Stanley Ray Englehartson died of natural causes Friday, January 23 in his home near West Beach. Stan Englehartson was born on Orcas October 2, 1921 in a log cabin on the farm where he lived all his life. He graduated from Orcas High School in the class of ‘39.

Like all early residents of these islands, Stan worked as soon as he could – learning to farm, log and break rock in a lime quarry. He also worked in the family shale quarry. It was hard work with small wages. He farmed with horses until he bought a used Ford tractor in 1954. The tractor still runs.

After graduation Stan worked one summer in the Alaska fisheries, then in July of ‘42 he was drafted to serve in World War II in the Pacific. He returned to Orcas in Dec. of 1945. Upon returning to the family farm, he worked a remarkable variety of jobs: logging, reef netting, and harvesting cord wood as well as farming. His favorite job was on the Chickawanna, a freight passenger ferry and mail boat that ran out of Bellingham to serve the outer islands and Friday Harbor.

Stan also did construction work for Art Lindholm. In 1964, he met and married Margrit Howald, a Swiss national who found her way to the islands with friends. In 1965 their daughter, Lyn, was born, and he began work for San Juan County Public Works on the road crew. He retired from the road crew in ’83 but soon picked up his splitting maul and continued providing excellent cord wood to many on the island. He gathered mostly downed timber out of his woods and always split it by his own strength.

Stan had a special ability as a douser to locate water and gave freely of that special talent in many locations around the island.

Thanks to The Oral History Project at the historical museum, some of Stan’s tales and observations of early Orcas life are preserved in a transcript of an interview that Margaret Philbrick completed and Antoinette Botsford transcribed.

Stan moved through his life honing his skills, attentive to detail and changes, making thrifty use of his resources. All the while he kept track of who lived where, married whom, where their children went, and when he could, he offered generously of himself, his ample garden, or his time and companionship. Many remember the hours he spent at the market watching the community choreography. With his passing goes his huge container of a heart, which carried the lineages and stories of many Orcas families, and his memory that held local history, allowing us to see back into the 20s. His passing leaves a hole in our small corner of the universe.

Stan Englehartson is survived by his wife Margrit Englehartson of Orcas, daughter Lyn Englehartson, son-in-law Paul Baker and grandson Ethan Baker, all of Gig Harbor, and his brother Allen Englehartson of Orcas.

A graveside service will be held Saturday, February 7 at the Woodlawn Cemetery at 11:30 a.m, followed by a community gathering at the Orcas Island Senior Center.

Memorials may be sent to Orcas Island Historical Museum and the Orcas Island Senior Center.