Well, if you read the previous post HERE, then you know what has happened. We were all pretty much in shock as it happened so quickly and so unexpectedly. John had talked to Bill earlier in the day about going to rehab and Bill thought he could go to rehab and then have John take him to his home and get what ever clothes he wanted to bring back...I don't think he quite got the picture!
Lots of emotion tied up with this death...the passing of both our mothers was expected, the loss of Bill was so unexpected that it just seems so surreal. It is difficult to grasp that he is really gone.
I may have mentioned when writing about Elsa's journey, that all the great - grandchildren's most memorable memories were of Bill and Elsa taking them "shoe shopping"...usually twice a year...first in the late summer for new school shoes, then again in the spring...maybe around Easter or even when the weather turned warmer, when the girls would select flip flops or sandals...That was a tradition that Bill and Elsa started when Dina and Lacey were quite young. And there were years when Bill alone took the girls shopping, even for new school clothes. And of course it was most often at Nordstrom's, but as pre-teens and teens, it was probably at such stores like The Gap, and Grandpa never batted an eye with cost...it was just something he did. It was usually followed with lunch out too...and in later years my girls would pick up Grandpa and maybe even Grandma and they would go together. It was viewed as a time to connect with family...to ask the "19" questions that Bill was so famous for! And just two weeks ago, in anticipation of "Spring Vacation" Bill talked to both of my daughters about taking all the great grandchildren shoe shopping...and he did not limit it to the 6 greats, he always bought something for his two grand daughters also. Planning a trip like that, keeping with tradition just speaks so highly of Bill's values for family and staying connected and being a part of everyone's life. He continued to look forward to doing things and living in the moment. So today, Scott thought it only proper that he take over that tradition. We met Dina's family in the shoe department and each of the children picked out new shoes. "Papa Scott" had to work on really following his father's tradition...anything goes, nothing is questioned (that is not to say the "MOM" can't question or encourage!)...and this is the BIG one...money is not an issue. (....he is NOT looking forward to the 'fall' shopping as he knows that could clearly mean "UGG" boots for at least two girls, and those are NOT cheap!, but Papa Bill bought them, so I guess Papa Scott will have to also!)....Later this week we will meet Lacey's family for their spring shoe shopping.
Traditions....according to the dictionary, it is an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action or behavior; the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction. I believe traditions are important in keeping memories alive through the generations. The shoe shopping is just one tradition that I know all will recall in years to come and perhaps, the sons-in-law will carry on Bill's tradition. And one other thing that Bill did for my girls that I remember him telling me that Grandpa Skaaluren did for his two sons (Elsa's dad) was arranging for different activity lessons..Bill made the first suggestion in taking gymnastic lessons for both daughters, then one winter he decided they should have roller skating lessons (he came over to the house and picked up the girls every Saturday for several months and took them to Oaks Park for the lessons)...so if they were ever invited to a party and they were roller skating, they would know how to do it! And of course, we can't forget about skiing...He brought them up to the mountain and outfitted them with the proper clothes and skis and gave them lessons...then there were the ice skating lessons at Clackamas Town Center. He gave them tennis lessons too...of and we mustn't forget about the swimming lessons at the Eastside Athletic Club...the main purpose for all these lessons was to expose the girls to many different athletic activities so that they could maybe find their passion, keep active and also to always feel comfortable in situations that they may find themselves. He was always such a giving person. Giving of his time, his talents, his treasures, and this brings to mind one of his most famous sayings that will remain his legacy in the Foelker family: "You Get What You Give"...my children grew up with this saying and it has passed to the grandchildren, Bill and Elsa's great grandchildren...Winston Churchill said something very similar:
We make a living
by what we get;
But we make a life,
by what we give.
And Mother Teresa said: Good works are links that form a chain of love.
