Ethel June Well Lane

Warrenton

March 24, 1928 — July 9, 2017

On July 9, 2017, at dawn, Ethel June Well Lane slipped the bonds of flesh and entered into eternity with the saints. She was 89 years old.

She was born in La Grande, Oregon, on March 24, 1928, to Fred James Wells and Ina Sigrid Forsell Wells. The family soon moved to Ardenwald, Oregon, where, with her adored older brother, Vernon James Wells, she enjoyed an idyllic early childhood in a home surrounded by hazelnut, walnut, peach, apple, cherry and pecan trees, blueberry and raspberry bushes and large vegetable gardens. The yard was her favorite childhood memory, and she said that when she imagined heaven, it looked like their yard in Ardenwald.

Her scariest childhood memory was not tightening the tether, and seeing the horse she rode to school turn around and head for home. She was about 7 years old, and all she could think to do was stand with tiny arms outstretched in front of the massive beast and cry. The horse incident, and the memorably soggy tomato and bread sandwiches her mother put in her school lunches, were the only negative episodes in her childhood, to hear her tell it.

The family later moved to Portland and Ethel graduated from Commerce High School in 1946. By the end of 1947, the entire family had settled in Warrenton.

On March 17, 1950, she wed Robert Warren Lane, son of Clyde and Fern Lane of Warrenton, at Warrenton Methodist Church. They had 57 years and 7 days together, until his death in 2007.

Over the years she worked at various offices as secretary/stenographer; at Bioproducts in the 1950s, Tongue Point in the 1960s and early 1970s, then at Warrenton City Hall for several years. In the 1990s she was church secretary at the Philadelphia Church in Hammond.

She was an avid reader, and made legendary cinnamon rolls, painted in oils, made lovely quilts, sewed clothes for herself and her children, and passed the love of sewing on to her daughters. She had a cherry tree, blueberry bushes and raspberry canes so that her grandchildren could experience the miracle of picking and eating something delicious that grew from the earth, and so she could make homemade cherry pies for her husband. She loved the Lord, her family and a good joke.

She is survived by her six children, Peggy Lane Oakes (Jim) of Fairfax, Virginia, Robert Lane Jr. of Warrenton, Mary Lane of Long Beach, Washington, Janice Lane Vrooman (Dean) of Tualatin, Russell Lane (Valerie) of Warrenton and James Lane of Tualatin; 13 grandchildren, Liisa Oakes Caliendo (Paolino) of Abilene, Texas, Lauren Oakes of Weed, California, Robert Oakes of Woodway, Texas, Katie Lane of Warrenton, Eric Lane of Warrenton, Kimberly Vrooman of Portland, Todd Vrooman of Portland, David Thorne (Stephanie) of Portland, Christiaan Thorne of Long Beach, Washington, Emily Thorne of Tacoma, Washington, Curtis Lane (Jae) of Pocatello, Idaho, Stephanie Lane of Tualatin and Adam Lane of Warrenton; and nine great-grandchildren, ages 2 months to 8 years.

Services are being held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, 2017, at Warrenton Methodist Church, with Pastor Jane Hill presiding.