Velma Good’s family, the Knapmans, have been in the Sequim area since the late 1870’s. She and her older brother, Jack, were born to Elva and Herbert Spieker in Odessa, Washington. Her mother divorced her father when Velma was 3, and in 1932 married Henry Emery, who was a wonderful father.
When Velma was 17 years old she was inside the house that she and her family were living in when it exploded. While she was very lucky to survive this tragic accident, her brother, his friend and her grandfather died. After a long and difficult recovery Velma went on to graduate from high school. She recalls how the community came together to help her family after they had lost everything in the dynamite explosion.
Velma met Everett Good in 1936. Over the years they had 3 daughters, Darlene, Lori and Kathi. In all, she has 3 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren.
In the mid-1960’s Velma led an effort to bring special education classes to the Sequim Schools. She organized families with members who required special education, and after 6 years convinced the school board to start a special education program.
She and Everett were very active in the Sequim Valley Lions Club. Just as the community gave to her family, she has given back to the community. She is a life long member of the Sequim Prairie Grange, assisted many years with the Girl Scouts and Rainbow Girls, was an original member of the Sequim Dungeness Museum and Arts Center, served as Secretary/Treasurer for the Sequim Nutrition Center, was on the Clallam County Handicap Board for 17 years, worked in the Lauridsen Group Home for the Handicapped, and worked as head of the East End Blood Bank.
Being a part of the Sequim Irrigation Festival is not new to Velma. In addition to her daughter, Kathi, being Irrigation Festival Queen in 1978, she has worked with past festival committees to raise money for the festival.
Velma is a great story teller and has led a very full and interesting life. She feels it is an honor being named an Honorary Pioneer.