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Obituary


Obituary of Priscilla Elaine Way
Priscilla Elaine Way was born on January 14, 1925 in Mitchell South Dakota.
She lived in South Dakota until she was 12 years old then moved with her
mother, father & two sisters Patricia and Jean to Hillsboro Oregon. Patricia
was my mother's identical twin and Jean was her younger sister. During the
journey from South Dakota to Hillsboro the sisters had to sit in what was
referred to as a “rumble seat”. This was a padded bench seat located in the
back portion of the car outside of the cab and was open to the elements
without a covering or heat. I remember my mother telling me how cold it
was to sit in the back of the car and how necessary it was to have hat, gloves,
scarf and a big and heavy blanket for warmth and comfort.
When Priscilla was attending high school she worked at a cannery in
Hillsboro Oregon. After graduating from Hillsboro High in 1942 she moved
to an apartment in Northwest Portland and worked as a secretary. I
remember one of the roommates mom used to talk about the most was named
Jeanette and was a close friend in her early years. The more notable
companies Priscilla worked for were Pacific Aspetos and KPTV. There was
a program on KPTV called “The Ramblin Rod Show” and my mother's boss
was the father-in-law of Rodney Carl Anderson, the star of the Ramblin Rod
show. I especially remember, when I was about 6 years old, being on this
show.
My mother and father were married for 23 years and had two children, a son
named Bryan Mathew Way and a daughter named Sharon Leslie Way before
their marriage ended in 1977. My mother became employed a short while
later by Oregon Lumber Export Company as a bookkeeper. The company
was located in the Board of Trade Building in downtown Portland Oregon.
She had her own office and worked for this company for 4 years before the
main office of the lumber company moved to Wilsonville Oregon. Despite
encouraging and coaxing by her boss and coworkers to continue her job as a
bookkeeper at the new Wilsonville location my mother decided to take
another job working at a law firm in Northwest Portland. My mother enjoyed
working at Oregon Lumber Export Company but didn't relish the thought of
driving 5 days a week in rush hour traffic from Beaverton to Wilsonville.
Priscilla continued working for the law firm as a bookkeeper with her own
office for over 6 years before the payroll department became computerized.
One of our family's favorite pastimes was camping out in a small camper and
taking time away to relax and enjoy nature and spend time with the family.
Priscilla enjoyed reading, playing card games and sitting by the fire and
going for occasional walks. We also camped out by riding our horses,
packing in and roughing it by living in a tent. We would pack in to various
locations in the northwest with our camping equipment and stay for a
weekend or sometimes even for a week vacation. We enjoyed riding our
horses during the day and sitting by a camp fire at night.
Every year Priscilla would travel to the Shakesperian Festival located in
Ashland Oregon with her younger sister Jean. They would spend a week
enjoying the plays performed by local actors and enjoyed the food and
lodging available in Ashland Oregon. This was an annual event she looked
forward to each year.
What I remember the most about my mother was her sense of humor and her
ability take life circumstances with ease using humor. One of my favorite
sayings she used to have was “We're off and running like a herd of turtles!”
I appreciate the time my mother and I spent together and remember many
instances of her being a very warm and caring person to not only myself but
other people in her life. She was always very interested in the lives of family,
friends and people she came in contact with and expressed that interest in a
caring, compassionate and empathetic way. Mom you are a very caring and
special person and I love you and will miss you very much. Thank you for
being there when I needed you. Love, Sharon.
Priscilla’s burial site is located at the Valley Memorial Park overlooking the pond in the Lakeside Wall Crypt #514.
Service Information
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A Memorial Tree was planted for Priscilla
We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ the staff at Valley Memorial Park & Funeral Home


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