6A • June 23, 2017 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
A columnist with a voice that would not be denied
O
n May 6, I attended the
memorial service for
Claire Lovell at the request
of her daughter Robin and our
Seaside Signal editor R.J. Marx.
Since I had more of a history with
Claire, both thought a few words
of remembrance would be better
served if I represented the Signal on
its behalf.
I fi rst became aware of Claire’s
presence in the community when
I moved to Seaside in 2003, but it
wasn’t until I was hired as the man-
aging editor for the Seaside Signal in
January 2004 that I offi cially met her.
It didn’t take long to fully realize
she had a strong will, quick wit and
loyal following. On the other hand,
not everyone enjoyed reading her
weekly column. There was the men-
tality that you liked it or you didn’t
— there was no in between.
However, it never ceased to
astound me or our staff that each
week, she hand delivered her col-
umn fi lling two legal-sized pages;
each was hand-printed, single
spaced, and all in capitalization. In
a world that was in the throes of a
new industry called digital technol-
ogy, Claire continued to hand write
each word up to her last, but not her
fi nal column.
In the course of my two years,
we butted heads several times.
Along with our publisher Kyle
Larsen, we were three strong
willed professionals, each with our
GUEST COLUMN
REBECCA HERREN
own views on the direction of her
column, which sometimes couldn’t
come together to make a perfect ket-
tle of coffee.
The world had expanded and
was changing. There was political
correctness, tolerance and educa-
tion — in the sense of not letting
history repeat itself. But this was
not part of Claire’s world of Seaside
and Clatsop County where almost
everything stayed the same. Over
the years, each column revealed
slight intricacies of her life where
nostalgia was very much a part of it.
She was very political and during
a presidential election, she would
pen her thoughts, opinions, and
the candidate she favored. As well,
many of her comments were so far
into the “gray” area of journalism,
we would either cut the graph or
pull the column altogether.
Claire loved her life. She was
born in Seaside and lived most of
her 96 years here. She often wrote
about John, the man she dearly
loved; her children; her friends —
both present and past — and always
gave accolades to those deserving of
them. She also never gave a second
thought to correct our city offi cials
Claire Lovell
or tell them what she thought about
the work they had done… or lack
of; or making a point to let the
newspaper know the error of its
ways. One never knew what Claire
was going to write or whom she
was going to write about. Those
who came under her pen were
either elated they were mentioned,
or embarrassed — either way, her
words were out in the universe for
all to read.
She loved attending events:
concerts at Liberty Theatre or her
church, especially patriotic con-
certs; celebrations at the American
Legion and the Kiwanis pancake
feeds to name a few. Over the years,
her attendance waned, not just due
to age, but possibly not hearing
of the event, missing the date, or
as she would write in her column,
she hadn’t been invited — as in
the case of the annual Dorchester
Conference. For whatever reason
she missed an event, she made sure
everyone knew.
After returning to the Signal in
January 2014 in a different capacity,
I felt I had gotten to know Claire
a little better. Not just through
her columns, but also by the few
conversations we had in the offi ce
when she stayed a few minutes to
rest before walking back home.
Even up to the last time I saw her,
she never ceased to amaze me that
at 96 years old, when she felt up to
it, she would walk from her house
on Lincoln, along Roosevelt Drive
to the Signal offi ce, sometimes stop-
ping traffi c along the way. But she
loved to walk, sometimes enduring
the elements of the coastal weather;
and sometimes those walks became
inspiration for another column.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici re-
cently gave a speech on the fl oor
of the House of Representatives
recognizing Claire as the longtime
Seaside Signal columnist of “Scene
& Heard.” Claire’s column chroni-
cled the happenings in and around
Seaside with “cogent prose and an
observant eye.” She was a regular
staple of the newspaper for 27 years.
Upon reading that article, I
pondered the question, “What
would Claire have thought?” From
my observation, Claire might have
OBITUARIES
Elizabeth May Lampien
Mary Marjolaine Bruer Truedson
Dec. 1, 1933 — June 7, 2017
Dec. 10, 1922 — June 10, 2017
Elizabeth Lampien
Elizabeth passed away in
Hillsboro, Oregon. Elizabeth
had lived in Seaside for the
last 20 years
She was born in Milwau-
kee, Wisconsin, to Harley
and Sophia Wright. She was
raised in the Catholic reli-
gion, and attended St. Fran-
ces Catholic School in Mil-
waukee until the age of 16.
Her father then moved the
family out of the city to a
country farm, where she was
to enjoy the farm life. There
were dogs, cats and farm an-
imals to keep her occupied
and safe. Elizabeth was the
seventh of 10 children, with
six older brothers.
In 1955 her brother, Bob,
introduced her to Donald
Lampien, a guitar-playing
country singer. They married
in 1956. Don and Elizabeth
worked and played hard.
Elizabeth became the mother
of fi ve children, John, Sofi e,
Irene, David and Carol. Don
and Elizabeth traveled across
the U.S. numerous times be-
fore settling in the Pacifi c
Northwest in 1968.
By 1975, Elizabeth and
her family lived in Seaside.
One job she enjoyed was
the time she spent work-
ing for the Seaside Hospital
as a housekeeper. She also
worked as a bartender in lo-
cal bars and taverns, where
she loved to visit with people.
Elizabeth worked for a time
with a senior citizens travel
group, planning and helping
with trips to Reno and other
fun destinations. Elizabeth
was very involved with the
Women of the Moose in Sea-
side, and was proud to have
been their senior regent. She
had a great smile, and loved
people.
Elizabeth was preceded in
death by her husband, Don-
ald Lampien; her son, David
Lampien; and her grandson,
Joshua Lampien.
