Sequim Irrigation Festival

Virginia Duncan Brownfield Dickinson was born in Bellingham in 1921. Her mother, Maude Staggs Callahan, married Frank Duncan in 1926. Frank Duncan was born on the Dungeness Valley family ranch in 1893 and was a Grand Pioneer in 1977 for the 82^nd Irrigation Festival.

Her family moved to Sequim when Ginny was in the fourth grade. At that time the population was about 350. She remembers having lots of fun as a kid, playing kick the can, run sheep run and more. In those days the Irrigation Festival was a very special occasion and everyone bought new clothes. The school was in charge of the Irrigation Festival and most of the activities were competitions among the schools. Ginny danced with the maypole and raced in some of the dashes and bike races. She remembers her second Irrigation Festival the best. She was about 10 and one of her cousins who owned the carnival would give her and her friends free rides. That meant she had money to buy a hot dog and kewpie doll.

She and Francis “Dizz” Brownfield were married in 1938. During their 10 year marriage Ginny and Dizz had seven (7) children: Virginia, Francis, Tom, Gerald, Keith, Dennis and Cathleen. Dizz was a mechanic and bush pilot, and in 1949 he died during a hunting trip while they were living in Alaska. In 1950 Ginny and her children moved back to Dungeness. Ginny bought the “Blake” house sight unseen. It was originally owned by the lighthouse keeper and she still lives in this 100+ year old home.

In the following years she worked at her parent’s resort, the Duncan’s Dungeness Resort, which included a store, restaurant and hunting cabins, where fishermen and duck hunters would stay. She worked for a time at a nursing home and volunteered at the VFW as well.

Ginny and Jack Dickinson were married and they had 3 children: John, George and Larry. Jack died in 1997. Ginny has a total of 23 grandchildren, 45 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren.

She is happy that the area has grown so that kids don’t have to leave town to get good jobs. She is very proud to be named a pioneer and most of Ginny’s children are coming home to be here for the festival and to honor her.