Fireflies, Fences and Floods

When Betty Bicknell, a long-time resident of Mirror lake died, almost the entire population of Mirror Lake (and more) gathered to celebrate her long and lively life. One after another, people came to the podium to relate a story about Betty. As the service went on, it was clear that the lives everyone around the lake were intertwined in one way or another. Betty spearheaded the Fireflies, she baby sat for the Jones boys, she made beautiful bouquets for another’s wedding, served Hot Buttered Rums for the Christmas Boat Parade.
From the early forties when young families began populating the heavily forested area around the lake, with hardly any roads to speak of, to the 1990’s, when Federal Way became a full-fledged city, the people of Mirror Lake shared an uncommonly close community that continues to this day.
Here are some stories of those early days.