Anna Marie (Blickenstaff) Beebe

Early Years – Idaho to Oregon

Anna Marie was born in Nampa Idaho on April 2, 1932, to two school teachers, Dr. Paul Edwin Blickenstaff born in 1901 and Esther Niomi (Cook) Blickenstaff born in 1900. Paul and Esther were classmates in Nampa High School. They graduated from college, and after they were established in their careers they reconnected and married. Paul was a Physics teacher, and Esther taught fourth and fifth grade.

Paul’s younger brother, Ray, became a dentist and Paul decided that he wanted to become a dentist too. Paul and Esther moved to Portland, Oregon when Anna Marie was five and her sister Rosalie (Rosalie Blickenstaff Justen) was three so that Paul could study at Portland School of Dentistry, which later became OHSU School of Dentistry. After Paul graduated with honors and became Assistant Dean, Paul started his own successful practice while Anna Marie and her sister attended Fernwood Grade School. Anna Marie saw her first and very favorite movie at the Paramount Theater, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Her parents were interested in music, and they encouraged their two daughters to study music and play the piano.

Teen Years

Piano became Anna Marie and Rosalie’s primary instrument. When Anna Marie and Rosalie were students at Grant High School, Rosalie decided that she would like to play a shiny big band trumpet, and Anna Marie decided she wanted to play one, too. With the encouragement of their band director, The Blickenstaff Girls became a professional act. They played on the radio, and at several prominent Portland hotels for major conventions that came into town in the 1940s. The sisters were talented performers, and they were novel, because female trumpeters were rare to non-existent at that time.

College

In 1949, Anna Marie graduated from high school and matriculated into the music program at the University of Oregon where she majored in piano performance with a minor in organ. She graduated with honors as a member of the music sorority, Mu Phi Epsilon, and she maintained life-long friendships with her sorority colleagues and music teachers.

Career

In Anna Marie’s senior year of college, she was hired to teach at Russellville in the Columbia School District. She enjoyed inspiring others to develop their skills in music and made music fun.

Motherhood

While teaching at Russellville, Anne Marie attended young singles events at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where she reconnected with her High School classmate, Donald Jack Beebe. After high school, Donald graduated from the University of Portland and became a fifth and sixth grade teacher in the David Douglas School System. Eventually, they decided to marry in 1959. After their marriage, they remodeled and upgraded several homes.

By 1965, they decided it was time to settle down and have children. Anna Marie retired from teaching, and they had a son they named Donald Paul Beebe, on January 28, 1966, followed by a daughter, Maryann Renee Beebe, born August 30, 1967.

By the 1970s, the family moved from the Hollywood area to Mount Scott which offered a good school system and room for children to ramble in a large backyard, ride bicycles on dirt trails and roam the woods. Anne Marie was fully invested in raising her children. She taught Sunday School classes, played piano for Junior Church, sang in the choir, played the Messiah on harpsichord, taught her children piano lessons, trumpet lessons, helped with homework, and baked bread. For a short time, she was a Den Mother for her third-grade son’s Boy Scout troop at Happy Valley Grade School. She remained active in her children’s lives as they grew up.

Second Career

By the late 1970s, the couple divorced. Anna Marie returned to the work force as a music teacher to support her family and raise her children. Anna Marie attended classes at Lewis and Clark College to recertify as a music teacher. Once she renewed her credentials, she landed her first job as a part time music teacher at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Milwaukie and joined Oregon Music Teachers Association. She obtained her first full time job working in the David Douglas School District, before finding her long term career niche as a music teacher in Portland Public Schools.

As a career mother, Anna Marie encouraged her children to excel in school, play in the band, take piano lessons, and excel at academics. Her son, Donald, eventually went on to earn his Ph.D. at Yale University and later became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) employed in the finance industry. Her daughter, Maryann earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Doctorate while using her business degree in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.

Retirement

After ensuring that her children were launched in their adult lives, Anna Marie retired to take care of her own father and give him a home at the end of his life. After he passed away, she moved from Mount Scott and re-invented her retirement at Rosepark Court in West Linn (another suburb of Portland, Oregon). This neighborhood was her favorite place to live. Anna Marie loved to entertain at Rosepark Court and thoroughly enjoyed welcoming people into her home.

Although Anna Marie retired from teaching, she did not retire from music. Her sister, Rosalie, started to play at the Amadeus Restaurant in Lake Oswego and Fernwood, and then invited Anna Marie to play alternate evenings. She loved to greet guests at the entry and take song requests. She started to play for church again and bought herself an Allen electronic organ which fit in the basement of her home. She used to say that she found the fountain of youth by playing it. She played for several Presbyterian churches, including West Linn, Lake Grove and Calvary. Rosalie introduced her to playing at the Chinese Presbyterian Church, which Rosalie, Anna Marie and Donald served for nearly 21 years. Anna Marie was the organist/choirmaster for nearly 7 of those years.

One of the common interests Anna Marie and her two adult children shared was travel. Anna Marie was always ready for a good time, a hearty laugh and an adventure. She went on international trips with friends, with Maryann and her husband, and sometimes she traveled solo. Some of her destinations included England, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Norway. Domestically, she visited many U.S. states, including Hawaii and Alaska.

End of Life – North Carolina

When Anna Marie’s son, Donald, received a job offer in Charlotte, North Carolina, the two moved together from Rosepark Court to a smaller but comfortable home in Mint Hill, North Carolina. Maryann and her husband already had moved to Charlotte; therefore, the family came back together again. The family could see each other weekly and celebrate holidays together.

Since about 2015, Anna Marie’s health began to decline due to osteoporosis and she began to have a series of falls that eventually would confine her to a wheelchair. She succeeded in maintaining her independence as long as possible.

The Mint Hill house accommodated Anna Marie’s care needs where she lived for the rest of her life. During the last few years, Donald and Maryann became primary caregivers and they had the support of part-time caregivers. The family endeavored to make each day as good as possible, accept every day as a gift and find something for which to be grateful. Anna Marie was surrounded by family through her last day and knew that she was appreciated and loved.

In closing, Anna Marie would wish to give you, Dear Reader, her favorite blessing:

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.