Dena Colleen Iverson

Dena spent her early years in Klamath Falls - and during World War II her family moved first to Medford and then to Portland, Oregon, where her father worked in the shipyards. Klamath Falls remained special to Dena, and she considered it her “happy place”, cherishing memories with extended summer visits with family and friends.

In Portland, Dena attended and graduated from Girls Polytechnic High School, where she specialized in sewing and fashion design. During her high school years she formed several truly lifelong friendships. She especially enjoyed spending time with her Girls Poly ladies, a close-knit group of friends who gathered for lunch together even as they all reached their late 80s and 90s.

Through social activities involving Girls Polytechnic and Benson Polytechnic High Schools, as well as the Masonic organizations DeMolay and Job’s Daughters, Dena first met Richard “Dick” Iverson. The two fell in love and were married on October 18, 1952, beginning an extraordinary marriage that would span more than 72 years.

Dick and Dena moved from Portland to Kent, Washington, in the early 1960s, where they raised their two daughters, Lora and Lynda. During those years, Dena embraced the traditional role of a stay-at-home mother.

In addition to raising their own two young daughters, Dena and Dick helped care for their neighbor’s infant twin girls, Maureen and Marlene. The girls always held a special place in the Iverson family, and affectionately called Dena, “Mama Dena”.

As her daughters grew older Dena decided to return to the workforce, and continued her career spanning over 25 years at US West Telecommunications as Customer Service Repair Technician.

Dena was always someone who stayed busy and involved, with her interests extending well beyond her home and career. While her daughters were young, she volunteered extensively with their school activities, taught Sunday school, and eventually became a Girl Scout troop leader for both Lora and Lynda.

As a former Girl Scout, Dena was known as a “by-the-book” leader who took her role seriously. Under her leadership, girls experienced the full spirit of scouting through a very active troop filled with activities, outings, and even a few unexpected “adventures” too.

With a natural talent for crafts and the arts, Dena always had a creative project or passion to pursue. When her family was young, she spent countless hours sewing clothes for her daughters and other family members. For Dena, “back-to-school shopping” didn’t mean a trip to the clothing store—it meant a trip to the fabric store! Thumbing through pattern books, choosing just the right patterns, and the perfect fabrics became a much-anticipated yearly tradition. Using her sewing expertise years later she also very proudly made her daughters wedding and bridesmaid dresses.

Later, Dena discovered the Norwegian folk art of rosemaling. She spent many years learning and perfecting the intricate techniques, eventually becoming skilled enough to teach classes. She also proudly displayed and sold her rosemaling at Scandinavian festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Dena had a lifelong fascination with family history and a deep commitment to researching, preserving, and documenting the stories of her ancestors. Genealogy became a true passion, leading her to participate in several local genealogy groups and organizations. This hobby went well beyond merely discovering names and dates when Dena uncovered a connection that brought long separated family members together making a lifelong bond. Family gatherings and holidays were often filled with Dena sharing her latest discoveries, stories, and fascinating finds about the family’s history. Her dedication ensured that generations of family stories and connections would not be forgotten. She was also a proud and devoted member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Colonial Dames of America.

In the late 1970s, Dick and Dena purchased a five-acre parcel of wooded land near the town of Easton, Washington. Together, they spent countless weekends and vacations “homesteading” their mountain property, gradually transforming it into a comfortable year-round retreat from the suburbs. What began as a piece of undeveloped woodland became a special place filled with hard work, memories, and time spent together.

During their retirement years, Dick and Dena embraced another great adventure—traveling throughout the country in their motorhome. They explored up and down the West Coast, traveled to Alaska and across Canada, and visited nearly every state in the continental United States. Along the way, they became active members of the Oregon Bounders RV Club, participating in local group outings and national rallies and forming many lasting friendships with fellow RV enthusiasts.

Dena was preceded in death by her husband, Richard. Dena is survived by daughters, Lora Knowlton (Doug) of Littleton, Colorado, and Lynda Geiger (Glenn) of Battle Ground, Washington; her grandchildren, Mackenzie Feldhacker (John) of Hawarden, Iowa; Bryce Raber of Grand Junction, Colorado; Matthew Geiger of Woodinville, Washington; Brandon Geiger of Lake Oswego, Oregon; and her two great grandchildren - Joanna and Nathan Feldhacker.

The family also wants to extend a special thanks to the staff at Touchmark at Fairway Village in Vancouver for their support and loving care with Richard and Dena.

A Graveside Service will be held on Monday, August 17, 2026, at 3pm at Skyline Memorial Gardens Cemetery, 4101 NW Skyline Blvd, Portland, Oregon 97229.