Verda Mae Van Tassel's Obituary
Verda Mae Van Tassel was born on March 3, 1918 in her paternal grandparents' farmhouse in Yankton, Oregon to Leland & Esther Butts Rice.
She died at the Friendsview Retirement Community in Newberg, Oregon on March 25, 2008 at the age of 90.
Money was tight in those days so they had to help with the chores of washing clothes and cooking. They wore home-made dresses to school. There were many pleasures as well.
The Van Tassel boys lived next door and were first playmates and then companions. Courtships developed on summer evenings after the chores were done, as they sat on haystacks, played harmonicas and sang old songs.
She married Fred Van Tassel at her parents home on August 30, 1936. Fred had purchased a 20-acre parcel on Robinette Road and spent his evenings building a good country home for his bride. In 1948 they sold the farm, rented for awhile, until purchasing a nice older home in McNulty where they lived for 30 years until Fred died in 2000. Verda moved to Newberg in 2003 to be closer to her family.
She was a homemaker who was active in her church. In later years she & Fred attended the Sunset Park Community Church where many friendships flourished. She prepared clothing and blankets for mission fields in Africa, China and India. Her interests included playing harmonica and the piano, and for about 26 years she played piano at the worship service at care homes for the elderly.
She loved to work with her hands. She used an electric jig saw to cut out gun racks and other plywood articles. In her 60's she discovered she had a flair for art. She took a few lessons and painted hundreds of scenes on eyeglass lenses, hand & circular saws. At the county fair she often entered garden produce and craft items.
She was able to travel to Hong Kong to visit her son Loren and his family while they were serving as missionaries there.
Survivors include: Son & daughter-in-law: Loren & Sylvia Van Tassel; Daughters & son-in-laws: Donna & Jim Long all of Newberg, Oregon; Gloria & Gary Weatherly of Lebanon, Oregon; 9 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren.
Funeral service: Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 2:00 PM at Sunset Park Community Church-St. Helens.
Private vault interment: Yankton Hillcrest Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Free Methodist World Missions P.O. Box 535002 Indianapolis, IN. 46253-5002
on-line condolences may be made to the family at www.columbiafh.com
Columbia Funeral Home-Directors
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