LeEtta Sanders King collection

LeEtta Sanders King (1893-1978) was born on September 21, 1893 in Franklin, Washington. Her father worked in the coal mines in Franklin before moving the family to Yakima Valley to homestead. He died shortly afterwards when LeEtta was still young. LeEtta’s mother followed him two years later, orphaning LeEtta and her three siblings. The children were then raised by a family friend, William Jackson, who introduced LeEtta to her love of music. LeEtta moved to Seattle in 1914, at a time when the city had only a small number of Black residents. She attended Wilson’s Business College to train as a stenographer and worked as a secretary for Andrew Black, a Black lawyer who was active in civic affairs. Black died in 1918 and Letta spent a brief period of time in California before returning to Seattle.

During World War I, she worked for the Civil Service and also volunteered for the Red Cross, acting as secretary for the Colored Young Women’s Auxiliary to the American Red Cross. LeEtta married George W. King (1885-1950) in 1919. After marrying, they moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where LeEtta gave birth to their son, Winfield King (1920-1976) on February 13, 1920. The family returned to Seattle shortly afterwards. LeEtta worked for the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression and later employed her musical talent as a piano accompanist for traveling musicians, a music teacher, and the organist and choir leader at Grace Presbyterian Church. LeEtta was also a member of The Christian Friends for Racial Equality, a Seattle group founded in 1942 to address interracial tensions in the city. LeEtta lived at the King family home at 1727 33rd Ave. in Madrona for over 40 years. She passed away on November 6, 1978.

Her son, Winfield King (1920-1976) graduated from Broadway High School in 1938. He served during World War II as a ship’s cook for the army. He married Helen Jorgensen in 1951 and the couple had two children. Winfield inherited his mother's love of music and was a musician and bandleader. He was active in the Negro Musician's Union (American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 493) and the first black member of the AFM Local 76 musician's union to a hold a major position. (Local 493 and Local 76 were integrated in 1958 after 4 decades of segregation.) Both LeEtta and Winfield were members of the Seattle NAACP Chapter.