Bertha J. Randolph's Obituary
Bertha J. Randolph was born at home on July 1, 1916 in Summers, Arkansas to Thomas & Mary Barber Jones.
She died at a Portland hospital on August 29, 2009 at the age of 93.
She preferred to be called Bert. She was raised on a farm with 11 siblings. They all worked hard raising their own sugar cane, making their own molasses, and grinding their own wheat. She had to quit school to help out at home, but went back to school in Summers and got her diploma at age 21.
She married James Russell Randolph on March 29, 1941 in Benton County, Arkansas. She worked at a chicken factory and a tomato factory and helped Russ on their dairy farm. They moved to St. Helens, Oregon with 3 children and 2 on the way in June 1952. She picked strawberries and later got a job at the box factory in Linnton, OR. where she worked for several years then worked at an industrial laundry in Portland for several more years until she retired in 1976.
She attended the First Missionary Baptist Church in St. Helens and was very active in the VFW. She was an avid gardener and went for walks and exercised
every day of her life until she got to where she couldn't do it every day, but would do it when she could.
Survived by: 5 children: Russena Holmes of St. Helens; Sherry Cupp of Redmond, OR.; Faren Russell of Crooked River Ranch, OR.; Janice Randolph of Banks; Jim Randolph of St. Helens; Siblings: Forest Jone of Oklahoma City, OK. Jim Jones of CA.; 5 grandchildren 10 great grandchildren.
Viewing & Visitation: 9-5 Wednesday at Columbia Funeral Home
Graveside service & Vault interment: Yankton Hillcrest Cemetery-St. Helens at 12:00 Noon on Thursday, September 3, 2009.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Helens VFW.
on-line condolences may be made to the family at www.columbiafh.com
Columbia Funeral Home-Directors
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