I think that is what Bill was showing our family...forming our life by what we do for other people, not what they do for us...by continuing to show our love to each other and everyone we meet. And how much more meaningful it is to give and continue to give and in return we receive the most wonderful gift of all...the light of a smile, the appreciation of something unexpected...giving of ourselves...this is the highest form of being "Jesus" to the world. I will continue to work on passing on his legacy...I hope I am worthy to do so and will continue to teach his values, his courage, his compassion, and his giving to all my grandchildren. What a legacy he has left for us. We will surely miss him.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
William J. Foelker 9.11.22 - 3.25.12
It has been awhile since I last posted. I have meant to add a picture and a little story here and there, but somehow the days just slip away. And really that is too bad because this whole Blog Business for me is suppose to capture events and happenings in our lives...putting the memories to words so that I can go back later and read and recapture the thoughts and pictures in my head.
In January we picked up our Dad's and took them to Ellie's basketball game...I snapped a shot of them with Joan, Ellie's other Grandma (Nana!)
A couple of weeks back Scott and I picked up his dad and my dad and we drove to Canby High School to watch Ellie play club volleyball. Dina had set up two folding chairs for them and the minute Papa Bill sat in his chair, Lily was beside him holding his hand and his other arm was wrapped around her...that little girl just knows how to love....and then when Papa Bill needed to go to the bathroom, Lily ran over and took his hand and walked him across the gym, leading the way....and when they returned she was again holding his hand, giving him support and strength and it was such a beautiful site to see.
Afterwards we all went to dinner...there were 14 of us...we had hamburgers and they were the slipperiest hamburgers Bill had ever eaten...from there we went to the Yogurt Shack to sing Happy Birthday to all the February and March birthday people...Let's see that would be Dina,Scott, me, Jamie, and Aaron...and my dad made a cake, so we all had a piece of cake and some yogurt! Great memories.
And the last few winters I have been able to get away for a long weekend and visit my BFF up in Maple Valley Washington. We have been friends for 55 years and we still like each other and we love to make cards...so I spent 6 days with her and it rejuvenated my soul...I will share some health stories later, but for now the one thing weighing heavy on my heart is what I will write about now.
As you can see from the dates in the title, our dear Father, Father-in-law, Grandpa and finally "Papa Bill" to the 6 great grandchildren passed away on this Sunday afternoon. We are sad, he touched our lives so profoundly that his absence is going to be felt in all of us. Where once there was a big loving, generous human being, now only a HUGE void that will never be filled.
Tuesday, March 20 started out quite normally for Bill, he decided to drive to the local Safeway store where they have a Starbucks...he has acquired quite a taste for that treat, but first he walks around the parking lot and is so proud to say he walked it three times. Then he gets his coffee! This Tuesday, he said he was not paying attention to where he was going and he accidentally "grazed" (his words) the bumper of a parked car. that little bump put him off balance and he fell, right on his right leg. Two kind people helped pick him up and helped him walk to his car. He sat in his car and started it to get warm. Soon the manager, who was told of the incident by the person who helped Bill back to his car, came to Bill and asked if there was anything he could do for him. And this is totally Bill: "Yes, I would like a Grande Coffee Mocha"! And the manager obliged him! We laughed when he told us that story.
Bill then drove himself home, got out of the car, into the house and called his son John to tell him about his fall. John went right over and ended up staying the whole day and the night with his dad. He had to fuss with him to get him comfortable on the couch, and to help him go to the bathroom without having to get up, and to get him food...John is the ultimate caregiver...Robin called us that night around 10 pm to tell us of the fall and to relay that Bill thought it was a pulled muscle in his groin.
The next morning Scott goes over to get Bill to take him to the doctors. It is apparent in watching Bill walk that it is more than a pulled muscle. He down plays the pain and discomfort when Scott and the doctor want him to have an Xray...oh, he can put it off one day...but that wasn't going to happen with "Dr. Scott" in charge! So off they went to the ER. Bill had broken his femur, the doctor said he doesn't know of too many people who break their leg and continue walking on it...and maybe that is why the top was broken off...So Bill had surgery about 6:30 PM Wednesday night. The whole surgery took 45 minutes and went off without a hitch...he had good tissue and everything looked great. He had two new balls that were very strong and would give him good stability.
