Ethel Annie Kroll

Ethel was born on January 23, 1923 in Portland to Jack Blayney and Esther Bjoornsgard. She was the youngest of their three children after her sister, Juanita, and her brother, James. Ethel was raised in the Portland area before the family moved out to their eighty acre ranch in Rainier, Oregon, where she attended Hudson Park Elementary. Ethel returned to Portland where she completed her high school education at St Mary’s Catholic High School. She held a lot of respect for the nuns that taught her and found a strong faith connection later in life after the birth of her own children.

In her early twenties, Ethel met her husband, Michael James Kroll, in Seattle, Washington. The two met at a dance where many of his family members were also in attendance. Ethel and Michael exchanged letters while he was serving in the United States Navy and not too long after, the two exchanged wedding vows on October 12, 1946 in Seattle, Washington. The newlyweds moved to Bremerton, WA near Ethel’s niece, Peggy and her husband Joe.

After Michael completed his active duty service with the Navy, he took a job with the Army Corps of Engineers, which brought them back to the Portland area in the late 1940s. In 1952, Ethel and Michael started a family of their own by welcoming their first child Kathy, followed by three more children, Denise in 1957 and twins, Kevin and Kim in 1961.

When the children were growing up Ethel worked in retail at various department stores. However, raising her children and carrying on family traditions was what was most important to Ethel. She was a fun loving mother that loved nothing more than spending time with her family. Each weekend Ethel would take her children to the family property in Rainier. There she grew a large garden that she would tend. Staying in Rainier on the weekends provided Ethel and her children with the opportunity to be surrounded by her large extended family that could help Ethel with the kids while Michael was overseas with his work. On these weekends, Ethel took her children with her to Alston’s Corner of Assembly of God where her sister and husband (Juanita and Alex Hill) attended. She realized how important a relationship with God was. Later she became an involved member of Tigard Assembly of God. She joined the choir and traveled with her children on their youth choir trips.

Ethel had begun cooking at the age of five, learning to make country gravy but her culinary skills grew as she became older. She was a fantastic cook, with specialties that included comfort food like roast beef, fried chicken, and her gravy from made from scratch. On Sunday Ethel would cook a family dinner and this was a long time tradition. Ethel loved maintaining these family traditions and besides Sunday dinner each year they would gather for Christmas and Fourth of July picnics. Ethel reflected on this precious time spent together and used it to create beautiful memories telling her children “be sure to make memories”. Ethel would play the piano and music was very important to her all throughout her life. She enjoyed classical and big band music in addition to watching Lawrence Welk with her family on Saturday nights.

She would often take the kids on trips to Lincoln City with their favorite cousin Phyllis; they would stay at Cozy Cove or the Sea Gypsy, where she could enjoy her love for the ocean and driving. Driving gave Ethel a sense of freedom and she never minded taking a different road. She did not need a destination like many do, instead she enjoyed the journey and discovering the beauty along the way, and she lived and drove by the words “you just always end up somewhere”.

All throughout her life Ethel was an avid bowler. She began bowling in the 60’s well into the 1980’s until her body would no longer let her. She also enjoyed going shopping at Meier & Frank and Macys department stores. Ethel loved collecting depression glassware and cut crystal and would also sometimes sell this at flea markets, or just enjoyed antiquing at various shops. But wherever she was or where she went, she never left the house without her lipstick on. It was important for Ethel to always look her best. As she aged it became harder for her to go and get routine hair and nail appointments. She appreciated the care and friendship of her beautician Penny and manicurist Lizette.

Ethel’s children will remember her as the type of person who knew no strangers; she loved people, her family, and the Lord. She often saw the beauty and colors in everyday life and would stop to enjoy it and share the beauty she saw with others. She was a generous woman who was always forgiving and held no grudges in her life. She was courageous, hardworking, and knew that sometimes you just had to “dig your heels in and keep going”.

Facing her second battle with cancer after being a survivor for twenty years, she was still ready to dig her heels in and always hung onto hope. Ethel was a strong woman of faith and handled her illness with grace and prayer, but she never let it get her down. She always had an unstoppable, positive, and bright personality that would wake up every morning and say “This is the day the Lord has made, and rejoice”. She lived her life as only she knew how and her “new untraveled road” has taken her to Heaven.

Ethel Annie Kroll is survived and greatly loved by her beloved children; Kathy and former husband Kevin Doyle, Denise (Mark) Gunderson, Kevin Kroll, and Kim (Rob) King. Her grandchildren Alyssa (Bruce), Mark (Breanna), Paul (Cheri), Katelyn, Robbie (Kendell), Annie, Cassie, Michael (Kristen) and Jonathan. And her ten great grandchildren Isaiah, Phineas, Judah, Gretel, Aria, Cecelia, Burdock, Micah, and soon to be born grandchildren Elliot and Baby Doyle. In addition to her special cousin Phyllis, many other nieces, nephews and extended family members.