Zella Mae Twidwell Conner

Zella Mae Twidwell Conner, 91, died July 3, 2008 at Corvallis Manor in Corvallis, Oregon. She was born May 2, 1917 at the family home in La Grande, Oregon the fourth of 11 children, to James Edgar Twidwell and Sophia Lucille Hoak.

She graduated from La Grande High School in 1934 and Eastern Oregon Normal School (EOU) in 1936 with a certificate of teaching. In 1964 she graduated from Eastern Oregon College (EOU) with a Bachelor of Arts Education.

She began a lifetime career of teaching at Lower Powwatka school in Wallowa County in Sept. 1936. Over the years she taught at Lower Powwatka, Starkey Lumber Camp (in a railroad boxcar), Wolfe Creek, Nyssa, Lostine, Wallowa, and finished her career as the Elementary Librarian in Enterprise.

She met her husband to be, Donald R. Conner, in 1936 when he was visiting with his cousins George and Martha Coleman at Powwatka.

Don and Zella were married May 28, 1942 in Nyssa, Oregon. They resided all of their lives in Wallowa until ill health had them relocate to Corvallis to be near their daughter, Maridee.

Zella helped Don when needed with their grocery store, Don's Food Store, in Wallowa. She did everything from stock shelves, to checker, to cooking rotisserie chickens to sell - long before they became an "item" in today's groceries.

Zella was active in many service organizations throughout her life. She was a charter member of the Wallowa Junior Woman's Club, helped with the well baby clinic during W.W.II, a Brownie and Girl Scout leader, a 4-H leader, a Rainbow Mom, Worthy Matron of Eastern Star, a Daughters of the American Revolution, the Cowbells, on the Wallowa Public Library Board, a Retired Teachers of Wallowa County member, the Ladies Birthday Club and the Wallowa County Yacht Club. Her lessons of service to others and the community live on with her daughter and her three grandchildren.

From 1936-1938 she played 3rd base on the La Grande City Baseball Team. During 1938 the "girls" traveled by car to Salem, Albany and Corvallis to play their city teams. What an adventure for the team.

She was always adventuresome, and in her later years she learned to downhill ski and golf. She taught her grandchildren golf.

Zella enjoyed knitting, sewing, tole painting, gardening, and fishing. She loved to spend weekends at the cabin and fishing on Wallowa Lake. She learned to quilt later in life and made three log cabin quilts to give to her grandchildren.

In 1981 she won the Oregon Chicken Cooking Contest with her recipe for microwave chicken. She and Don took their granddaughter, Cristie, with them when they went to Maryland for the National Chicken Cooking Contest.

Time spent with family was her most enjoyable time. She loved family get-togethers. Birthdays and holidays were celebrated together with all of the family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don in April 2002, one month short of their 60th wedding anniversary; her parents, her siblings; Naomi Perry, Elva Quinland, Arlo Twidwell, Jim Twidwell, Wilfred Twidwell (WWII), Gerald Twidwell, two infant brothers, seven sisters-in-law, seven brothers-in-law, seven nieces and two nephews.

She is survived by her daughter Maridee and son in law Richard Symons of Philomath, OR; granddaughter, Cristie and husband Patrick Quiner; great-granddaughters Kyndra and Athalia of Soldotna, Alaska; granddaughter, Carolyn Symons of Philomath, OR; grandson Robert and wife Shyonna Symons of Ft. Worth TX; her brother, Marvin Twidwell of La Grande, OR and sister, Dee Kennedy of Anchorage, Alaska; sisters-in-law Phyllis Conner of Wallowa, Louise and husband Les of Walla Walla, WA and Dorothy Coffelt of Missouri City, TX; 13 nieces and 6 nephews, and numerous great nieces and nephews, friends and "her other kids" from her teaching, Scouts, 4-H and Rainbow years.

She will be missed but not forgotten. We love you Mom, Grandma and Great Grandma!

A memorial service will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008 at the Wallowa Senior Center, Wallowa, OR. A potluck luncheon will follow with sandwiches provided.

Memorial contributions in her name can be made to Wallowa Public Library or Wallowa History Center or Wallowa Senior Center or Benton Hospice Service or a charity of ones choice. Online condolences may be directed to www.mchenryfuneralhome.com.