Lorene Estell "Babe" Jordan

Lorene Estell Jordan, “Babe” as she was known to most, passed away on Friday Feb.15, 2013 at the age of 93 at the Canterbury Gardens dementia and Alzheimer’s care center in Longview, Wash. She was born on Sept. 27, 1919, to William David and Rena Mae (Been) Smith in Calexico, Calif. She was the youngest of the three children and was raised in Imperial Valley, Calif., Arizona and the San Joaquin Valley, near Merced, Calif. Born to a family of farmers, she moved quite frequently and from farm to farm. Babe was educated through the eighth grade, then her father put her to work on the farm. At the age of 17 she met her future husband, Lewis Alexander Jordan. They were married on June 7, 1937 in Merced, at her parents home. Their first child, Ethelmae was born when Babe was 19 years old. Their first son, David was born in August of 1941 in Dos Palos, Calif. The Jordan family moved to Los Angeles in 1941 during World War II, so Lewis could help make war products. While in Los Angeles county area, their second son, Roy, was born in 1943 in Huntington Park. In 1945, the family moved to Grants Pass, Ore., and Lewis worked on a farm there. A harsh winter came and the family moved back to Herndon, Calif. In 1947 another effort was made by the family to move and settle in Oregon, where they did find place in Trenholm in Columbia County with 10 acres. It was 11 miles west of St. Helens. The family lived there for ten years and in 1957 they moved to Deer Island. Babe worked in the strawberry fields planting, hoeing, and picking. Winters in Trenholm were a cold and snowy time. Time was spent cutting firewood and preparing for spring work. In later years, when the strawberry season was over, Babe worked at the Birdseye Cannery in the Hillsboro, and the Forest Grove area in the broccoli plant. She finally found work closer to home at the local hospital as a cleaning lady, then a laundress, and finally as a seamstress where she made and minded hospital supplies. She retired from the hospital in 1979. Babe liked to square dance and she belonged to a local club. She liked to cook, can and feed people. She also liked to travel, hunt and fish for bass, trout, and salmon. She received some trophies for some of her fish. In her later years, after her son David retired, she spent many days in his speeder on railroad tracks rides, sightseeing different areas, such as northern California and Great Slave Lake in Canada, to name of few. Babe liked to garden, raise flowers and plant trees. She had many hobbies that kept her hands busy. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister Irene; husband Lewis; brother Lee; son David and daughter Ethelmae. Babe is survived by her son Roy (and his wife, Marvolee) of Deer Island; grandchildren, Kathy, Duane and Kristie, of St. Helens; great-grandchildren Ashley of Washington, Josh, Jordan, Joseph, Alex, Shelbe, Seth, Brett, Zeke, Jed, Addie, Nasya, Tuvya and Mitchell of St. Helens; and great-great-grandson Lukas, of Washington. Services will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, at Columbia Funeral Home in St. Helens.

Lorene Estell "Babe" Jordan

September 27, 1919 - February 15, 2013