Gertrude was born in So. Dakota, the eldest child of Richad and Mary Bessinger Bickell. The family moved from SD to Washington State where Richard took a homestead on Orcus Island.

Gertrude had the typical childhood of a child raised on a farm in that day. She learned to cook, clean and help care for her younger siblings. It was after the birth of her youngest brother Frank in 1897 that things changed drastically for the family. Mary died as result of complications of Frank's birth. Richard, then left with a infant son and young family chose to take his daughter's Laura, Mrytle & Maude back to Iowa to live with their Aunt Dinah. He kept Gertie now age 12, son John and infant Frank on Orcus with him. Frank was placed in the home of a neighbor who cared for him for several months. Gertie, even though attending school maintained the home for her father and brothers. By 1900 Richard felt that things were going well enough that he had gone back to Iowa to retrieve his other daughters and the family was together again on Orcus with Gertie "running the home"

n 1902, Richard decided he had had enough of living on an Island and took his family to the mainland where he and did logging in the Tacoma & Lewis Co. area. In 1904 he took a homested in Grant Co., near High Hill. It was here that he purchased a thrashing machine and put together a thrashing crew that could go from farm to farm to thrash the wheat. His daughter's Laura and Gertie were the cooks for the crew and the man he got to provide and train the teams of horses needed was Ira Slaten. After a successfull tharashing season in 1908, Ira and Gertie were married in Spokane, WA the 31 of Dec. 1908. They returned to High Hill and settled on Ira's farm on what is known as High Hill, outside of Soap Lake, WA.

Their only child, Ina Mary Slaten was born 23 Oct 1911, then 31 Jan 1924, tragedy struck this small family. A madman shot and killed Ira and shot and wounded Gertie, shattering her arm. Because of her injuries, Gertrude's father, Richard Bickell who had gone back to his farm in Lewis Co. took her to Lewis Co. WA, to be cared for by her sister Maude until her recovery. She never went back to High Hill.

After Gertie recovered from her wounds and the shock of her husband's death, she became a housekeeper for a family in Napavine, WA. It was while living in Napavine that she met Millard Wilson at a community dance. Millard was a "fiddler" of some renown in the area and he played at many of the local community dances, and they were married in 1927 and in late 1928, Gertie & Millard purchased a farm on Lacamas Prairie in Lewis Co., located between Chehalis and Toledo, WA. Gertie died in 1958.

Obituary:

Wednesday, June 25, 1958 Centralia, WA "Chronicle"

Women Dies In Hospital

 A rural Toledo resident for the past 31 years, Mrs. Millard (Gertrude Jane) Wilson, 78, passed away Wednesday morning at a local hospital. She was born July 28, 1879 in Minot, N.D.

 She was survived by her husband, Millard, at home; a daughter, Mrs. Ina Allison, Moses Lake.

 in addition, survivors include two brothers, John Bickell, Alberta, Canada and Frank Bickell of Chicago, Ill.; three sisters, Mrs. E.L. Simpson, San Diego, Calif., Mrs. J.E. Inman, Aubrun and Mrs. H.E. DeBolt, Spirit River, Canada; and 3 grandchildren.

 Graveside services will be held Friday, 2 p.m. led by the Rebekah Lodge of Napavine. The Rev. H.B. Thomas will officiate at the services. Burial will follow at the Winlock Cemetery under the direction of the Cattermole Chapel, Winlock.

Thursday, June 26, 1958 Centralia, WA "Daily Chronicle"

Rites Set On Friday

  Funeral services for Mrs. Millard (Gertrude Jane) Wilson, 78, Toledo, will be held Friday 2 p.m. at the Cattermole chapel in Winlock. She lived in the rural Toledo area for the past 31 years and died Wednesday at a local hospital. The Rev. H.V. Thomas will officiate at the services with graveside services following at the Winlock Cemetery directed by the Napavine Rebekah Lodge.