We saw him after the surgery and talked to him before he fell to sleep. We went back the next morning and he was going to see the PT person and get up and walk. He was in very good spirits...well, all except for one person...Rebecca was the OT....he guessed she was 29 and he was correct, he guessed she was from Chicago and he again was correct. She had him sit on a chair and was just talking to him. He told her he was cold, could she please put a blanket around his shoulders. She basically said NO, I need to ask these questions and do things my way. Again, Bill tells her that he is really cold and could use a blanket while he sits and talks to her. She doesn't budge and then he says something to her about being from Chicago, he can tell, because they are political and only do things "their way or the highway"...then he told her that HE pays her wages, she works for him and she needs to get him a blanket. Well, as you can imagine those words did not set well with this young inexperienced OT with the likes of Bill Foelker. He asked to see her supervisor!! She did finally get a blanket for him, but she never did return to his room!!
As he shared this story with us we could tell he was quite agitated and disturbed, but the old Bill was NOT going to let a pushy "my way or the highway" person get the best of him...he is still in control of his mind and what he wants too!
Thursday was a good day, with the exception of OT he had a positive attitude and enjoyed a visit with Lacey and her three children and a special gift from them: A Grande Coffee Mocha!! But by later in the evening he needed to go to the bathroom, but was having trouble going, during the night he seemed to have to go every hour and if he didn't get up to go, he was trying to pee in a jug and missing and soiling the bed several times...that caused him some anxiety and he could NOT relax all day long. He would sleep maybe 5 minutes, then awaken and have to be moving, adjusting pillows, feet, the bed, up, down, and thankfully John was at his side the whole day. In fact Bill was so beside himself he asked John to please stay the night with him. I think they finally gave him something to either sleep or calm him down and once he was in a deep sleep around midnight John slipped home to get his own good nights sleep. Friday was a little better, they actually had to catheterize him but then he got a "belly ache"...he was getting constipated and not feeling good about it at all...
The plan was to send Bill to a rehab on Saturday, but until he had a bowel movement they would not release him. They did everything they could to assist in that area and nothing was working. Sunday morning shows up and at 7 am he finally had a movement and the transportation vehicle was scheduled for pick up at 3 pm to take him to a rehab facility. Scott and I stayed home and John and Robin headed over to the hospital and were going to call us when they left so we could meet at the facility. But around 1:30 John calls and says his dad is having some low blood pressure and he felt faint when he went to use the bathroom, so the hospital does not want to release him this day until they get his blood pressure under control. John just pulls into the parking lot and the doctor calls him, it is serious and he needs the family to make some decisions. The directive was for no heroic measures...Robin calls me while John is talking to the doctor. I tell Scott we need to leave right now...as I am finishing up a pot of soup, Scott gets a call from the doctor. They talk for about 10 minutes...what is heroic? what is NOT heroic? It was finally decided that Bill could be brought up to ICU and they could figure out what is going on with his blood pressure and have closer supervision...so we wrap up our chicken noodle soup I had made and we get in the car. Robin calls us at 2:32 pm to tell us that they are now heading up to ICU, I tell her we are on the road....2:35 pm Robin calls again and tells us that Bill is gone.
I will write more tomorrow.
In January we picked up our Dad's and took them to Ellie's basketball game...I snapped a shot of them with Joan, Ellie's other Grandma (Nana!)
A couple of weeks back Scott and I picked up his dad and my dad and we drove to Canby High School to watch Ellie play club volleyball. Dina had set up two folding chairs for them and the minute Papa Bill sat in his chair, Lily was beside him holding his hand and his other arm was wrapped around her...that little girl just knows how to love....and then when Papa Bill needed to go to the bathroom, Lily ran over and took his hand and walked him across the gym, leading the way....and when they returned she was again holding his hand, giving him support and strength and it was such a beautiful site to see.
Afterwards we all went to dinner...there were 14 of us...we had hamburgers and they were the slipperiest hamburgers Bill had ever eaten...from there we went to the Yogurt Shack to sing Happy Birthday to all the February and March birthday people...Let's see that would be Dina,Scott, me, Jamie, and Aaron...and my dad made a cake, so we all had a piece of cake and some yogurt! Great memories.
