Ellen Marie Langston Warren Schacher

Please come to United Christian Church, 317 So. 41st Street, Yakima, WA 98901 Sat., Jan. 13, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. to celebrate the life of Ellen Marie Langston Warren Schacher, born April 30, 1931, and died November 19, 2017.

Her story: “Uncle Gus and my dad had been hobos on the R.R. from Tennessee to Arizona. Uncle Gus had tuberculosis and they were coming to a warmer, drier climate for his health. My aunt Angie, their sister, had already moved from Chicago to Arizona several years before them.” (Ellen’s dad, Smith Orr Langston, S.O.L., met Charlotte Childers. They married and had nine children. One died very early and another, Jimmy, died as a toddler. Smith worked at the Copper Smelter Co. in Bisbee.) “I was born and raised in southern Arizona (Douglas) and the Mexican border. We didn’t have a car so stayed at home where Daddy could watch us. Daddy was handicapped – silicosis to tuberculosis. He took care of children while Mama worked as a fry cook. I had just finished 7th grade. My Dad was in a tubercular sanitarium. The Copper Smelter Co. was fighting a suit my Dad had against them when he had caught silicosis working for them… they took all six of us children to the Co. Hospital for chest x-rays and said we all had tuberculosis which we had caught from my Dad… the nurse put us in the infirmary by ourselves because she could not believe such a bunch of healthy kids could have TB and didn’t want them exposed to active TB at the hospital. In ‘downtown Tucson’ new x-rays found we did not have TB after all. My baby brother, only 9 months old, and sister Helen, only 2 years old, were sent to Douglas with Mama. My sister Edna, 13, Joedy, 10, brother Duke, 6, and I, 12, were sent to an old CCC camp outside of Tucson. There we girls were separated from my brother Duke… in segregated barracks. We couldn’t even eat together… we were schooled in a 2 room schoolhouse and were separated from him even then.”

(Later Ellen went to work at a theater. She rode a bus for dimes. At a café she would get a free cup of hot water and pour in free catsup: tomato soup! She earned enough to attend Arizona State in Tempe. She met Jack and got her MRS when they were both 21. See announcement for their wedding Sept. 12, 1952.)

“Miss Langston Will Marry Jack Warren

“Miss Ellen Marie Langston, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Smith Langston, 1357 19th St., will be married to Jack Weston Warren of Casa Grande today at the Arizona State at Tempe College chapel.

“Mr. Warren is the son of Mrs. R. D. McCain of El Cajon, Calif., and James Warren of Salida, Calif.

"Miss Langston graduated from Douglas High School in 1949 and has been attending ASC at Tempe for two years. Mr. Warren graduated from Casa Grande High School in 1948 and from Tempe in 1952. He is presently employed by the state health department in Casa Grande.

“The couple will make their home in Casa Grande temporarily but both plan to continue their education later at Oregon State College.”

“I remember being in Colorado on my honeymoon… sidehills looking just like a patchwork quilt… beautiful leaves… reflecting the light of the sun.” Robin was born Oct. 18, 1953 in Casa Grande. After working for the state health dept. Jack worked for Arizona Fertilizer until 1955. Then they moved to Bozeman, Montana (not OR!) from 1955-1958. Jack got his doctorate in entomology studying mosquitoes. In May 1958 they moved to Kerrville, Texas for a year. Jack worked at the USDA entomology lab on livestock insect control. Then they moved back to Phoenix for Jack to work at Arizona Fertilizer again developing fire trol, chemicals to drop on fire. Jeff was born in 1960 and Julie in 1961. They moved to Washington, where Jack worked for Chemagro, when Julie was 2 weeks old. Ellen had worked to put Jack through school and then was a homemaker. She and Jack divorced just shy of 25 years of marriage. She got a scholarship from BPW, Business and Professional Women. Later she helped many others get scholarships from BPW. All her Arizona state credits were still good! She got her degree in accounting from Central in Ellensburg. Ellen worked various places and then on her own.

She married LaVern Schacher close to Thanksgiving. Ellen once said she would write a book about Vern titled “Falling Through the Cracks.” It seemed every time they wanted to vacation the weather was terrible. They would make the best of it nonetheless. Same thing: He had just barely retired and had a debilitating stroke. Nonetheless they were able to have many years of marriage before he passed away. Ellen sold the house on Lincoln, putting it in a trust. She moved to Englewood Apartments (where Vern had been a maintenance man and had played a very good Santa!)

Ellen had a bad car accident Oct. 2010. She totaled the car, fractured her pelvis and some ribs, and wore a neck brace for quite awhile. Landmark helped her recover. She was barely home with physical therapy when she fell and broke her hip. PT was instrumental in getting surgery for that. She recovered at Summitview Living Care, then went back to her apartment. Caregivers cooked wonderful meals for her and helped mornings and evenings. They enabled her to be independent (a one word description of Ellen!). Then she lived at Sun Tower enjoying First Baptist Church next door. She was active as she could be. In April 2017 Ellen started having trouble moving her right arm and talking. She lost her balance and broke her collarbone. She moved to Crescent Health Care. She discovered it was caused by a filbert-sized tumor close to the middle of her forehead. She would have needed brain surgery in Seattle. Being frail, the hard decision was to let nature take its course. She celebrated a very good April 30th birthday in spite of it all! Decadron masked her symptoms for a while and her collarbone healed well. November 19, 2017 Ellen passed away between the services of United Christian Church and First Baptist Church. Both congregations were praying for her transition.

She lived in Texas, Arizona, Montana, Washington and Oregon. She visited California , Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Idaho, Missouri, and Hawaii.

She enjoyed reading, sewing, knitting, hiking, camping, and fishing.

By marriage she extended her family from Langstons, Warrens, and Schachers all the way to great-great grandchildren. Indeed anyone she met, she welcomed with consideration and enthusiasm.