My Dear Aunt Shirley

My dear aunt, born Shirley Ann Tangen in February of 1945, passed away on March 28, 2020.  Because of all the Covid-19 restrictions, her immediate family was not able to have a service with extended family and friends. I decided that I would share a few memories and photos that I have to celebrate her life. The family may have some these photos but there was a housefire sometime after they moved to Oregon and how many of those were lost or who they went to, I do not know.  My mother, Bernadine, was Shirley's oldest sister and was already married.  In fact, when my parents were getting married in June of 1944, Shirley was a little "bun in the oven" and the parents hadn't told anyone of their suspicions yet. They were waiting until after the wedding! I think a lot of these photos were taken by my parents on their annual visits.  Since Mom was already gone from home, she didn't grow up with Shirley who was twenty two years younger. Shirley was more like an older cousin to me than an aunt.

Shirley Ann Tangen, 6 years old.

Shirley's father, Ole O Tangen, was son of Ole K Tangen and Ella Mae Dokken, who were Norwegian immigrants and came to this country in 1868.  (Ole K's parents were Knut Olsen Tollefsrud  and Guri Johnsdtr Aavestrud who remained in Norway.)  Ole O is the young man on the far left in the photo below.

Ole K and Ella Mae had nine children. Most of their children grew up and many became homesteaders in the Dakotas and many of their descendants are still there.  Ole O (the O doesn't stand for anything other than to differentiate him from his father Ole K) had a homestead there for awhile in Sioux County, North Dakota (1915 census). Ella Mae's parents were Nels Olson Dokken and Kristina (Christine) Trustem.  They had immigrated to the US in 1867.  They settled in Iowa near Hanlontown.

Nels Olsen Dokken and Kristina Trustem.

My mother, Shirley's oldest sibling, said she thought that this is a photo of Ole O while he was in the Dakotas.  She wasn't sure if it was Wisconsin or Dakotas but it does look like Dakotas to me!  Sometime after he began homesteading in the Dakotas, Ole O enlisted in the army in WWI and worked with the military police.  Family lore is that he was part of the security at the signing of the treaty at Versailles but we have found no way to confirm that.  He enlisted in the Army on March 29, 1918  and was discharged on July 11, 1919.

After the war, he returned to North Dakota.  He fell in love with Kathryn, daughter of Charles Vandervort and Mary McCauley.  Kathryn was only a few months old when her mother died of typhoid fever and she was raised by step-mother Ida.  Charles worked for the railroad as a machinist. Charles parents were James Baker Vandervort and Anna Mary McIntyre.  Charles' family could trace linneage back to 1624 in New Amsterdam, now Manhattan.  Mary Ann's parents were Peter McCauley and Annie Lauless, who both immigrated separately from Ireland in the mid-1800's.

VANDERVORT HOME IN TOMAH, WISCONSIN.  Charles Vandervort is in the middle of the photo and  Kathryn, his daughter and Shirley's mother, is the little girl second from the left. Ida (step-mother) is between them.

Ole Tangen

Kathryn Vandervort

Ole and Kathryn were married in 1922 the same year that Ole K passed away.  They left the homestead and came back to Iowa to try to help keep the family farm running. They did what they could to help but were not able to turn it around in time and they lost the farm for taxes.  After that Ole and Kathryn moved to Wisconsin where they would rent farms and work to support their family.  His mother, Ella Mae, lived with them until she passed away in 1942. My mother loved that their grandmother lived with them and was very sad when she passed away.

This was one of the last family photos that were taken right before they moved across the US  to Oregon. No hint of Shirley yet at the time of this photo.  This next photo is of Ella Mae with her son Ole and grandchildren, Bernadine, Marjorie and Bruce.

Shirley was not yet born while the family lived in Wisconsin.  In 1943 or thereabouts the Ole O Tangen Family, two parents and five kids, drove across the country from Wisconsin to Oregon.  Ole was apparently planning on farming but  what he had arranged before they moved fell through..  I believe he ended up at some point working at the Alcoa aluminum plant.  If I find any relatives with more information I will be happy to edit this along the way.

