Lydia Amelia Almquist, 100, A Lady Of The Golden North

Lydia Amelia Almquist - born in Seattle but reared in Alaska - was a true Lady of the Golden North.

Independent, ramrod-straight and determinedly healthy, she knew her purpose and scoffed at adversity.

Part of that purpose was nursing the sick and injured in two world wars. The rest involved world travel, church work and family.

She stayed involved until her health deteriorated two years ago. She died of pulmonary failure last Friday, Jan. 12, at 100 years of age.

Born in a clapboard cabin in Seattle's Belltown district in 1895, she moved to Alaska at age 3 when her Swedish-immigrant parents sought their fortune in the Gold Rush.

It was a rugged but charmed childhood: She and her seven siblings hiked, sledded, and fished for halibut when they weren't in school.

After the gold mine closed, her family returned to Seattle. But Mrs. Almquist enrolled in Royal Jubilee School of Nursing in Victoria, B.C., honed her skills in the Canadian navy, and graduated in 1918.

Returning to Seattle, she worked as a nurse before and after marrying Edward Almquist in 1923. They lived at her husband's pioneer-parents' homestead, now Lakewood Playfield (a k a Almquist Park).

"My Dad's Victory Garden was where a church now stands - Columbia Lakewood Community Church," said Mrs. Almquist's daughter, Jeanne Slye of Mercer Island.

Mrs. Almquist taught Sunday school, served in other church activities, and made the house a gathering place where neighborhood children could stay for dinner. She also was active in Ladies of the Golden North, a social group.

"She just had a lot of energy and a lot of drive," said her son, Edward Almquist of Seattle. "She imparted that to my sister and me. She knew what she wanted, and would stand up to anyone."

Mrs. Almquist retired in 1968, the year her husband died.

Family was important; she went to the big Anderson Family Picnics - that was her heritage - and brought her famous baked beans, which took two days to prepare.

Travel mattered, too: She boated with her children, flew to Europe, and cruised to Alaska.

"She had played a lot of athletics when she was young, and liked to hike," her son said. "In fact, in Hawaii for her 80th birthday, she was walking on the beach when a big wave came in and knocked her down. Instead of being shocked, she just laughed and laughed."

Also surviving are her brother, Irving Anderson of Seattle; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Remembrances may go to Children's Hospital Memorials, P.O. Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98105.

Services for Mrs. Almquist will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Columbia Lakewood Community Church, 5005 S. Ferdinand St.