And the last few winters I have been able to get away for a long weekend and visit my BFF up in Maple Valley Washington. We have been friends for 55 years and we still like each other and we love to make cards...so I spent 6 days with her and it rejuvenated my soul...I will share some health stories later, but for now the one thing weighing heavy on my heart is what I will write about now.
As you can see from the dates in the title, our dear Father, Father-in-law, Grandpa and finally "Papa Bill" to the 6 great grandchildren passed away on this Sunday afternoon. We are sad, he touched our lives so profoundly that his absence is going to be felt in all of us. Where once there was a big loving, generous human being, now only a HUGE void that will never be filled.
Tuesday, March 20 started out quite normally for Bill, he decided to drive to the local Safeway store where they have a Starbucks...he has acquired quite a taste for that treat, but first he walks around the parking lot and is so proud to say he walked it three times. Then he gets his coffee! This Tuesday, he said he was not paying attention to where he was going and he accidentally "grazed" (his words) the bumper of a parked car. that little bump put him off balance and he fell, right on his right leg. Two kind people helped pick him up and helped him walk to his car. He sat in his car and started it to get warm. Soon the manager, who was told of the incident by the person who helped Bill back to his car, came to Bill and asked if there was anything he could do for him. And this is totally Bill: "Yes, I would like a Grande Coffee Mocha"! And the manager obliged him! We laughed when he told us that story.
Bill then drove himself home, got out of the car, into the house and called his son John to tell him about his fall. John went right over and ended up staying the whole day and the night with his dad. He had to fuss with him to get him comfortable on the couch, and to help him go to the bathroom without having to get up, and to get him food...John is the ultimate caregiver...Robin called us that night around 10 pm to tell us of the fall and to relay that Bill thought it was a pulled muscle in his groin.
The next morning Scott goes over to get Bill to take him to the doctors. It is apparent in watching Bill walk that it is more than a pulled muscle. He down plays the pain and discomfort when Scott and the doctor want him to have an Xray...oh, he can put it off one day...but that wasn't going to happen with "Dr. Scott" in charge! So off they went to the ER. Bill had broken his femur, the doctor said he doesn't know of too many people who break their leg and continue walking on it...and maybe that is why the top was broken off...So Bill had surgery about 6:30 PM Wednesday night. The whole surgery took 45 minutes and went off without a hitch...he had good tissue and everything looked great. He had two new balls that were very strong and would give him good stability.
We saw him after the surgery and talked to him before he fell to sleep. We went back the next morning and he was going to see the PT person and get up and walk. He was in very good spirits...well, all except for one person...Rebecca was the OT....he guessed she was 29 and he was correct, he guessed she was from Chicago and he again was correct. She had him sit on a chair and was just talking to him. He told her he was cold, could she please put a blanket around his shoulders. She basically said NO, I need to ask these questions and do things my way. Again, Bill tells her that he is really cold and could use a blanket while he sits and talks to her. She doesn't budge and then he says something to her about being from Chicago, he can tell, because they are political and only do things "their way or the highway"...then he told her that HE pays her wages, she works for him and she needs to get him a blanket. Well, as you can imagine those words did not set well with this young inexperienced OT with the likes of Bill Foelker. He asked to see her supervisor!! She did finally get a blanket for him, but she never did return to his room!!
As he shared this story with us we could tell he was quite agitated and disturbed, but the old Bill was NOT going to let a pushy "my way or the highway" person get the best of him...he is still in control of his mind and what he wants too!
Thursday was a good day, with the exception of OT he had a positive attitude and enjoyed a visit with Lacey and her three children and a special gift from them: A Grande Coffee Mocha!! But by later in the evening he needed to go to the bathroom, but was having trouble going, during the night he seemed to have to go every hour and if he didn't get up to go, he was trying to pee in a jug and missing and soiling the bed several times...that caused him some anxiety and he could NOT relax all day long. He would sleep maybe 5 minutes, then awaken and have to be moving, adjusting pillows, feet, the bed, up, down, and thankfully John was at his side the whole day. In fact Bill was so beside himself he asked John to please stay the night with him. I think they finally gave him something to either sleep or calm him down and once he was in a deep sleep around midnight John slipped home to get his own good nights sleep. Friday was a little better, they actually had to catheterize him but then he got a "belly ache"...he was getting constipated and not feeling good about it at all...
