"Pandemic Edition" - The Vashon Islanders
July 29, 2020
Written by Becky Pierce
This month I had the opportunity to get to know a special group of members via a variety of social distancing techniques. It’s clear that living on Vashon Island agrees with this group of women. They all speak enthusiastically about how they chose to live there. A bit of a verbal contest broke out amongst them during the Zoom meeting on how quickly they bought theirhomes once the decision was made to move to the island. Upon moving there, they stayed. Of this group, the newcomer to Vashon has been there for 18 years and the longest tenure is 45. They all speak of the natural beauty, the quiet and the opportunity to commute via ferry. The unique community is also valued. Vashon residents are primarily liberal politically, there is an active artist colony, they share a small-town friendliness, and as Jeanie described it - an eccentric nuttiness! Jeanie met Margy almost 40 years ago, but Vashon is where most of the others met Margy Heldring - one of the founders of GAGV and current Co-Chair of the organization.
Margy had a home on Vashon for a time and hosted political activism events. These meetings contributed to the development of the Grandmothers Against Gun Violence organization. The Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012 was the call to action for most of these women. One member mentioned the massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in 2015 as the event that motivated her to join this movement.
The Vashon grandmothers have participated actively in the efforts of GAGV over the years. They have traveled to Olympia to lobby with their legislators, and they’ve taken part in mail and phone campaigns. Jane is strong supporter of the GAGV Foundation to raise support for Gun Violence Prevention research and has sent their articles to legislators. The Vashon group also organized and staffed a gun lock giveaway at the annual Vashon Island Strawberry Festival.
The coalition that came together to make this event happen included representatives from the Vashon School Board, the Hunter and Sportsmen’s Club, the Sheriff’s Office and of course, the Grandmothers Against Gun Violence.
The Cast of Characters
Jeanie Okimoto - She is a retired psychotherapist, author and playwright. She has enjoyed great success including being interviewed on the Oprah and Today Shows. Jeanie has 4 children and 6 grandchildren.
Jane Neubauer - Jane is an artist - creating works with clay. She has provided executive coaching and life planning for 25 years after a nursing leadership career. She is active with the Vashon Nature Center counting salmon for citizen science and is a docent with the Vashon Center for the Arts.
Janie Starr - She has a long history of involvement in racial, social and environmental justice activism. Jane is passionate about her work with SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice), Indivisible - Vashon’s Immigrant/Refugee Rights group, and the Food Access Partnership. She has 2 sons and a 9 year old granddaughter.
Trudy Rosemarin - Trudy grew up in Switzerland and immigrated to the US as a young woman. She has had several successful careers. She was an educator, a public relations director and owned/operated a successful flower shop. She has a daughter, a son and 4 beautiful granddaughters.
Debby Jackson - A true Northwest native, Debby is a retired Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. Debby worked at Saint Joseph Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital and Multi-care in Tacoma. She has lived on Vashon 43 years and is anticipating the birth of her first grandchild this summer.
Shawn Kibler - Shawn is retired from working in international sales in Seattle. She has the distinction of living in a home that is only accessible by foot - there are no roads to her family’s house. Her daughter, son in law and 2 beautiful granddaughters live next door. She says it’s a Grandmother’s paradise in addition to living on the Sound.
Julie Speidel - Julie is a very successful artist - you can Google her! Her family has owned property on Vashon since her grandfather - a physician who worked at Swedish Medical Center - bought a place in the 1930’s. She has 7 grandsons who now live all over the world.
The Vashon Island members of GAGV are very proud of the work that has been accomplished by the organization and the progressive legislation that has been passed into law. They all speak highly of how well organized the activities and meetings are. They especially wanted to share their admiration of the GAGV leadership and specifically the kindness, compassion and great leadership of Margy Heldring. They all look forward to continuing this important work.
“A Little Vashon Humor”
Trudy has a large piece of property and garden. She has 3 goats that help keep things trimmed up - their names are Momma, Briggs and Stratton!
Jeanie does not have a garden, so she appreciates the local deer more than her gardener friends. She nurtured 2 motherless fawns one year and their names were - John Deere and Jane Doe!