Joan Schmelzer

Westport

April 21, 1935 — Nov. 24, 2024

Born in Clatskanie on April 21, 1935, to Charles and Dorothy Melis, of Nehalem Valley pioneer families, Joan LaVonne Schmelzer passed away peacefully Nov. 24 in Clatskanie.

Joan spent much of her childhood on the Wallace and Melis farms in Mist. She graduated from high school in Port Orford, where “boney Joanie” was a yell leader and student body treasurer.

In her youth, she worked as a firewatch on the Grizzly Mountain Lookout in Curry County for the Coos Forest Protective Association .

She was a switchboard operator in Astoria with the telephone service, and met and married David Schmelzer in 1959. She raised her family in Clatsop County and lived in the Youngs River area.

After her divorce, she fished on the Cinnabar and the Elvi K with the Pacific tuna fleet, that included trips to New Zealand, Tahiti and Hawaii.

In her retirement, she returned to the firewatch job again with the Coos Forest Protective Association. From her lookout on Bosley Butte in Curry County, she called in the Biscuit Fire, one of the largest forest fires in Oregon history.

Her last home was in Agness, on the Rogue River, before her daughter, Darcy, moved her to Westport to be close for her final years.

Joanie is survived by her three daughters, Shawn Schmelzer (Michael Kaufman), of Milwaukie, Peggy (John) Young, of Naselle, Washington, and Darcy (Allen) Sutfin, of Westport; two grandchildren, Craig (Dawn) Fruehling, of Naselle, and Jessica (Dylan) McCoy, of Warrenton; and four great-grandchildren, Scot, Ila, Everett and Stevin.

A celebration of Joanie’s life will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Bridgewater Bistro loft, 20 Basin St.

A private burial is planned in spring at the Pioneer Cemetery in Mist.

Hughes-Ransom Mortuary & Crematory was in charge of the arrangements.