Dorothy Eleanor (Simmons) Grammer

Dorothy Eleanor (Simmons) Grammer, age 87, of La Grande, Oregon and formerly of Vancouver, Washington, died January 23, 2016 in her apartment at the Grande Ronde Retirement Residence in La Grande.

Dorothy was born in Central Oregon on July 8, 1928, the middle of three children, to Charles Kenneth Simmons and Zoa Avis (Duling) Simmons. She attended grade schools in Lone Pine, Oregon and Redmond, Oregon, graduated from Redmond High School and attended Pacific University on a music scholarship.

At the urging of a music teacher, Dorothy entered and won the Miss Redmond Beauty Pageant and was a finalist in the Miss Oregon Pageant. She had a wonderful soprano voice, sang on the radio, at weddings, funerals and in church choirs. Fortunately there is a vinyl record of her singing with her sister, Lois and father, Kenneth, that was recorded in 1952 at the radio station in Prineville, Oregon.

Dorothy started grade school in Lone Pine, Oregon and sang her first solo in 2nd grade. She had very happy memories of this very special time in her life when she and her family lived in Lone Pine surrounded by extended family: cousins, aunts, uncles and both sets of grandparents.

In 1950, Dorothy married James 'Bob' Grammer; they had two children, Frank and Karen, this marriage ended in divorce. Dorothy worked in a dental office and in retail in Madras and was a member of the Madras First Baptist Church. She was a single parent most of the time, but received amazing support from her parents. In the '70's Dorothy moved to Vancouver, Washington to be near favorite Duling cousins and lived there for the next forty years. She worked for Western Electric for a short time, then until retirement at Boeing in quality control.

Dorothy is survived by her children and their spouses: Karen and Darrell Tarvin of Mesa, Washington and Frank and Vicki (Hyder) Grammer of La Grande; grandchildren, Jacob Tarvin, Jeff Grammer and Julie Grammer; great grandchildren: Hailee, Mathew and Henry; step-grandchildren, Brandon Tarvin and Staci Trenkel; step-great grandchildrenAndrew, Nathan, Ryan, Tyler, Rochelle and Hope; brother, R. Glenn and wife Veldora Simmons; sister, Lois Hart; niece and nephews, Julie Hart, Brad Hart, Neil Hart and Bob Simmons and beloved cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, nephew, Jim Simmons and brother-in-law, Bill Hart.

At her request there will be no service, but if there was, it would be filled with her favorite songs, Amazing Grace, Back of the Clouds, He Lives, his Eye is on the Sparrow and Over the Sunset Mountains. Arrangements are entrusted to Daniels~Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center.

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