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By KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
News editor
“Ask us about Maggie,” family members are saying after the
tragic death of Margaret Guth Bleakley on Oct. 27 at her farm in
Mosier.
Maggie Bleakley, who coaxed ample produce from the soil, was 28.
She operated Mosier Valley Organics on Davenport Road with her
husband, Silas.
Maggie is survived by her husband, Silas, whom she married on
Aug. 15, 2009, at their farm, and by her parents, Ron and Marg
Guth, of Hood River; her sister, Jamie, and her brother, Peter.
(The Bleakleys’ wedding announcement appears on page A9.)
“She was a beautiful soul,” said her sister, Jamie Guth, of Hood
River. “People said that when they talked to her, she made them
feel like they were the most important person in the world.
“We want people to know that we want them to talk to us about
Maggie, to ask questions. That’s how we remember her.”
According to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Maggie Bleakley
died at about 5:20 p.m. after becoming trapped under a vehicle.
The sheriff’s report stated that Bleakley got out of the vehicle
and lost her footing, slipping under it. The vehicle rolled
backward and Bleakley was pinned by the front driver’s tire.
Hood River Fire Department paramedics pronounced Bleakley dead
at the scene.
Maggie was born in Kansas on Oct. 13, 1981, and graduated from
Hood River Valley High School in 2000 and the University of
Hawaii in 2004 with a degree in Spanish. She traveled throughout
the world, studying in Cuba and Spain, and spent three months in
Southeast Asia with Silas. They lived on an organic farm in
Hawaii, where Jamie said Maggie gained her love of agriculture,
and the couple decided to return to the Gorge.
“They wanted to make a difference in the farming community
here,” Jamie said. In addition to working the farm, Silas
Bleakley teaches at Columbia Gorge Community College.
The farm raises chickens and extensive produce such as tomatoes,
peppers, squash and 15 types of potatoes.
“She was testing the soil, seeing what grows best,” Jamie said.
The Bleakleys were actively involved in the Gorge Grown Food
Network, and Maggie had “huge plans” for the farm, including
contracts to special orders for Gorge restaurants.
A celebration of life is planned today, 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Mt.
Hood Winery, 2882 Van Horn Dr., Pine Grove. Dress causally and
bring a favorite dish for potluck. The family will feature
home-grown vegetables from Maggie and Silas’ farm. In lieu of
flowers, memorial donations should go to Gorge Grown Food
Network.
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