Marie Esther Dake

Marie Esther Dake, age 91, of La Grande, and formerly of San Diego and Walla Walla, died June 12, 2013 at her home. Those who wish may make contributions in her memory to the Alzheimer's Association in care of Daniels~Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 7th Street, La Grande, Oregon 97850.

Marie was born on July 27, 1921, the daughter of the Lutheran minister Frederick Leimbrock and Marie Baepler, in Denver, Colorado. Her father died when she was three years old and a few years later her mother moved Louise, twins Veneta & Viola, and Marie to San Diego, California. Her older sisters married and started families while young Marie helped her mother operate a boarding house in the historic Mission District. In January of 1940 she married Wilbur ‘Whitey' Dake in San Diego. They had a son and a daughter. When her son married and moved to Oregon, he kept his city parents connected by giving them a rabbit, Scooter, and later a dingo cow dog named Rufus. That provided years of entertainment in the neighborhood. Marie called Ron's sheep, "her children". Many years later when she spent time on the farm, she pitched right in with chores.
Even though she was not one to acquire "dust collectors", she worked in upscale retail and was valued for her store displays and meticulous care of the shops she worked for. Early she joined a Sorority and stayed with it until the senior members were having difficulty enlisting young women to keep it going. Husband Wilber ‘Whitey' died in San Diego in 1983. Marie stayed in the family home and then had to learn to drive near the age of 65. She had a sporty red Maverick that she drove only on certain routes, like to church. Some years later she was parked in the lot at church on Sunday, and came out to find her car missing! That was their second stolen car, but it was found shortly after and it came with her when she moved to Walla Walla in 1993. We brought her to our ranch while searching for a house and the day we were to sign the papers on her new Walla Walla home, we struck a deer heading over Tollgate Hwy. and had to catch a ride back to Elgin with a log truck. Luckily the Maverick was repairable and she learned to drive all over town. What was even more amazing, she drove back and forth across the Blue Mountains to visit us for several summers. She gave up driving (her lady friends to church and luncheons, her great-granddaughter from school and lessons), when she turned 90.
She had great neighbors in her hood. When neighbors would travel, she would either keep an eye out, or be in charge of watering and bringing in the mail. Sometimes the neighbor across the street would forget her garage door was open and Marie would call before bedtime to remind her. Other neighbor's called her ‘Aunt Marie' and brought her to the Country Club for dinner often. Marie loved flowers and roses in particular. Her front and back yards were in a constant state of perfection. As was her home, wherever she lived.

The day came for the family to encourage her to sell her house and move into a one-level. She was interested in the newly built Retirement Residence called Wheatland, not far from her neighborhood. Wheatland became her proud home for the next several years. Although she quit yardwork, she stayed busy socially with her church, lunch bunch, swimming exercises and other workouts and managed the library there. Whenever a neighbor would recover from an illness or accident, Marie would step up to check in, feed, clean and shop for them. She called her floor "her block." She was the most active of the residents there, attending every planned activity, tea, and ice cream social and never understood what kept the majority in their apts. when they had so much to do there. She even won a trophy when she joined a Wii bowling team!
Then came the winter she quit reading and watching TV in the evening. Almost overnight she was failing to cook and eat her usual full meals, getting her meds mixed up and confused about the telephone. By February we moved her to another floor in Wheatland that provided assisted living. That move was difficult for her and by June we brought her to La Grande. We survived her hip-replacement after a fall, and celebrated her 91st birthday at La Grande Acute Rehab. It was a fabulous day that she cherished and wished everyday could be her birthday.

We were blessed with the discovery that a place called Angeline's existed in La Grande. It was to be her home for the rest of her life. Her dementia was dominant by now to the outside world, but we stayed connected to Mom's inner strength, unconditional love,and tireless concern for others. Most often when we visited, she would worry that we had a lot to do and work to be done. It was obvious to us that she wasn't happy being at the receiving end of care, that was never part of her experience.

She was preceded in death by her daughter Jean Marie Marrero and siblings, Louise, Viola and Veneta. Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Ronald and Nancy Dake of La Grande; grandson and his wife, Raymond and Kim Marrero of Walla Walla; great granddaughter, Amelia Jean Marrero; and other relatives and friends.

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