Ivona E. Lee

Ivona Elizabeth (Gudmundsen) Lee was born in Portland, Oregon on October 15, 1925, one of eight children, to Gudmund Henry and Berglioth Elizabeth (Overby) Gudmundsen. Siblings included: Adeline Bennett (deceased), Clayton Gudmundsen (deceased at age one), Milton Gudmundsen (deceased), Goodwin Gudmundsen, Ruth Bergstrom, Elvin Gudmundsen and Naomi Moore (San Jose, CA.)

The origins of her name came when the family was living on S.E. 51st at the time . A neighbor family had company from California. When one of the mothers called the children in from play, she called out, "I-vho-nha." Berglioth like the sound of the name so much that when she had her baby, she asked the doctor to, "Yust spell it da vay it soun's." Ivona was known by a variety of nicknames while growing up and in adult life: "Liten Mus" (Little Mouse) from her father Henry; "Stubby" (for her short legs) when she was a waitress; and "Anti Bona" from nieces/nephews and grandchildren who used it as a shortcut when very young and then kept it as a name of affection when grown.

Henry and Berglioth lived in many homes after they moved out to Oregon from North Dakota. Upon arrival, they lived with her parents at the parsonage where father Rev. Carl Overby was pastor. Henry was a millwright by trade and had done remodeling even before leaving Norway. He often paid the rent by remodeling the rental home where they lived at the time. Money was tight during Ivona's childhood. For a time, Henry worked for Federal government's Works Progress Administration, earning $86.00 per month.

The Gudmundsen children learned English at school and spoke Norwegian at home. Ivona attended kindergarten at Kellogg Grade School and then 1st Grade at Joseph Lane School. During 1931, she had three illnesses during the school year: mumps, chicken pox and whooping cough, which kept her at home. She attended Gilbert Grade School for 2nd Grade, but was promoted to 3rd because she already knew her Roman Numerals and they needed to even out the classes. Ivona and sister Adeline loved the navy bean soup often served at Gilbert. When she went to live with Uncle Richard (Taylor) and Aunt Amy to keep house, she attended Camas Junior High. She worked for her room and board in private homes while she attended Franklin High School. In 1942, she enrolled in night classes at Benson Tech to learn blueprinting, riveting and painting in preparation for employment at Columbia Aircraft, where she worked from 1942 – 1945 building airplanes for the war effort. After the war she tried to put herself through college at Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, ID by working as a waitress. When she returned to Portland, she waited table at Johnny's Diner downtown. Her next employment was as a long distance operator. The "girls" (employees) were expected to wear dresses but also wore roller skates in order to move from station to station as they placed calls for customers.

Ivona met Elden Ralph Lee in 1949 while riding his bus with her two little boys, Garry and Larry. This blossomed into romance and eventually marriage in 1950. The ceremony was performed by Adeline's husband, Rev. Allen Bennett, pastor at View Church of the Nazarene near LaCenter, WA. The happy couple made their first home near Eastmoreland Park. Elden drove for Oregon Motor Stages and then Greyhound Bus Lines. Not long after the birth of Lamont, the family moved to a much bigger house on S.E. 54th, three doors down from Franklin High School. Here Ivona was active in PTA, served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and was active at Mt. Scott Church of the Nazarene.

In early 1958, Ivona went to the doctor, complaining of tiredness and cramps. She had previously been diagnosed with benign cysts and was fearful of a continuation. But then one of the cysts started "kicking" and became Nancy, the Puking Princess, born in May. The next couple of years were all about medical complications. The new baby was often sick and her mother was hospitalized again and again.

After regaining her health, Ivona began her nursing career in January 1962, as a nurses' aide at Portland Adventist Hospital. She had them deduct $1.00 per hour from her salary, in order to pay the bills that had accumulated. She liked being a nurse and was good at it. She took training to earn her LPN license. Now well prepared, she enrolled in the Mt. Hood Community College nursing program and earned her Registered Nurse degree, even as she continued to work at the hospital. She retired in 1990, to stay home and nurse her beloved Elden. After he passed away in 1991, she was free to volunteer thousands of hours at the hospital. There is a plaque in the central hallway which commemorates her service.

Ivona was an ordained deaconess in the Nazarene Church, in recognition of her lifetime of service. During the 1980's, Ivona and Elden were leaders of the Senior Adult Ministry, holding many functions in their home on S.E. 103rd Drive. She organized their activities and wrote the Newsletter. She served on many committees and was a member of the Church Board for many years. Years earlier, she had taught Sunday School and other spiritual development classes at Mt. Scott. In later years, she ministered to the elderly, the sick and the needy at Rose City Nazarene.

In 1993, Ivona sold the family home on 103rd Drive and downsized into an apartment at Hazelwood retirement complex on N.E. 122nd and Glisan. This is where the tradition of Saturday morning breakfast was established. It became a mainstay of her later years. She relished the weekly gathering of family and friends. As her health began to fail, she moved into adult foster care, spending her final years, months and days with the tender and loving staff at Claudia's residential care on N.E. 158th and Halsey.

Ivona now resides with our Lord and cherished family in Heaven.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 5, 2011 from 9 AM - 5PM at Lincoln Memorial Park and Funeral Home 11801 SE Mt. Scott Blvd. Happy Valley, Oregon 97086

A funeral service will be held at Rose City Nazarene Church on Friday, May 6, 2011 ~ 11:00 AM.

Arrangements under the direction of Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, Portland, OR.