Lifelong Lewis County resident Irene Tripp celebrated 90 years as a grange member this week, making her the longest serving grange member in the state and possibly the only 90-year grange member in state history.
Tripp celebrated the anniversary surrounded by family and many other grange members at the South Creek Post Acute facility in Centralia Tuesday afternoon. Tripp, who was born to a family of lifelong grangers, has been a member of the Newaukum Grange since she was a child. She has gone on to pass that tradition down to at least four generations, all grangers, who celebrated the 90-year anniversary with her.
Washington State Grange President Tom Gwin, a 50-year granger and member of the Humptulips Grange north of Hoquiam and Aberdeen, also made the trip to Centralia to award Tripp with an official certificate honoring her anniversary.
While Gwin says they can’t be 100% certain, he and the state grange believe Tripp may be the first ever 90-year member in the history of the Washington State Grange, which was first founded in 1889, two months before Washington gained statehood.
“We think this is the first one ever in our state,” Gwin said. “I did four 80-years last year, but we’ve never had a 90.”
Maybe even more impressive is Tripp’s longevity. The longest granger in the state is currently 102 and, according to her family, will turn 103 in August.
Tripp has been a member of the local Newaukum Grange all her life since she was born to parents Frank and Pearl Miller, who themselves were active grange members and among the earliest members of the Newaukum Grange.
Frank was a well-regarded member of the grange and received the Washington State Grange Leader of the Year Award in 1967, according to a recent state grange proceeding. Tripp’s late nephew Wayne Miller is also well known in the community. He passed away in 2024 and was a highly regarded member of the state grange, as well.
Miller and his wife Peggy were well known for leading and organizing junior grange camp in the summers for the many children of grange members. Miller served as Washington State Grange vice president and also for nearly 20 years as junior grange director.
Tripp’s son Ted remains an active member of the Newaukum Grange and recently celebrated 60 years as a grange member. According to Tripp, roughly 80% of the family is involved in the Washington State Grange.
Tripp’s great niece Jennifer Webb, who also attended the celebration, serves as a Washington State Grange deputy and has been a member of the grange for 43 years.
