Gwyneth Mae Riggs Gross

Gwyneth Mae Riggs Gross: March 18, 1931 — June 3, 2026

KELSO- Gwyneth Mae Riggs Gross was born March 18, 1931, in Wenatchee, Washington to John Russell and Lillian Mae Staples Riggs.

Her first years were spent on an apple ranch near Entiat where she accompanied her father on his daily rounds and soaked up the sun. When Gwyn was five the family moved to Ketchikan, Alaska. Her father managed a mail, freight and passenger boat service to the outlying communities at the southern tip of the Alaska panhandle. Her new life was filled with apartment living, a plank play yard over tidewater and RAIN.

She graduated from Ketchikan High School in 1949 and studied at WSC in Pullman where she met and married Larry Gross. She worked in the college admissions office until Larry graduated. Gwyn and Larry and newborn daughter, Jayne, arrived in Kelso in 1952 where Larry taught at Kelso High School. Their sons John, Mike and Gary soon completed the family.

In 1959 Gwyn took a position as part-time secretary at First Methodist Church in Kelso where she stayed for 34 years in a job she truly loved. She worked a lot of overtime and lovingly called it her volunteer time.

Gwyn, and later Larry, became volunteers for the American Field Service student exchange program. Countless students were guests in their home but two, Ugur Kaymak (Turkey) and Inger Merete Aspaas (Norway), spent a year with them. The families have remained close, four generations now. Gwyn and Larry enjoyed visiting their AFS students around the world and saw much of Europe (with “Europe on $20.00 a Day” as their guidebook), Turkey, New Zealand, and a bit of Australia and Africa.

Swift Reservoir was the family’s favorite vacation spot for more than fifty years. There Gwyn lovingly cooked breakfast for everyone and enjoyed swimming in the clear water of the lake. She also backpacked in the Cascades, the Olympics and Tongass National Forests with her family.

She was a member of Kelso United Methodist Presbyterian Church, Altrusa and PEO, a philanthropic educational organization.

Gwyn felt her life was truly blessed by her husband, her children and spouses, her 12 grandchildren and her 19 great-grandchildren. Her family feels richly blessed to have had her abundant love and guidance throughout their lives.

Gwyn was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Larry, and her sister Marilyn Tolsma Joyce.

She is survived by her daughter Jayne Lafady (Steve), sons John Gross (Trudi), Mike Gross (Angela), and Gary Gross (Shirley).

A Celebration of Life for both Gwyn and Larry will be held August 16, 2026 at 1:00pm at the Kelso United Methodist Presbyterian Church.

Memorial gifts may be made to: The Kelso School Foundation, Gross Family Scholarship, PO Box 3444, Kelso, WA 98626-0027; The Kelso United Methodist Presbyterian Church, Memorial Fund, 206 Cowlitz Way, Kelso, WA 98626; or a charity of choice.