OBITUARY - JOSEPHINE R. MULKEY

Submitted by: Vikki, VGDriver1 at aol dot com

Source: "Lewis River News," Woodland, Cowlitz Co., WA, Thursday, 12 Mar 1959


“Mom Mulkey” Funeral Today

Funeral services were held today (Thursday) for Josephine R. Mulkey, known
affectionately as “Mom Mulkey” to the 335 servicemen and women with whom she
corresponded during and since World War I.


She died Sunday at her 109 Finn Hall Rd. home.


Sixty-five years old at her death, Mrs. Mulkey began writing to servicemen
during the war, picking their names at random from lists to which gifts were
being sent by the Woodland VFW Auxiliary, of which she was president.


Her letters numbered in the thousands and recipients included Army Chief of
Staff Dwight D. Eisenhower, whom she later visited at the White House while
attending a national VFW convention in 1954.


When the war ended, Mrs. Mulkey organized a reunion on Aug. 18, 1946 of her GI
pen pans.  A Mulkey Brat organization was formed to make the reunion an annual
affair, which was held the Sunday nearest her Aug. 20 birthday.


Mrs. Mulkey was born in 1893 in Seattle and had lived in the Woodland area since
1937.  She was also a member of the St. Philips Catholic Church, American Legion
Auxiliary, Spanish-American Auxiliary, and Quinault Grange 729.


She is survived by her husband, P.A. Mulkey of Woodland; a son, John A. of
Hoquiam; two daughters, Mrs. Florence Harpster of Tucson, Ariz., and Mrs. Roxie
DuBois of Hoquiam; nine grandchildren; two great grandchildren; and two half
brothers and one sister.


The service was conducted at the St. Philips Catholic Church with the Rev.
Patrick O’Brien officiating.  A memorial service was conducted by the VFW
Auxiliary at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.  Woodland Funeral Home
made arrangements.