She is survived by a sister,
Mrs. Kenneth (Lyda) Detert
of Fon du Lac, Wisconsin; a
sister in-law, Carol Lampien
of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; a
son, Donald Lampien (Lois)
of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; a
son, John Lampien (Ruth) of
Toledo, Washingon; a daugh-
ter, Sofi e Burke (Steve) of
Seaside; a daughter, Irene
Veelle of Seaside; a daughter,
Carol Read of San Antonio,
Texas; her grandchildren,
Theresa Stanley, Darrell Mc-
Clure, Andrew Lampien, Da-
vid Lampien, Daniel Veelle,
Jacob Burke, Stephanie Ste-
venson, Kristin Blankenship,
Christopher Lampien, Dustin
Lampien, Tiffany Stacey
and Amanda Miller; and 21
great-grandchildren.
A service will be held at 3
p.m. Saturday, June 17, 2017,
at Our Saviour’s Lutheran
Church in Seaside, Oregon.
Mary Marjolaine Bruer
Truedson, known by many
as Marge, several by Granny
T, some by Auntie M, and
fi ve by Mom, died in her
sleep June 10, 2017 in Sea-
side, Oregon.
She was born to Faye and
Henry Bruer in a logging
camp in Kerry, Oregon, on
Dec. 10, 1922, the wedding
anniversary of her soon-
to-be favorite uncle, Bill,
who left his young wife that
stormy night to drive a rail-
road handcar up the line to
fetch the doctor in a driving
snowstorm.
Marge grew up dividing
her time between Clatsop
and Columbia counties. She
had one brother, Wesley
Bruer, who proceeded her in
death in 2013.
She graduated from St.
Helens High School in 1940,
where she was well known
for her art and roller skating
skills. She lived through the
Great Depression, learning
the value of “waste not, want
not.”
She married Carlton Pur-
vis and together they had
three children: Carla, Mar-
cia and Mel. The marriage
ended, and later she married
Donald Truedson, and they
had two more children: Patti
and Paul.
Mary and Donald made
their home in St. Helens.
Donald worked at “the paper
mill.” Besides being a wife
and mother Marge painted,
drew, sewed, crocheted, and
even worked for Carl Bran-
denfel of Brandenfel’s Bald-
ness Scalp Hair Care Health
Beauty Toiletry. Marge
didn’t work for the infa-
mous hair care division, she
worked for Oregon Holly,
gift baskets and parcels.
She made everything
from “Kissing Balls,” made
from pine cones and mis-
tletoe, to elaborate swags
and baskets. She even made
a few designs of her own.
She and her coworkers of-
ten came away from work
giggling, “probably from the
glue.”
After the last of her fi ve
children graduated from St.
Helens High School and
Donald retired, they sold their
house and moved to Seaside,
where Marge devoted a great
deal of her time to painting.
She took classes, joined the
Trail’s End Art Guild, and
even had a small room in a
co-op where she sold paint-
ings, cards, rock people and
sand dollar Christmas orna-
ments, among other things.
She loved oil painting with
brushes the best.
The couple traveled by
air, rail, ship and car all
across the U.S. mainland,
Mexico and the Hawaiian
Islands. Donald preceded
Marge in death in 2006.
Marge is survived by her
fi ve children, and several
grandchildren, great-grand-
children, and even a couple
great-great grandchildren.
No funeral is scheduled.
Any memorial donations
may be made to the Alzhei-
mer’s Association.
Hughes-Ransom Mor-
tuary and Crematory in As-
toria/Seaside is handling
the arrangements (www.
hughes-ransom.com)
SEASIDE
AAUW
(American Association of University Women)
shrugged her shoulder, waived it
on with her hand as if no big deal,
and not given it a second thought.
But, I believe, she would have been
delighted that a representative of the
State of Oregon had recognized her
for her dedication to the craft of writ-
ing and her love of the written word.
People attending Claire’s service
shared their experiences of re-
membrance. As I listened, several
stories brought back quips from her
columns. In unison, the audience
laughed and nodded their heads in
a “yes” fashion, acknowledging the
memory.
With Claire’s passing, she may
have lightened my workload, but
she has not lightened the void left
in the hearts of the community or
in my thoughts. As I prepare for
each issue of the Signal, the void
of her name on my post-it note is
a reminder that somewhere in the
universe is her fi nal column — the
one that never made it to our offi ce
for printing.
She was head strong, but she
knew how to compile her wit,
sarcasm and vigor into a signature
language that was her own and one
her readers became accustomed.
Claire, you are missed now,
in the future, and beyond. Thank
you for your years of contribution,
loyalty to your readers, and staying
with the Seaside Signal even in the
roughest of times. We are forever
grateful and in your debt.
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ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIPS TO
NORTH COAST FEMALE RECIPIENTS
MAZATLAN
The Seaside branch of AAUW is proud to announce two scholarships to be used to
further the education of two deserving local female students. AAUW’s mission advances
equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.
Fund raising and offering scholarships is an integral part of the Seaside AAUW
Scholarship Foundation.
M E X I C A N R E S TA U R A N T
Through a written application and a personal
interview, Maritza Casarrubias exhibits the
qualities of perseverance, academic achievement
and goal setting that qualifies her as an excellent
recipient for the $2,000 scholarship award. She
will attend Clatsop Community College where she
will pursue a Bachelor of Arts in dental hygiene.
She resides in Astoria with her husband and two
children.
Monica Alward is a 2017 graduate of Seaside
High School. Her Upward Bound experiences of
creating art for the community and working with
the environment in community improvement,
led Monica to apply and be accepted at Portland
State University where she will pursue courses
in architecture and environmental studies. She
resides in Seaside. The $1,000 June Stromberg
Memorial Scholarship will help defray the cost of
her education.
Phone 503-738-9678
1445 S. Roosevelt Drive • Seaside
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