The plan was to send Bill to a rehab on Saturday, but until he had a bowel movement they would not release him. They did everything they could to assist in that area and nothing was working. Sunday morning shows up and at 7 am he finally had a movement and the transportation vehicle was scheduled for pick up at 3 pm to take him to a rehab facility. Scott and I stayed home and John and Robin headed over to the hospital and were going to call us when they left so we could meet at the facility. But around 1:30 John calls and says his dad is having some low blood pressure and he felt faint when he went to use the bathroom, so the hospital does not want to release him this day until they get his blood pressure under control. John just pulls into the parking lot and the doctor calls him, it is serious and he needs the family to make some decisions. The directive was for no heroic measures...Robin calls me while John is talking to the doctor. I tell Scott we need to leave right now...as I am finishing up a pot of soup, Scott gets a call from the doctor. They talk for about 10 minutes...what is heroic? what is NOT heroic? It was finally decided that Bill could be brought up to ICU and they could figure out what is going on with his blood pressure and have closer supervision...so we wrap up our chicken noodle soup I had made and we get in the car. Robin calls us at 2:32 pm to tell us that they are now heading up to ICU, I tell her we are on the road....2:35 pm Robin calls again and tells us that Bill is gone.
I will write more tomorrow.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Christmas Celebrations
I will get right to the pictures...and they are mostly of the 6 grandchildren...sorry parents, aunts and uncles...I missed you in the snapshots!
It was a very beautiful Christmas shared with family...it was also sad, we missed the two Great grandmothers...my mom has been gone for 4 1/2 years and I still miss her...Elsa died on November 14, and her presence is still very fresh in our mind and hearts. Bill did well this night, no tears...at least none that we saw...his $20 to each great grandchild was a BIG hit, the dollar bills waving in the air with whoops of YEAH, and they all ran and gave him a big hug and with that a surprise ho ho ho from Bill...the innocence and the hugs from little ones help to heal the ache from missing a loved one...life goes on...and Elsa and my mom is seen in the character of these little ones...hopefully Scott, myself and our daughters are teaching the young ones all we learned from our moms and grandma's...their legacy lives on in these 6 young children.
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| Addie, 4,proudly showing off her $20 from Papa Bill |
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| Lily, 8, modeling her new outfit |
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| Tristan, 2, showing us his new car |
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| All the great kids with Papa Bill (minus Caleb) |
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| Chris, Aaron's mom and Caleb with two reindeer cookies |
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| Aaron, Lacey's husband, Lily and Scott |
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| Papa Ben (my dad) with the great grand kids, minus Caleb |
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Celebration of Elsa's life
No pictures to post ... but we had over 40 people come to the house to share their memories of Elsa. While looking at pictures from various times in her life, it brought joy and recaptured those memories. That is what a Celebration is all about, isn't it? Remembering the one who is now gone from our lives. And...maybe the best part is rekindling some of the relationships from the past...you know family, even distant ones who somehow get lost in the life you live with your own family...or teachers from over 40 years ago...or neighbors...Elsa brought them all together for us and that is a blessing. Perhaps we should take note of this and do it again, but not because someone has died...because we truly care about all those people who have left a mark on us...even if it is through someone else.
