Lola Aydelott, 94, of Baker City died March 28, 2007, at her home at Meadowbrook.
Her memorial was Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church in Baker City. Pastor Susan Barnes officiated.
Lola was born on Sept. 2, 1912, at Joplin, Mo. Lola’s family left Missouri when she was young to travel west and finally settled on the Oregon Coast. There she met Owen Aydelott through friends and family members. The couple were married on Feb. 28, 1931. Lola’s family initially did not approve of her marriage to a college student, a man without a job. In 1935, the couple’s first daughter, Shirley, was born. Their second daughter, Janet, was born in 1938.
Early on, Owen’s job as a forester had the family living in tents at times. When the Forest Service offered to send Owen to get his master’s degree, it was Lola who insisted they move to Washington, D.C., so he could continue his education.
Owen worked all day and attended school in the evenings while Lola cared for the family living in a cramped apartment with no car. Because of Owen’s job, the family moved around a lot. Lola took small jobs in various cities through the years. While in Los Angeles, she worked hand painting the Disney figurines.
In 1945, Lola and her family settled in Baker City. Lola and Owen retired to King City in 1965. They really enjoyed their time in the city and Lola was active in volunteering for Loaves and Fishes, a program similar to Meals on Wheels.
When Owen’s health was failing, Lola was unable to care for him by herself so the couple moved back to Baker City to be closer to their daughter, Shirley.
Owen died in 1995, and Lola moved back to Portland to be near her granddaughter, Gayleen. When Gayleen relocated to Boise, Lola moved there as well. After two years in Boise, she moved back to Baker City. She loved her life at Meadowbrook and was very happy to be back in Oregon.
Lola loved games and puzzles and was very good at them. Even in her last years of life, she was sharp and could defeat almost everyone with whom she played. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren always wanted to be around Grandma because she was so much fun and was always willing to play games with them.
Gardening was Lola’s primary form of exercise. You wouldn’t catch her in the gym, but she always kept looking fit and trim. After surgery, she was required to do physical therapy; to her that meant lifting her leg 1 inch off the ground two or three times while sitting on the couch.
She was always a happy person and could be described as a ray of sunshine when she walked into a room. She was very quick-witted and had a wonderful sense of humor. She enjoyed the company of her friends and family and could always be counted on to help others when volunteers were needed.
Survivors include her daughters, Shirley Dodson, and her husband, Dale, of Baker City and Janet Pease and her husband, Norman, of Orinda, Calif.; grandchildren, Gayleen Dodson of Boise, Randy Dodson and his wife, Amy, of Baker City, Jordan Pease of Ashland, Nara Clark and her husband, Judson, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Larissa Kosla and her husband, Nick, of Auburn, Calif.; great-grandchildren, Amberly, Tawny, Tobin and Audrey.
Lola’s husband, Owen Aydelott, died on Dec. 16, 1995. They had been married 64 years.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Best Friends of Baker County in care of Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, April 4, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor