Charles "Jake" Austin

Austin, 83, passed away Saturday, July 10, 2021. Jake was born on February 25th, 1938 in Polk County, Arkansas to Charlie and Clessie Austin. He had three younger brothers and the family traveled across the West and the Southwest following the fruit harvests and other agricultural work. When Jake was 13 the family settled in Malaga. Because Malaga. Did I mention Malaga? I think I did. Wenatchee High School is where Jake met his future wife, the lovely Miss Janet Dickerson. During the "Enchantment Under The Sea Dance" came that magical moment when the two love birds knew Jake they were simply destined for each other. That Impossible Kiss! They dated for 3 years and married on New Year's Eve, 1957 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Wenatchee. You shoulda seen the fireworks! Janet and Jake survived 64 years of wedded bliss, mostly. 64 YEARS PEOPLE! At some point Jake and Janet contracted the Wenatchee Valley Contagion. They bought a family-sized (HA!) apple orchard in East Wenatchee. Planting, pruning, chopping, thinning, irrigation, propping, mowing, sprinklers, fork-lifting, picking, trucking. Such becomes the life of many a former outlaw. "The world is changing, we must change with it." -- That guy from the Kung Fu TV show. The young couple had two sons, Mitch and Steve. Much fishing was done. Much fishing indeed. From The burning desert of Banks Lake to the Lush Beauty of the Straits of Juan de Fuca, many fish were caught, and crabs and clams and oysters too. 1973 saw the "Epic Friends and Family USA Vacation Race 3000". Clan Carey was led by Mom & Dad, JB and Maggie, with hellions Debbie, Denise and Danette rounding out the family unit. The whiskey was drank. The stars had spoken. The Clans would join. The Journey would begin. Piling into pickups, campers and trailers like The Rebel Alliance evacuating Hoth, they hit the road precisely 65 minutes before dawn on "Day One" of The Grand Adventure. The road took them from Central Washington to the majestic Redwoods of Northern California by way of the Oregon Coast along the beautiful (and hellishly curvy, windy) Highway 101. Next stop, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and all the touristy stuff in Southern California. (Rumor has it that Denise got a selfie with Minnie, very hush-hush.) Then they braved the perilous dash across the infamous Death Valley on their way to Las Vegas (13 year-old yawns ever so sarcastically), Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert. The caravan landed in Oklahoma and Arkansas to conference with long lost ancestral species who taught the intrepid adventurers all they wanted to know about living with blood-sucking ticks and chiggers, and OMFG-WTF-R-CICADAS! Our brave explorers cowered one night in a root cellar. (I've actually-IRL-j"cowered" in a freaking root cellar during a freaking thunder storm!) as the storm of the century raged above ground snapping trees and shattering ear-drums with window-shattering thunder. Fleeing this underground sanctuary, our crew raced on to Nashville, Tennessee where Minnie Pearl screamed, "Howwww-Deeee!" in the non-climate controlled Grand Ol' Opry House (in late July.) Elvis and Johnny Cash were spotted in Madame Tussauds Nashville Wax Museum, many photos were made that day I can tell you. A few stitches were involved, but no fingers or toes were eaten by turtles or cicadas, so we're calling this one a win. To relax on the road back home the crew stopped to witness the exploding geysers, boiling sulfur pits, man-eating bears, and bubbling-mud death-traps known as Yellowstone. After this cake walk we all made it home in time for a nap on Sunday afternoon. Ahhh, "sweet dreams are made of this." Between fishing excursions and apple harvest, Jake also spent some of his free time as a mechanic at Tree Top, in Cashmere. 29 years worth of supplying high-quality, non-GMO, gluten-free products to fruit juice lovers all across America! Jake is survived by his wife, Janet, of 64 years, sons, Mitch and Steve (Monica), granddaughter Savanna, and his youngest brother Jerry. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Clessie, and his younger brothers James and Johnny. Funeral arrangements are by Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee. Jake requested that no services be held. We want to express our sincerest gratitude to all the caring people who have helped us to get through this ordeal: Donna and Lisa with In-Home Care, Stacey Shelly with Aging & Adult Care, Dragana at Palliative Care, Ashley with Occupational Therapy Rhonda, Zoe, Barbara (you're all the best!) at Hospice, love to Euli! and, of course, Rick Phillips of Chapel of the Valley, great guy.

Charles "Jake" Austin

February 25, 1938 - July 10, 2021