Thanksgiving 2011
And can I just tell you that I used every appliance in my kitchen to pull together this feast? Both of my ovens...the top one is a three in one...microwave, convected and traditional...so my 6 pound turkey breast took 45 minutes and it was so moist and juicy! Then I used my steam oven to cook up the potatoes for mashing...that really helps me from over cooking the potatoes in water and having them be pre-mashed if you know what I mean! The lower oven had a casserole that Scott made...YES, you read right, SCOTT MADE IT!! Holy Moly is this the beginning of something great??? He saw this recipe for leftover turkey in the Tuesday Food Day...it was a poblano enchilada casserole...So he had to buy two poblanos...bake them until the skin was black...then take the skin off and all the seeds (that is the HOT part!)...then he put the meat of the pepper into the blender, added spices and other little things...in the meantime I did cook up some mexican style rice for him and then he layered the rice/cheese/turkey mixture with corn tortillas and the green poblano sauce...and it was a BIG hit...usually we have Mac and Cheese for a side dish (I don't know why this is a tradition, but early in our marriage we headed down to Grants Pass where Elsa's sister, Anna May lived with her family and she always had Mac and Cheese...so we continue with that tradition...except for this year!! I used the warming drawer to put all our dishes in and rolls that I had previously baked, were wrapped in foil and kept warm...and I used the microwave for the broccoli, along with my Demarle...hmmmhmmm, perfect broccoli, just al dente!!
We only had Lacey's family sitting at the table for dinner, Dina's family came later, for dessert...so it was manageable and easier for the older generation. And can I just add that Papa Bill did really well? It had only been 10 days since his dear wife passed away and he did NOT cry once all evening...that was a great accomplishment for him. However, everyone was warned not to say anything about her to him...and don't ask how he is doing...those are no no's...he just gets too choked up quite easily and then has to leave the room to compose himself. He loved all the children...they can make anyone smile! So it was a good day.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Laid to Rest.....
We picked up Elsa in her beautiful handmade in Oregon Mrytle Wood Urn and then picked up Bill....we made our way to the Willamette National Cemetery. We had a very small gathering with family...Bill's older brother, Don and his daughter Mary Alice, Bill's sister Dorine and husband Don, along with three of their daughters, Lori, Debbie and Nancy. Our girls, Dina,husband Jamie; Lacey, husband Aaron and all six great grandchildren; John, Robin, Scott and myself. It was perfect...drizzling just a bit as we walked from the car to the site...she is in a "wall"...near 450 (which is easy for us to remember because that is our address!) and then it stopped raining. We placed the urn into the space and each of the older children placed their memory stories into the vault with Elsa. Bill placed a rose inside...then it was closed and sealed. ......
We gathered close and said the Lord's Prayer together....Ellie read her memory story and Lacey read a poem she wrote....then we said the Lord's Prayer one more time...We all hugged and cried and hugged some more. Then we headed to Red Robin for some food and more good times. It was so nice to share this time with other family that we don't see nearly often enough. And the addition of the children at Red Robin was a very nice distraction for Bill...they were well behaved and they added that element of mischief, but also the warming touch only children can give...
Bill is home now taking a nap...John will take care of the evening meal with him and stay over night. I suspect we will be taking turns with dinner for a while...it is good to get him out of the house....
Thank you all for checking back in and remember about the Celebration of Elsa's Life on Sunday November 27 from 1 - 5 pm. Scott and Colleen's house...450 Twilight Trail, West Linn, Or 97068....if you need to call us: 503.754.6303 Scott's cell or my cell 503.754.6192....we eliminated our land line when we moved into the new home...
Our family members were so kind to bring evergreens...a Nordic tradition and flowers...and a boutoniere for each of us. There has been a saying in this family forever: "You get what you give"...well, that was too many letters for the engraving...we were limited with the number of characters...so Scott thought...and thought...and came up with the absolutely next best phrase that really exemplifies the life lived, shared and modeled by Bill and Elsa: "Love Given....Love Returned"...Perfect!!
We gathered close and said the Lord's Prayer together....Ellie read her memory story and Lacey read a poem she wrote....then we said the Lord's Prayer one more time...We all hugged and cried and hugged some more. Then we headed to Red Robin for some food and more good times. It was so nice to share this time with other family that we don't see nearly often enough. And the addition of the children at Red Robin was a very nice distraction for Bill...they were well behaved and they added that element of mischief, but also the warming touch only children can give...
Bill is home now taking a nap...John will take care of the evening meal with him and stay over night. I suspect we will be taking turns with dinner for a while...it is good to get him out of the house....
