Brookside Landing

Tom and Marge Harkness are our residents of the month of April. 

Marge was born in Omak, Washington to James and Laura Tedrow.  Marge was the youngest and she had two older brothers.  Marge says she was treated like a queen being the youngest of the family and the only girl. 

Marge’s family moved to Oroville, Washington which is four miles south of Canada.  Marge says it was nothing to go across the border back then.  Marge remembers that Oroville was a great place to grow up because there was a river on each side of town and also a lake there.  Marge rode her bike to lake every day of the summer. 

Marge and Tom have known each other since Marge was 12 years old and Tom was 15 years old. 

Tom was born to Tom and Maude McCoy Harkness in Mulson, Washington.  He was the third oldest with two older sisters, Dorothy and Virginia and a younger brother, Donald and younger sister, Jean.  Tom’s family moved to Orville in 1946 when he was in the 8^th grade. 

After Tom graduated, he joined the Navy and Marge stayed behind and finished high school.  She also admits to writing a lot of letters to Tom while she was finishing school. 

After Marge graduated, Tom came home and went to work for Marge’s dad logging company for a year. In 1947, Tom and Marge married in Omak.  Tom was there working in a parts house and Marge worked there as an accountant.  After Marge’s job ended at the accountant, she went to work for the credit union. 

In 1949, they moved to Seattle.  Tom and Marge had their first daughter, Laura there.  When Laura was born, Marge stayed home to raise their family.  The family moved to Omak from Seattle because the rainy weather was not to their liking and the crowds were too much for them.  In 1952 a son, Robert was born and then in 1953, Thomas James joined the family. 

Tom started construction and the family moved to Wenatchee, Washington.  They made their home there for 50 years.  Tom was working building roads, he drove Cat for 35 years.  Tom says, “He really enjoyed construction mainly because he was learning something new everyday.

Tom was away from home quite a bit working construction, but home was still in Wenatchee.  All three children graduated from Wenatchee high school.  When the youngest son was in college, but still living at home, Marge joined Tom on the road.  They moved around and lived in a trailer. 

When Tom turned sixty, he was forced to quit construction work due to health problems.  For a few years, Tom and Marge became snowbirds to Yuma, Arizona.  After they quit snow birding they spent the next few years in their home in Wenatchee. 

They retired to Orofino because their daughter and son-in-law have property at Canyon Creek.  Marge says, “Orofino is a nice, little town, but sometimes she misses having all the businesses and health specialists right here.”  Overall, everybody is extremely friendly and they are happy in Orofino.