• Barbara Smith

    Barbara Smith graduated in 1935 from Cashmere High School. These were the depression years so there were not many extracurricular activities for high schoolers to take part in. She spent a lot of time at her parent’s store in downtown Cashmere called “Simpson Grocery.” Barbara ended up graduating early having been moved through a couple grades and started attending the University of Washington at age 16. There was no Lab Medicine degree at the time, so she took pre-med courses at UW which was unusual for a young woman in the 1930’s. She lived in the Wesley House, a woman’s boarding house owned by the Methodist church and after four years graduated with a BS in Bacteriology.

    Her parents were Oliver and Gladys Simpson who worked at “the Big D” mercantile in Cashmere after moving here from Kansas. Her parents also worked at Simpson’s Grocery and worked hard to make a living for their family.

    Barbara married a man by the name of Vonnie, who had a career in the army. They divorced and she settled in Cashmere where she raised 3 children: Michael who graduated in 1965, Alan in 1972, and Marilee in 1973. They all graduated from Cashmere High School, and they all went on to college and graduated with degrees. Barbara now has 8 grandchildren and a growing number of great grandchildren.

    Barbara was a medical technologist and always loved bacteriology. She worked initially in Bellingham, Seattle, San Francisco, Virginia, and St. Louis during the war years. She returned to Washington after many years and worked for a huge variety of doctors around the state.

    Currently she volunteers at the Wellness Place in Wenatchee, and remains very active at the Cashmere United Methodist Church. She loves to read and will indulge in any book by Neville Shute. She is busily learning computer skills at the Wellness Place, and enjoying a new Mac at home. Barbara never stops learning and loving and enjoys watching her grandkids play football, volleyball, and of course basketball. She drives to Leavenworth for Bridge games, another of her recent academic pursuits.

    Barbara is a bright, curious, interested, open-minded lady and supports her local community as best as she can.

    We proudly welcome Barbara Smith to the Cashmere High School Wall of Fame!