Dixie Lee Hinton

February 15, 1935 - February 20, 2022

Dixie Lee Hinton, age 87, of Entiat, WA, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 20, 2022, at home in the care of her loving family. She was diagnosed with ALS in 2018, and faced the disease with grace, courage, and dignity. The disease may have taken away her ability to speak, but she happily communicated through the use of her eyes, her smile, and with pen and paper. She was always quick with a smile and hers could easily light up a room. She was a longtime member of the Entiat Valley Church and she lived knowing that God was always by her side. She loved Jesus and her church family and served many years on the Church's Board of Directors. Dixie was born in Wenatchee, WA, on February 15, 1935, and grew up in Entiat, WA. She was the only child of Fred Lee Galbraith and Ruth Esther (Dinkelman) Galbraith, who had waited 12 long years for a child and Ruth, being a fan of Bing Crosby, chose the name Dixie, after Bing's wife. While growing up on the family's orchard, she was very active and loved to climb hills, skate on the river, and play horse behind the tractors with her good friend, Lilly Wolf. When she was old enough, she was put to work in the cookhouse, peeling potatoes to help feed the orchard crew, and washing the dishes. Later, after school, she worked in her dad's packing shed packing the little apples that the “hired” packers neglected. Dixie graduated third in her class from Entiat High School in 1953. While there, she was active in many school activities, participating in plays, clubs, band, and student body government. She was also a cheerleader, marched as a majorette, and was elected “E” Club Sweetheart and Prom Queen. Class reunions were always a highlight of Dixie's summers. Following high school, she ventured to Seattle, WA, where she graduated with honors from Seattle University, in 1957, with a degree in Accounting. She was elected to Who's Who in Colleges and Universities and received the Deans Award for Scholarship and Achievement. To help finance her education, she worked falls at Mad River Warehouse and went to school during summers. While still in college, Dixie married her best friend and the love of her life, fellow Entiat native, John Kenneth Hinton, in 1956. They lived in Seattle until life events brought them back to the Dinkelman family orchard. She and John ran the orchard successfully for nearly 60 years, with John working the orchard and Dixie taking meticulous care of the farm books and records. She was a consummate bookkeeper! Putting her college degree to work, Dixie found employment with Boeing and later, worked in various business capacities for the U.S. Forest Service for 24 years, the Entiat School District as Office Manager, and ended her professional career working for Micron Audiology in Wenatchee, WA. Dixie was a good friend to many and she enjoyed visiting and chatting, whether it be in person or on the phone. She could definitely talk your ear off! She enjoyed dabbling in genealogy and loved to talk about her family heritage. Dixie was a pet lover and had many cats and dogs over the years, and there wasn't much she wouldnt do for them. She and John enjoyed camping and travelling with their 5th wheel and made many trips to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to escape the Entiat winter cold. She loved her family dearly and looked forward to family gatherings, especially during the holidays. Supporting her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren during countless sporting and school events and birthdays, was a joy for Dixie and she rarely missed an event. Later in life, taking care of her preschool-age great-grandchildren kept her joyfully busy. Shopping was a pastime in which she participated whole heartedly. She loved finding good bargains, especially shoes; she absolutely loved shoes! She also couldn't resist yard sales, bringing home many treasures, whether she needed them or not. The main treasures in her life, however, were her family. She is survived by her loving husband of 65 years, John; and her devoted children: Ken Hinton (Karen) of Las Vegas, NV, Kyle Hinton (Lori) of University Place, WA, and Karolyn Scaman of Entiat, WA; six grandchildren: Amanda, David, Michelle, Katy, Haylee, and Shane; and ten great-grandchildren: Savannah, Conner, McKenna, Peyton, Emma, Eli, Sadie, Layla, Clara, and Georgia. They will miss their “Gigi” and “Grandma.” She was preceded in death by her parents; her favorite uncle, Oliver Galbraith; son-in-law, Fred Scaman; and several dear friends including, Carol Boyd, the closest thing she had to a sister. Dixie will truly be missed by all who knew her and came to love her. Services will be held at Entiat Valley Church, 2150 Entiat Way, Entiat, WA, on March 5, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., with the Internment in the Entiat Valley Cemetery, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to Entiat Valley Church, P.O. Box 515, Entiat, WA, 98822, to support its ministries, or the Wenatchee Humane Society, 1474 S. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, WA, 98801.