Carol Elizabeth (Bender) Arends , beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother passed away on November 17, 2020. She was born on May 30, 1923 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Carol spent her early years on a farm near Almena, Kansas. She graduated from Almena High School in 1941. As World War II began, Carol heard of the opportunity in the ship yards on the west coast. Accepting a ride with her aunt and uncle, Carol came to Oregon. She lived with relatives and applied for work at the Kaiser Shipyards in north Portland. After being hired, she went to welding school for three days and graduated with a certificate. She was a member of an all woman's welding crew who worked on Liberty Ships for use in World War II. Carol made several lifelong friends and had many stories to tell. During this time, her best friend Mable introduced her to Leslie Arends who had come to Oregon to find work in the shipyards . Les was also a welder when they met and they began to date. After a short engagement, they were married on January 2, 1945. Together they bought a home in north Portland. Les started work as a carpenter, and Carol worked at Montgomery Ward. They had two children, Tiami, born in 1950 and Phillip, born in 1953. After the children were born, she concentrated on being a mother and homemaker.
In 1962, Les and Carol purchased a filbert orchard near Tigard, Oregon. They decided to build a home and the family had to live in the garage for the summer awaiting the completion of the rest of the house. Upon completion, Carol got busy and filled their home with beautiful braided wool rugs. At that time, filberts were picked by hand and Carol became a proficient picker. She was very happy when Les finally purchased nut picking equipment which saved her knees. After Les retired from carpentry work, they enjoyed many trips to Kansas, southern California, Hawaii, and Alaska. After Les passed away, she began volunteering at Meridian Park Hospital and made many friends. Carol enjoyed stimulating conversation, the beautiful flowers in her yard, and seeing hummingbirds at her feeder.
Carol greatly enjoyed watching her grandchildren and great grandchildren grow. She especially enjoyed holiday trips to Phil's house where she could visit with everyone. Carol was loved by all and will be greatly missed. She is survived by her son Phillip, grandchildren Tara, Erin, Christa, Diana, and Steven. Great grandchildren include Noah, Alex, Claire, Lyle, Kaycen and Abigail. Carol is also survived by her three sisters, Shirley, Mary and Violet, and her brother Wayne.
A visitation will be held on Tue., Nov. 24, 12-4pm, Young's Funeral Home, 11831 SW Pacific Hwy, Tigard, OR 97223, (503) 639-1206. Graveside service will follow on Wed., Nov. 25, 12:30pm, Mountainside Cemetery, 17675 SW Hillsboro Hwy, Hillsboro, OR 97123.
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