Mary Grant Cameron Kandoll

Mary Grant Cameron was born in Glenlivet, Scotland, 93 years ago. She traveled from the moors of Scotland to the Pacific Northwest in 1947 to marry Walter Kandoll. Walt and Mary settled in Deep River, Washington, where she remained for over 60 years. After the tradition of naming cottages in Scotland, Mary chose the name Millcroft for her Deep River home. At Millcroft, Mary loved to invite friends in for a cup of tea, Scottish shortbread, and a game of Scrabble. Mary and Walt raised a family of four children, and ran a sawmill and small logging operation. Mary also worked in telecommunications for Western Wahkiakum Telephone for 21 years.

Mary made good use of her degree in cookery and needlework from Aberdeen School of Domestic Science. Many Deep River teens learned to knit, bake and sew in 4-H under her guidance. During WWII, she worked for the Ministry of Food demonstrating war time cookery, as food was in short supply in Great Britain. As a civilian defense volunteer, she was on active duty during the German bombing in the final Aberdeen blitz and had to go outside on patrol when the air raid siren went off. When she heard the planes coming in low firing machine guns, she dove under the bushes for cover and when it was all over, she told friends she was sorry for the daffodils she had squashed. Mary loved flowers and cherished starts from friends in her Friendship Garden at Millcroft.

A rainbow appeared at the time of Mary's death on September 29th, 2014, in Chinook, Washington, where she spent her final year at Family and Friends Home. Mary was preceded in death by her husband Walt in 1992. She leaves behind two sisters in Scotland, Isobel and Margaret, her children, Ken, Kathleen (John Wright), Beth (Randy Puseman), Brian (Carol), eight loving grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Mary was a long time member of the Naselle Congregational Church and the Grays River Grange. A celebration of life is planned for next Spring, when the daffodils bloom, in Deep River at the Pioneer Church and Cemetery.

- Paid Obituary -