Zena Murel Kellogg Albrecht

Zena M. Kellogg was born in Cooper, Iowa to parents Murel and Laura (Denny) Kellogg on September 8, 1920. Zena grew up in Cooper and was raised along with three brothers and two sisters. The family later moved to Jefferson, Iowa. She attended and graduated from Jefferson High School. In high school, Zena played basketball for her school team and she also loved to dance. Dancing was forbidden by her parents in those days, so Zena would have to sneak out to go to the dances. During part of her high school years and following graduation, Zena worked in a movie theater.

As a young woman, Zena followed her brothers out west to Idaho in search of work, adventure, and a new chapter in her life. She called Marsing her home for the first portion of her time in Idaho. She went to work at a drug store in Marsing and it was in there that Zena met her future husband Arthur Albrecht. The two were wed in Marsing on March 9, 1939. Their first child, daughter Donna, was born 9 months later in December. Daughter Nora was also born in Marsing. Following their time in Marsing, the family moved where the Jobs were available so that Arthur and Zena could support their young family. They lived in Boise, Idaho, they spent some time in Utah, and in the late 1940’s, they relocated to Pendleton, Oregon. Daughter Nora and son Donald were both born in Idaho. Their son Barry was born in Utah and daughter Marcy was born in Pendleton. In Pendleton, Zena went to work for the telephone company as a switchboard operator. She was familiar with switchboard operations, as her mother operated a switchboard from the family home in Cooper. In 1951, following the birth of their daughter Marcy, the family moved yet again to Portland, Oregon. Zena continued working for Pacific Northwest Bell in Portland. Daughter Judy and son Kelly were both born in Portland. In Portland, the family first lived in St. Johns and later moved into their home on N. Missouri Street in North Portland where they lived from 1957-1967. In 1967 they moved to Gresham, Oregon.

Though working at the phone company and being a mother, wife and homemaker was more than a full-time job, Zena still found time to pursue creative outlets and take time to recharge and recreate. She enjoyed camping with her family, knitting, and she was an avid reader (mostly fiction of all sorts). Zena was also a skilled seamstress. She enjoyed sewing and she constructed many items of clothing for her children and family.

Arthur passed away in 1977. At the end of Zena’s career with the phone company, she served as a Fraud Investigator. She Retired from Pacific Northwest Bell in 1980. Following retirement, Zena still kept busy and she went to work part time for US Bank. She worked for the bank well into her 80’s. Another thing Zena did following her “retirement” was travel extensively. She visited the United Kingdom, Australia, Hawaii, Alaska, Texas, and many places in the Eastern United States. Zena visited New York City following 9/11.

In the early 1980’s, Zena moved to Milwaukie, Oregon. In 2004, Zena moved to Canby, Oregon. She went to live with her daughter Marcy (husband Roy) in Molalla, Oregon in 2007.

When she lived in Canby, Zena attended St. Patrick Catholic Church and later she was a member of St James Catholic Church in Molalla.

For the last 2 years of her life, Zena lived at an adult foster home in Molalla where she was very lovingly, attentively, and delicately cared for by Kathy Boyd.

Zena will be celebrated as a true “doer”. She enjoyed being engaged in life and she strived to be the example for her family. She was a very hard worker and instilled in her family the values of an iron-clad work ethic self-sufficiency. Zena stressed the importance of education and she was invested in the success and future of her children. It has been said that Zena was “always busy” doing something and was not ever one to sit still for too long.

Zena was a wonderful daughter, wife, sister, mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and she will be greatly missed.

She is predeceased by her parents; husband, Arthur; her five siblings; daughter, Nora Stebbins; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Survivors include her daughters Donna Stadther (Gordon), Marcy Salvetti (Roy), and Judy Albrecht; sons Donald “Skip” Albrecht (Lora), Barry Albrecht, and Kelly Albrecht (Laura); and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A funeral service, graveside committal, and reception will take place in Skyline Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home, 4101 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, Oregon, on Friday, June 13th, 2014, at 11am.

Remembrances in lieu of flowers may be made to the charitable organization of your choice.

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Arrangements entrusted to Skyline Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home of Portland, Oregon