Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2015)
February 20, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A Obituaries Therese Ellen Spencer Mersereau Eunice Rautio Tremayne Scheurich Oct. 28, 1927 — Feb. 1, 2015 Therese “Terri” Mersereau died peace- fully in her sleep at Maryville Nursing Home on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015. She was 87 years of age, and had been struggling with her health for sever- al years. Born Oct. 28, 1927, in Vancouver, B.C. to Anna- belle McDonald Spencer and Christopher Lloyd Spencer, Terri attended Convent of the Sacred Heart School. Blessed with a natural interest in music, Terri played both violin and piano, and in 1939 at the age of 11, won first place at the British Columbia Music Festival for pia- nists 12 and under. That year at the same festival, she won first place for vi- olinists under 12. Several years later, while in her teens, she competed and won a trophy at the annu- al CBC (Canadian Broad- casting Company) Talent Festival. Terri received a three- year scholarship to the Toronto Royal Conser- vatory of Music, with an emphasis on composi- tion. She won a competi- tion that led to an intro- duction and performance with Canadian composer and pianist Oscar Peter- son, who had himself won the CBC Talent Festival. Terri’s solid classical training was becoming profoundly influenced by Bill Evans and other jazz musician greats. She was accepted at Mills College and studied under Darius Milhaud. It was at Mills that she became acquaint- ed with one of Milhaud’s most famous students, Dave Brubeck. Terri also met her first husband while at Mills. Robert Francis Arenz, who was a gifted classi- THERESE MERSEREAU cal pianist and linguist, fluent in English, French, German and Italian, who had attended Catlin Ga- ble School, Yale and had studied at the Sorbonne. Together they had five children: Eric, Elaine, Tre, Annabelle and Heidi. While the children were still young, Terri continued to perform on stage in Seattle and Port- land as a vocalist and pi- anist. She appeared at the 1962 World’s Fair in Se- attle. On Nov. 23, 1964, she recorded some of her most noteworthy compo- sitions at a studio in Los Angeles with Bill Hood (sax, clarinet, flute), Er- nie Hood (composer), Jack Shelton (trumpet), Bud Shank (flute), Gene Cipriano (flute, oboe, English horn), Vince De Rosa (French horn), Emil Richards (vibes, percussion), Al Hen- drickson (guitar), Chuck Berghofer (bass), Shelly Manne (drums) and Bones Howe (engineer). By the mid-1960s, Terri was married to second husband, Roland Mersereau, the father of Susan, Peter and John Mersereau. Together with her five children, Ter- ri and Rol lived in Lake Oswego, where her love of horses and dogs, snow skiing and waterskiing, and her skills as a gar- dener, were nurtured. She composed and arranged at home, and performed as her family schedule allowed. Terri invited Ja- mie Faunt (bass) and Ron Steen (drums) to perform at a party at her home, and soon after, they joined her as part of the Terri Spencer Trio, delighting audiences at Lea’s and the Benson Hotel. Then in their teens, Ron and Jamie went on to become leaders in the Pacific Northwest jazz scene. Ron Steen recent- ly said, “She was a re- markable jazz vocalist, the best singer I’ve ever heard. She was also an in- credibly gifted composer and a great piano player. And she was as beauti- ful as a movie star ... I was a teenager when she gave me the opportuni- ty to perform in some of the best venues in town. Meeting her changed my life.” Doug Baker, formerly of the Oregon Journal, named a March 1967 Baker’s Dozen column, “World Grows Older, But Terri Just Grows Better.” He wrote, “... I first heard Terri’s piano and the next day I was rhapsodic ... Clean, sharp, inventive and at times, highly orig- inal ... I drove to Seattle one late summer evening to hear her unforgettable performance with Dave Brubeck at the Green Lake Jazz Festival. I caught her one night in the old Multnomah Ho- tel’s Stirrup Room and again at the Canyon Club in West Slope. Another evening I found her at a jazz joint in downtown Seattle called The Door ...” Terri’s music was deeply nurtured by her Catholic faith. She com- posed a Mass that was written and performed with Dean Applegate at Holy Rosary Church in the 1980s, and composed many hymns over the years. Moving to the Ore- gon Coast with Rol in the early 1980s brought fresh inspiration and opportu- nities to express God’s glory and grandeur at the keyboard in their beauti- ful home, built with Rol’s son, John Mersereau. She recently remarked, “I remember pondering on the significance of Our Lady, Mary, and her ‘Yes.’ I have been bless- ed by the gift of music, and recognizing the gift from God, have tried to develop the talent to the best of my ability in all of the directions I was led. Life has been good. I am enormously proud of my children from both mar- riages and the genera- tions that have followed. All is well.” Terri is predeceased by her husband Rol (Jan- uary 1999) and by her beloved daughter Tre, a renowned ceramic artist (May 2003). In addition to her four children and three stepchildren, she is survived by 19 grandchil- dren and 10 great-grand- children. Visitation is planned at Hughes-Ransom Mortu- ary, 220 North Holladay Drive, Seaside, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, to be followed by a Vigil Service at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Victory Church, 120 Oceanway Street, Sea- side, at 11 a.m. on Satur- day, Feb. 28, 2015. Visit www.hughes-ran- som.com to leave memo- ries and sign the guest book. Nov. 17, 1944 — Feb. 4, 2015 Eunice Jeanne Scheurich was born Nov. 17, 1944, in Astoria, to Uno and Jeanne Rautio, and passed away Feb. 4, 2015, at the Hospice Care Center. She spent her early years in Seaside, Ore., and attended Seaside Union High School. She married Ray Tremayne in 1964. They had two sons, Ray- mond and Christopher. Eunice spent sever- al years working in the Warrenton canneries and excelled in her positions there. The family moved to Kelso, Wash., in 1980, and Eunice worked for Tollycraft and North Star Yachts, working with, and UXQQLQJ WKH ¿EHUJODVV crew. She expected them to work as hard as she did, and Eunice was rewarded with a cruise to Mexico on a company yacht. 6KH HQMR\HG JRO¿QJ hunting and anything that put her in the sun. She also enjoyed many special trips with her friend, Chris Carter, including a cruise to Alaska. She took great pleasure in family camp- ing trips and loved to run. She took part in numer- ous running events, the Hood-to-Coast being her favorite, and she earned many awards. Her passion for running became daily walks with friends around Lake Sacajawea. Eunice had a good sense of hu- mor and loved to laugh. She had a love of animals, especially dogs. She was always willing to give, or ¿QG D KRPH IRU DQLPDOV in need. After the loss of her husband, Ray Tremayne, Eunice married Ray Scheurich in 1997, gain- ing two more sons, Steven and Ryan. Eunice and Ray spent many years enjoy- EUNICE SCHEURICH ing old and new friends, and combining two fam- ilies into one. Her grand- children were the joy of her life. She was always up for an adventure with them, making many won- derful memories. ,Q DGGLWLRQ WR KHU ¿UVW husband, she was preced- ed in death by her parents; a brother, Robert Rautio; and a grandson, Zachary Tremayne. Eunice is survived by her loving husband, Ray Scheurich; two sons, Ray- mond and Christopher Tremayne; stepsons Ste- ven and Ryan Scheurich; a sister, Sanna Lundquist (Paul); her brothers-in- law and sisters-in-law, Gil and Donna Tremayne, Bill and Connie Stroud, Paul and Carol Scheurich and Sherri Rautio; eight grandchildren; sever- al nieces and nephews; and the “daughter of her heart,” Danika Velasco. ,Q OLHX RI ÀRZHUV WKH family suggests donations be made to the Communi- ty Home Health & Hos- pice or the Humane So- ciety of Cowlitz County, Wash. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Feb. 21 at Steele Chapel, 5050 Mount Solo Road, Longview, Wash. grab all your supplies in one stop at COAST HARDWARE Weather resistant design; Easy to read numbers 3X5 POLYCOTTON AMERICAN FLAG 100 percent made in USA; Made with durable materials WOOD POLE KIT WITH POLY FLAG 100 percent made in USA; with pole 100 percent made in USA; with pole and bracket 13 position adjustable bracket plus standard 2 & 1 position USA FLAG SUSPENDERS WHITE PATRIOTIC HARD HAT 3’X6’ LARGE PLEATED FAN FLAG 100 percent made in USA; Hang on decks & porches 70 PC. MECH TOOL SET WITH CASE Includes: 3/8” drive, 1/4” drive ratchet handles,& more 122 PC. POWER TOOL ACC. SET Comprehensive set for a variety of uses at home PC. HEX 22 PC KEY SET DREMEL ROTARY TOOL KIT CORDLESS SCREWDRIVER 5 PC PC. SPEED HAMMER SET 12V CORDLESS DRILL KIT OUTDOOR 13.5” FLAG THERMOMETER Heavy-duty, extra strength 2” wide straps; Fits all Express your patriotism and protect your heads AMERICAN FLAG KIT FLAG MOUNTING BRACKET Made with Eklind alloy steel that is heat treated Lightweight, single speed tool with ball bearing construction Spindle lock for manual use & for greater control Patented carbide tip controlled self centering Features 15+1 application settings & on-tool bit storage ([SLUHV '('- TTXJ[JQYW JFXNIJ /-'*. +&*"-*."+)/' \\\HTFXYMFWI\FWJHTR