The Tangen family moved to Oregon in 1943 and moved into a house on Division Street in Gresham sometime within the first year or so.  Here is a birdseye view of their property.  I don't know what year this was taken but looks very much like what I remember.  

  

The large building in the center of the photo was a tire company business.  Just above that you can see a long and skinny driveway with a house and garage near the back of the property.  The house sits almost dead center in the photo a quarter of the way down from the top. My parents (my dad was in the Air Force) tried to make sure that we would get back to see family as much as possible. I have lots of fond memories of the time spent there.

 This is sister L along with Shirley at six months old.    

These two  may be the earliest photos of Shirley.  Photo says this is with sister Marjorie and that Shirley is 6 months old.

Shirley's dad Ole was a kind and loving man!!

And this is one of the earlier ones with just Shirley and her parents.  

Easter would have been on April 21st in 1946 so Shirley here could be about 14 months old. Kathryn must have been taking the photograph!

 Shirley and her mom in 1946

Shirley hanging onto the dining room chair.  The table, chairs and buffet came from Ole and Kathryn and my mother said they were a wedding present from Charles and Ida (stepmom) Vandervort.  I think they were to go to someone else after Grandma Kathryn passed away, but after 10 years of the dining room set sitting in my parent's basement unclaimed, I took them and we've lived happily ever after!!  I figured if they ever got claimed I could give them back but no one has asked in 30 years.

 Looking good!!

 Things weren't apparently going very well this fine evening!  

 At some point in time there was a fire in the house.  I don't know if this is some of the debris left over or what this was.  I don't have personal memories of it!

Bernadine with Shirley, along with sister M.

I love this photo of Shirley and her parents.

 Looks like this is birthday #6!

This is the way that I remember the grandparents home.  This is the same house from a different vantage point.  We spent hours playing croquet in this yard.  There was a hammock in the backyard along with an Italian prune tree.  Yum! I can't be sure but based on age I think it is likely that it could be Shirley in the photo or myself on a visit. Most likely Shirley.  This home is where all of my direct memories of Aunt Shirley begin.  

Sister L and M with Shirley in the center! 

 Shirley in 1951 at six years of age.

Around 6 years of age! Center of the photo!

 Shirley at 6 years of age.

This photo says the date is 1954 so Shirley - 4th person from the left - would have been about nine years old.

This photo also says 1954 on it.

 Teenage Shirley with  parents and sister L.

I remember one time we visited and grandma always made huge molasses cookies  - with icing on them - mmmm!.  Shirly is on the left side of this photo and at about that age she "predicted our future" with a needle and thread.  She held the thread and the needle would act like a pendulum.  However times it crossed your wrist and in which directions was the objective of knowledge.  I was supposed to have five children - a boy, three girls, and a boy.  Oh well, so much for that!!  I also remember little bowls of vanilla ice cream with LOTS of Hershey's Syrup.  If Shirley was to rein in the cousins she wasn't very effective.  She had the room that looked out over the garage and she would climb out and sit on the roof.  We thought she was so clever and grown up!  My memories are only for the various trips that we made.

 Same visit with all the sibling.   This was likely taken not too long before Ole passed away from Leukemia.  

 This is a photo of the siblings in 1975 -- oldest to youngest - Bernadine, Marjorie, Bruce, M, L and Shirley.

Shirley was married twice.  With her second husband Alan she had their son who shared his first birthday with them in 1981.

In 1986 this is photo of Shirley at her oldest son's wedding.

Around 1990 Shirley and her husband took a trip to Hawaii

This photo was taken about 1997 at a 50th wedding anniversary party.  Shirley is second from the right.   

(I do not identify names of living people in my blog other than with an initial or just by relationship)

It is sad that Shirley had the misfortune to pass away during this Covid-19 pandemic (of other causes) which has impacted our lives in so many ways.  I am sure she was welcomed into heaven by a large group of extended family and friends but we were unable to give her an appropriate send off. I would have loved to have been there to remember so many things with others who love her. I know that the Lord knows our length of days from beginning to end and was not caught by surprise. I hope that these early photos and memories are a blessing and a virtual contribution celebrating her life. Go with Jesus, Aunt Shirley. He loves you and we love  you as well. You are not forgotten.