Meredith Pearl Hoover was born on November 17 th , 1935. She passed on October 2 nd , 2018 in Hermiston, Oregon at the age of 82 years. She was born to Fred (Ted) Hoover and Eunice Bolin in Portland, OR.
She was the middle of five children AnnaLee, Fred Jr., Rosemary and Rex. As a child, her family moved around quite a lot picking fruit and nuts along the I-5 corridor. She remembered her first job at around four years old picking hazelnuts.
Her senior year, she moved to Irrigon, OR to live with her Uncle and Aunt, Porter and Lela Ross. After starting school in Irrigon, she met and began dating Harry “Jack” Smith. They got married when Meredith was 18, in 1954.
The had five children, Jack, Harry, Mary, Meredith and Jennifer. After living with Jack and the children in Portland, Irrigon, Bend, Klamath Falls and Portland again where they stayed for several years, they all moved back to Irrigon in 1976 where Meredith and Jack divorced in 1978. Up until this time Meredith was a stay at home mom, after the divorce she worked as a waitress and bartender in several different establishments.
Her patrons fondly referred to her as “Marty”. She also worked at U and I Potato (Lamb Weston in Boardman) in several different job titles throughout her time there. In the mid 1980’s she was cooking at the Nomad in Boardman when a tall, handsome man named Bruce DeHaven came into the restaurant one night for dinner after working at his construction job.
Soon after meeting, they began dating and they were married April 25 th , 1987. In this marriage Meredith gained three step-children Tina, Tami and Mike. Throughout the beginning of their marriage they moved around to different jobs all over Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.
They made many photo albums that document their travels together. They began building a house in Irrigon in 1996 where she renewed her love for gardening by planting beautiful intricate gardens, growing bountiful vegetable gardens and spending the majority of her time outside. They raised chickens, had cows, donkeys, a llama, dogs and cats.
Meredith always commented that she would have had a dog sanctuary if Bruce had let her. He thought that the three dogs they had at the most was more than enough, especially in combination with all of their other critters and the beautiful yard they had to keep-up. She also watched her grandchildren, taking the scenic route to school, having parking lot picnics, doing arts and crafts, watching movies, telling stories and everything else that goes along with being a wonderful Granny.
After the grandchildren were a little older Meredith began getting involved in the City Council in Irrigon and then the School Board for Morrow County. Meredith began petitioning to get Irrigon it’s high school back as it had closed and moved to Boardman in the late 1950’s. She was one of the last graduating classes from the original high school in Irrigon and wanted her grandchildren who were approaching the age for high school, to be able to go to school in their own town and have the same pride she did.
It took seven and a half years but the goal was achieved and Irrigon had its first year of high school students in 2004. She took up other causes as well, cultivating and selling flowers to fundraise for any cause that was in need and just because she enjoyed sharing her garden so much, and helping to found the Irrigon Multicultural Arts Center among other smaller projects. Anyone that knew Meredith will tell you that she was a strong willed, stubborn, passionate, ornery, sassy person who loved the life she had built with the love of her life.
One of her favorite things to do was take pictures, mostly of Bruce, the critters, flowers and her grandchildren. She is survived by her children Jack (Tina) Smith, Tillamook, OR, Harry Smith, Gresham, OR, Mary (David) Lorence, Umatilla, OR, Meredith (Danny) Young, Irrigon, OR, Jennifer Smith, Irrigon, OR, her step-children, Tina (Roger) Shaw, Veneta, OR, Tami DeHaven Stebbeds, Eugene, OR, and Mike (Karen) DeHaven, Eugene, OR; sister: Rosemary Mtchell, many nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings AnnaLee, Fred Jr., and Rex, and her husbands Bruce and Jack.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Vange John Memorial Hospice Education Fund, 645 W. Orchard Ave. #300, Hermiston, OR 97838, the Knights Pride Booster Club at Irrigon Junior Senior High School, 315 SE Wyoming Ave. Irrigon, OR 97844 A private family gathering will be held.
Please sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, Oregon is in care of arrangements.
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