Few women have displayed such keen judgment in the growth and development of Gig Harbor as Rose Tarabochia. Rental houses, cheerful monuments to her business insight, line Tarabochia Avenue. These, and Neptune Court on the corner of Harborview and Pioneer, are just a few of her properties in Gig Harbor and elsewhere.

After completing the sixth grade, Rose, one of Martin and Anna Ancich's seven children, went to work selling candy and ice cream to passengers waiting for ferries. The dock was where the Tides Tavern is now. At 16 she married Nick Tarabochia, a commercial fisherman also of Yugoslavian ancestry. The couple began acquiring property and fishing boats.

Following World War II, war workers' housing in Bremerton was for sale. Seizing the opportunity, Rose and Nick bought a number of them. The houses were towed to Gig Harbor on a barge and unloaded when the tide was low. They were hauled to previously prepared sites on Tarabochia Avenue where they still stand.

Rose does not know what inspired her to buy the old garage and turn it into shops. But she recognized its potential. That old garage standing in the heart of Gig Harbor is now Neptune's Court, a shopping mall tastefully refurbished to entice both tourists and local residents to stop and shop.

Nick, remembered for his ability as a fisherman and as an innovative real estate developer, passed away in 1992. Rose continues to run the business. Once a week, she volunteers at the Tacoma Art Museum. Gig Harbor has been enriched by her enterprise.

For almost four decades Mary Jane Turner was, at various times, pastor of not one but two churches (Memorial Presbyterian and Union Rosedale) - and four mission stations.

Mary Jane came to Gig Harbor in 1929 to lead a Vacation Bible School at the Memorial Presbyterian Church (present site of the Church of the Nazarene). The congregation, pleased with her performance, asked her to conduct Sunday worship. At the time, Mary Jane was teaching school weekdays in Easton (near Snoqualmie) but on Sundays she delivered sermons, conducted Sunday school, and gave evening talks in Gig Harbor.

By 1931 she had become a full-time Christian worker in Gig Harbor. In 1932 she was the first woman elder from Olympia Presbytery to be a delegate to the National Assembly.

In 1933, she added the Rosedale pastorate to her duties. She was known for her perseverance, her skills at teaching and preaching, and her love of music. She herself attributed her success to hard work and her dedication to youth.

She organized Sunday Schools in Gig Harbor, Rosedale, Olalla, Elgin, Horsehead Bay, and Arletta. The churches sponsored numerous activities for young people. Music of all types was an integral part of the Presbyterian program. In addition there was Christian Endeavor, Vacation Bible School, summer Bible Camp, picnics, and excursions. This combination of entertainment with gospel teaching, plus the example set by Mary Jane, prompted a number of young adults to follow her into Christian service.