Mary Elizabeth Page was born on October 28, 1927 in the Bungalow Maternity Home on State Street in Salem, Oregon. Mary Elizabeth was named after her Mother, Great Grandmother and Great Great Grandmother. She was the youngest of seven children of Chester and Mary Page and the only one born in Oregon. She was very proud of her New England heritage. She grew up on Court Street, a couple blocks from the Oregon State Capitol Building. She was a witness to the 1935 fire that destroyed the building.
Mary attended Parrish Junior High School and Salem High School (North Salem High), graduating in 1945. She remained in contact with her high school friends, helping plan the class reunions. The last reunion she helped organize and attended was in 2012.
During high school, Mary worked as a waitress at the Top Hat Restaurant on State Street. She loved working there and serving what became one of her favorite desserts, a Short and Thick. It has become a family favorite.
After high school, Mary went to work at the Ladd and Bush Branch of US National Bank where she met her future husband, Harlan Hanson. The two married in 1947. They had four children, Jennifer Hanson of Aloha, Linda Turner (Vince) of Oregon City, Crystal Hanson of Anchorage, Alaska and Grant Hanson (Lhen) of Ridgecrest, CA. She has been fortunate to love eleven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
In 1959, the family moved to Tigard, Oregon as Harlan was transferred to the US Bank there. Besides raising her family, Mary worked outside the home for many years in the computer and accounting areas. She worked for several well-known companies around town including Alpenrose Dairy, The Oregonian, Poorman Douglas and several doctor offices as a bookkeeper/assistant.
In 1981, Mary married Edward Elder. They were married for about ten years. In 1994, she married Julian Torland. They remained married for 13 years until Julian’s death in 2007.
Mary was a very social and active woman. She loved entertaining and hosted many gatherings at her and Julian’s home over the years. They both loved their Dachshunds, Annie, Freddie and Emily. They also enjoyed their beautiful garden. Mary attended Good Shepherd Lutheran Church since 1959. She also attended Julian’s church, Christ the King Lutheran Church in Tigard. Mary was a member of the Red Hats for many years. She also enjoyed bowling, swimming, walking, bike riding, computers, cooking, gardening, Pinochle, genealogy, The Young and the Restless, Blue Bloods and, most importantly, loving her grand/great grandchildren. Mary took many trips to the beach as well as to China, Norway, Costa Rica, and other countries. She traveled by train to her family’s home town in Rhode Island in 2010.
Mary spent her last months in foster care in Aloha. She suffered from Dementia/Alzheimer’s and deteriorated rapidly in the last few weeks until her death on September 5, 2018. She will live on in the hearts of so many!
She was preceded in death by her parents, all six siblings, her husbands, and her grandson, Alexander. Her beloved dog, Emily passed away on August 1. She is survived by her four children, her grand/great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation to one of Mary’s favorite organizations, The Oregon Humane Society.
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