Lael Ezra Sikes

Childhood

Lael was the fourth child and only son born to Kenneth and Edna Sikes.  A younger sister would eventually bring the children total to five.  He was born at Swedish hospital in Seattle, Washington. 

Lael was raised in the same house his father, Kenneth Kay was born in.  The house was built by his grandfather, William Ezra on the property that had been homesteaded in 1884.

During Lael’s school years, his time was spent between the homestead farm in Carnation and the Royal Slope (George Washington) where his parents took up a farming operation.  Lael grew up operating every type of farming equipment including Mack trucks hauling hay from Eastern Washington back to the homestead. 

Lael graduated from Tolt High School in 1964.  He was active in basketball, playing all four years of high school.  After graduation, he continued supporting his father’s trucking operation hauling hay. 

His Children

In 1968, Lael married Lorraine Fay Flippins who he met in Eastern Washington.  Lael and Lorraine would have four children over eight years.  The marriage wouldn’t last, and in 1980, he moved to Zortman, Montana where he left behind truck driving and switched to operating mobile equipment for a mining operation.  He was affectionally called Parnelli after the famous racecar driver Parnelli Jones.  Apparently, Lael was known as the fastest driver on the mountain.

He spent the next 10 years in Montana eventually moving back to Washington, settling in Royal City in 1990 (ish).  He picked back up doing what he knew best and that is driving truck.  He hauled fruits and hay, and basically anything that needed to be transported.

Fast Cars

If Lael’s first love was his children his second love was cars, particularly Ford.  If it had wheels and some sort of steering capability he could not only drive it but he could fix it.  Taking apart cars and putting them back together, well he was somewhat of a genius!

Death

Lael died a month before his 59th birthday in 2005, much too young.  His cause of death was never determined but he very quickly succumbed to whatever took his life.  No autopsy was conducted. Lael was cremated and some of his ashes were laid next to his parent’s graves in the Old Pioneer Cemetery in Redmond, Washington.  His remaining ashes were kept by his children.

Currently, his descendants include four children, eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.