Luella Elizabeth Gilje
March 30, 1924 - June 12, 2010

Luella Elizabeth Gilje passed away peacefully on June 12, 2010 at the age of 86. Luella was born March 30, 1924 in Marshalltown, Iowa. She spent her early years growing up in Sioux City, Iowa.

In March 1945 Luella married Chief Petty Officer Earl S. Robinson Sr. Earl was a career Navy man and they travelled throughout the United States, Cuba and to Guam, having three children along the way. Traveling from Maryland, California, Rhode Island, Cuba and then to Guam where her parents, Henry and Mabel Schimberg, had lived since 1949. Luella and Earl divorced on Guam.

While working for the Navy as a Civil Service GS4 employee Luella met and married her second husband, Captain Stanley Allen Gilje, a master mariner. Luella and Stan continued to live on Guam and added four children to the family. In November 1962 the family relocated to the Seattle area permanently after Typhoon Karen devastated Guam.

Luella was widowed in October, 1970 when Stan died unexpectedly. Luella stayed in the Magnolia area from 1962 until 1996. She raised seven children and also cared for her two stepsons while working for the City of Seattle. Luella started at Seattle City Light and moved to the Seattle Water Department where she worked as an Account Tech until she retired with over twenty years of service with the City of Seattle.

Family was always first with Luella and she dearly loved her children and grandchildren and was a devoted daughter to her parents, Mabel & Henry Schimberg. When not enjoying family gatherings Luella enjoyed traveling, taking the kids on many trips and she loved going to see the flowers in the Skagit Valley. Luella is survived by her children (Earl, Cynthia, Ross, Jon, Arne, Elizabeth, Amy, Karl and Ted), 20 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.

Luella will be missed by all her family and friends. We were blessed to have her as our mother, grandmother and teacher. Our many experiences and memories of her are treasures.

Our family would also like to thank the staff at Mission Healthcare in Crossroads for the high caliber of special care they gave our Mother for so long and to know how much that meant to us.

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