gardens often, feeding cracked corn to the swan in the pond there. In the last several years she was ably and lovingly assisted by Celia Newton and several other caregivers, who all called her “Mom.”

Francye loved nothing better than people, and many found her kitchen table a hospitable place to sit and chat and get fed. She was a talented seamstress, cook, and landscape painter. She spoke her mind about politics and other subjects and aptly described herself as “honest to a fault.”

Francye was preceded in death by parents Clara and Folsom Featherston, sister Rachel Kendrick, and brother Clayton Featherston; husband Glenn; and grandson Aaron King. She is survived by son Craig King and his wife, Georgia; granddaughter Kalie King; daughter Susan King; sisters Lois “Lochie” Marshall and Mary Lou Featherston; sisters-in-law Edith Mills, and Phyllis Stinson; and among numerous nieces and nephews Pam Cleveland, Steven King, and Richard King.

Viewing will be held at Einan’s Funeral Home in Richland on Friday, June 10, at 5 to 8 p.m. A graveside service will be held Saturday, June 11, at 11 a.m. Family and friends are encouraged to write memories of Francye at www.einansfuneralhome.com or in sympathy cards.

Memorials may be made to the local chapter of the National Audubon Society.