Obituary for Mildred Evah Harris Millie went to be with He who she loved – Jesus, on October 28th mid-afternoon in Newberg, Oregon. She had lived a century and celebrated her one hundredth birthday with many friends, immediate family, church family and staff at Chehalem Health & Rehab. Mildred Evah was born to Sarah May and Otis T. Thayer March 7th, 1918 in Corvallis Oregon.
Her father was a musician who could play just about any instrument around and played in different bands so the family moved around a lot. They would supplement their income as well picking crops of which hops was the most prevalent. Millie had a hard upbringing but it instilled in her a strength she gave credit to but mainly her relationship with Jesus Christ.
Millie was born with many God-given talents. She played the piano by ear at an early age and brought many a family gathering or friends the fun of suggesting she play a number and she was always familiar so played to bring a great deal of joy to all. Millie had traveled to Spokane, Washington and it was there in a boarding house that she met Russell E. Harris and they were married two weeks later in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and celebrated 48 years of marriage before he passed in 1988.
They started together with a Singer sewing machine store where Russ sold sewing machines and Millie did mending for people or sewing beautiful garments. It was in Spokane that their first child, Karen Kaye was born and then they moved to Portland, Oregon where Russ worked in the shipyards and Dianne Judith was born. From there they moved to Albany, Oregon where Russ started a used car dealership.
It wasn’t very long before he was asked to become part of a Lincoln Mercury dealership and later Cadillac asked him to take on their model. As the girls began to be in school Millie herself began to work in a men’s clothing shop part time, sold Nobility silverware plus she was Welcome Lady in Albany for many years. Millie had taken up golf and over the years accumulated seventy-two trophies PLUS she had begun to learn how to paint at age forty and had talent she had no clue was there all along.
She and Russ would go to Palm Springs the end of January first of February and she began to sell her beautiful pictures but most of them are being kept in remembrance of her talents by family and friends. Millie played nine holes of golf at ninety-five years old while with Karen and her son-in-law, Phil Griffin, at Agate Beach Golf Course on the Oregon coast eleven days before she broke her hip and life got different. Always kidding around.
She loved to sing, dance, play the piano, play golf and paint oils and go to church so her life was a full one before passing. She is survived by her daughter, Karen Griffin and son-in-law, Phil Griffin (Newberg, Oregon), daughter Dianne Brennemen (Corvallis, Oregon), six grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. Viewing occurred October 30th to November 5th at Attrell’s Mortuary, Newberg, Oregon when she was transferred to Willamette Memorial Park in Albany, Oregon where she was laid to rest with her husband Russell Harris.
A Celebration of Life will be November 17th at eleven o’clock, Grace Baptist Church, 1619 E. 2nd St., Newberg, Oregon 97132. Come celebrate a life well lived. Upcoming Events Celebration of Life , NOV 17.
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