Sue C. Boynton

The contest is named for Sue Crocker Boynton, an early resident of Whatcom County, Washington, who helped organize Bellingham’s PTAs and St. Luke’s Hospital Assistance League. Boynton came to Bellingham as a bride in 1906, taught classes at the YWCA and, in 1917, climbed Mt. Baker. Although she did not consider herself more than an amateur poet, she poured her emotions and thoughts into verse and inspired others to write.

Sue C. Boynton’s last public reading was in July 1976 at age 95 when she read a message from President Ford along with one of her poems for the Bicentennial program in the old City Hall. Sue Boynton died in 1981. The story of her life is told in The Sue Boynton Story by Dorothy Koert, published in 1982 by the Whatcom County Historical Society.

Poems by Sue C. Boynton are included on these pages:
“An Ode to Me” (posted September 19, 2010)
“We Walk Together” (posted October 8, 2010)
“Too Busy Growing Up” (posted October 24, 2010)

Another photo of Sue C. Boynton appears here (posted March 2, 2011).