Thank you all for checking back in and remember about the Celebration of Elsa's Life on Sunday November 27 from 1 - 5 pm. Scott and Colleen's house...450 Twilight Trail, West Linn, Or 97068....if you need to call us: 503.754.6303 Scott's cell or my cell 503.754.6192....we eliminated our land line when we moved into the new home...
Our family members were so kind to bring evergreens...a Nordic tradition and flowers...and a boutoniere for each of us. There has been a saying in this family forever: "You get what you give"...well, that was too many letters for the engraving...we were limited with the number of characters...so Scott thought...and thought...and came up with the absolutely next best phrase that really exemplifies the life lived, shared and modeled by Bill and Elsa: "Love Given....Love Returned"...Perfect!!
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| Ellie and Lily consoling "Papa Bill" |
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
ELSA FOELKER - OBITUARY -November 14, 2011 ...1:37 pm, forever etched in our mind and heart...
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| Elsa M. Foelker March 29, 1923 - November 14, 2011 |
Okay, I am probably going to write a novel here, but before I do, I will give you the information that probably brought you to this blog...the obituary...and you recognize the picture above...the same one in the Oregonian...Elsa is going to be interred at the Willamette National Cemetery, however only the immediate family will be present. But we have to celebrate her life with all of you who knew and loved her also. Please join us at an Open House on Sunday, November 27 from 1 - 5 pm. Scott and I will host this celebration. Come with your memories to share with all of us - even any pictures that you might have, we would love to reminisce with you the times you had with both Bill and Elsa. Our address is: 450 Twilight Trail, West Linn, Oregon. The easiest directions from I- 205 is to take the Stafford Rd Exit and head north towards Lake Oswego (now if you are like me, you want to know if that is right or left...and it is LEFT off the exit ramp if you come from I-5, BUT, if you are coming from Oregon City, Milwaukie or any area on the east side of the river, then you will take the exit on your right and go RIGHT!!!..ha ha...I am directionally challenged, so I don't have a clue about North or South, just tell me to go left or right...sorry that is just me!). So after you go LEFT...or RIGHT...towards Lake Oswego, you will stay on Stafford Road, go through ONE round - about take the second exit on the round - about so that you are going straight on Stafford. Go about 1 more mile to a second round-about...turn RIGHT at the first exit...Now you are on Rosemont Rd...go 1.2 miles and take the FIRST RIGHT, Wilda Rd...it is at the bottom of the road before it goes up a hill...take the first LEFT (the road kind of just turns to the left) now you are on Sweetbriar Rd...go 1/2 mile until you come to a "T" in the Road...take a RIGHT ...That is Twilight Trail...the second house on the left is ours...the first house on the left is our daughter's...and you are welcome to park along the street or even in their upper driveway. We really do invite and welcome all who wish to come to remember the person who was a wife to Bill, a mother to Scott and John, a mother-in-law (the best ever!) to Robin and myself, a grandmother to Dina and Lacey (and their husbands Jamie and Aaron) and a great grandmother to six..(three from each daughter)...Caleb (12), Addie (4), Tristan (2) (they belong to Lacey and Aaron), and Ellie (10), Lily (8) and Jalen (4) (Dina and Jamie's children).
Elsa was born on March 29, 1923 in the town of Tillamook because that is where the hospital was...her family lived in Garibaldi. Her parents both came from Norway in a town called Rosendal. Her father was John Skaaluren and her mother was Anna Skaale. Her father worked in the timber industry...either in the mills or working with wood. Her mother was a homemaker and Elsa had a younger sister Anna May, who preceded Elsa in death. During Elsa's high school years her family moved to Reedsport and from there she went to Pacific University and majored in Chemistry. She met the love of her life, Bill Foelker while at the university. They married in 1944...this December 16, 2011 would have been their 67th wedding anniversary.
Scott was born in 1950 and John in 1952, Elsa stayed home with her boys until they were both in school full time and could be responsible to come home by themselves. She went back to school to get her teachers certificate and started teaching at Lot Whitcomb School in the North Clackamas School District. She taught Fourth grade for many years, but she ended her teaching career teaching second graders. When she was 59 years old she retired from teaching.
I am going to post this now...and return later to add more of the last 30 years of Elsa's life.
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