Edna Mae Stanley, 88, formerly of Baker City, died April 22, 2003, after a long struggle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
Disposition was by cremation and interment will be at River View Cemetery.
Edna Mae Dick was born Jan. 18, 1915, near Mankato, Kan., to May and John Dick. She grew up on a farm, rode horseback to high school, graduated at 16, and went to work at a dairy.
Edna came of age during the Great Depression, and like many of her generation, she knew the value of hard work.
In 1936, she married William Stanley, a civil engineer with the Soil Conservation Service. The couple settled in Baker City in 1941 where they raised their two children. Edna managed the household while her husband was often away on engineering projects for the government.
When her children were older, she worked as a secretary, tended her large garden, and enjoyed playing bridge and square dancing.
The Stanleys moved to Portland in 1959. Edna worked at several law firms as a legal secretary until her retirement in 1973.
In 1967, her son went missing in action while flying missions in Vietnam. Edna became an activist in the POW/MIA movement, was a member of the National League of Families, and attended numerous conventions. Although she never got word of her son, she maintained her courage and optimism in the face of personal tragedy.
Edna was devoted to her family and was the family historian, corresponding with relatives and keeping meticulous records. In her retirement she enjoyed gardening, antique shows, and the Portland Trail Blazers.
She will be remembered by those who loved her for her intelligence, her love of beauty, her independent nature, and for the brave way she faced her illness.
Edna is survived by her daughter, Carol Kirklin of Portland; grandchildren, Deborah Kirklin of Sebastopol, Calif., Jeffrey Kirklin of Portland and Curtis Stanley of Albuquerque, N.M.; great-granddaughter, Sarah Poplack of Sebastopol, Calif.; brother, Jim Dick of Norco, Calif.; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her son, USAF Captain Robert W. Stanley in 1967, and her husband of 62 years, William, who passed away in 1998.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial Fund, 1750 SW Skyline Blvd. #15, Portland, OR 97221, or Hopewell House Hospice Center, 6171 SW Capitol Highway, Portland, OR 97239.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, May 9, 2003
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor