My aunt Gretchen Aho recently died. Her daughters wrote a lovely obituary. She was a nice lady and will be missed.
In Memory of
Gretchen Aho
October 15, 1938 – October 7, 2015
Obituary
Gretchen Aho, age 76, of SW Portland, Oregon, passed away on October 7th, 2015.
Gretchen Field was born in Grand Island, Nebraska on October 15th, 1938. She grew up in Michigan until around 1945 when she and her family moved to Southern California. She graduated from Wilson High School in Long Beach, California in 1956.
Gretchen and John Aho were married October 19, 1962. Mom enjoyed their travels when Dad was stationed overseas. While riding a bus in Germany she learned from a local woman her name was not Gretchen, but Gretel. Gretchen is a child’s nickname! On a United Kingdom tour she got to kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland. Her favorite tour was to the Holy Lands which included a stay at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut; the Dome of the Rock, Mount of Olives, and Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, and being baptized in the Jordan River by the Ethiopian Church.
Mom and Dad also lived in Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Benning, Georgia; and Fort Wainwright, Alaska before moving to Oregon. Mom lived in McMinnville a short time to help her grandparents before settling in the SW Portland/Beaverton area in 1982.
Gretchen was an eccentric tomboy. She was goofy, feisty, patriotic and a little stubborn. She accepted people for who they were and had a talent for striking up a conversation with anyone, anywhere. Her gift of gab along with her joy of driving enabled her to volunteer and gather sponsorship donations to help the HS music and marching band program. She also was generous with her time if people needed a ride somewhere (an Uber girl at heart!). Even when Gretchen lost the ability to drive herself she loved getting out for a scenic trip around town. She’d turn up the music and start rocking out!
Gretchen was truly a special, one-of-kind lady. She is survived by her daughters and son-in-laws; Natasha and Lonnie Pierce, Sonya and Jeff Barnett, both of SW Portland, and grandsons John and Luke.
A private service is being held at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Meals on Wheels program
http://www.mealsonwheelspeople.org/
What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. ~Helen Keller
(from http://pegg-paxson-springer-fun-chapel.tributes.com/dignitymemorial/obituary/Gretchen-Aho-102918993)
