Pat Ruth Addleman

A celebration of her life will be held, 1:00 PM, Saturday, September 1, 2018, at Clackamas Valley Baptist Church. Private family inurnment was held at Willamette National Cemetery.

Patsy Ruth Mortensen was born to Charles Royal and Estella Ruth Mortensen on September 1, 1934, in Valparaiso, Nebraska. She was the youngest of 4 children. They lived in 3 different houses in Valparaiso. First across from the coal chute, then a farm, then across from the train depot where she graduated from high school in 1953. While living there, Pat played the piano and taught Sunday School at the Christian church. After high school, she moved with a friend to Lincoln, Nebraska where they both worked for the road division at the State Capitol. They rented an apartment across from the State Capitol. She worked there for about 2 years. It was while working there that she met her husband, Joseph Jess Addleman. In February of 1953, a friend set them up with a phone “date”. They talked – all the while Jess was making potato salad. When they finally met face to face Pat knew he was “the one”. Shortly after they started dating he entered the U.S. Army He was so faithful about writing letters. They married on July 12, 1953, in Valparaiso in Pat’s home church. Their honeymoon was a bus trip to visit his sister and family in South Dakota. They had a room in the basement of their home and she remembered every morning waking up to his nieces and nephews peering at them from a window.

After returning home from their honeymoon Jess had orders to go to Korea for 18 months. Shortly after he left Pat found out that she was pregnant with Their first child. Robin Ruth was born in Lincoln on March 25, 1954. After Jess returned home from Korea he received his new military orders which took them to San Antonio, Texas. They loaded up their car and headed to Texas. After being in Texas for 3 months, new orders came which took them to Sacramento, California. While in Sacramento, their second daughter, Pamela Joan was born on October 28, 1956. Shortly after Pam was born Jess was again off to Korea for 18 months. After returning from Korea they were off to his next assignment at Ft. Lewis, Washington in April of 1958. They lived in Lacey, Washington where Pat worked for a Frozen Food company. Their next move was to Leavenworth, Kansas where their third daughter, Sandra Dee was born on November 23, 1960. They stayed in Leavenworth for about 2 years and then Jess was discharged from the Army. After leaving the military, they moved back to Lacey, Washington where they still owned a home. While there, Pat worked at the State Capitol for a while and also did in-home child care for a time. They lived there for about 4 years. The family moved back to Nebraska when Pat’s sister got very ill. This is when Jess started his career with Job Corps. After her sister’s passing, they moved to Cottonwood, Idaho in 1967 where Jess worked for Job Corps once again. While living in Cottonwood They met Jim and Patsy Myers who would become lifelong friends. With Jim and Patsy, they established a Southern Baptist Church there where Pat was the pianist. They spent countless hours together building a church, ministering in Cottonwood and the surrounding towns. Pat worked at the Secretary to Colonel William Schongalla who was the Administrator of the local hospital. They became foster parents and had the honor of fostering 13 children while they lived there. In May of 1974, the Job Corps Center closed and that caused them to move to Timber Lake Job Corps in Estacada, Oregon. When they arrived in Estacada they lived at Ripplebrook for 11 years before moving to their current home in Eagle Creek in 1986. 1986 was a great year which included their one and only trip to Hawaii. While they lived at Ripplebrook a good friend and Pat taught a ceramics class to the students at the Job Corp. After that ended she started working for the Forest Service as a clerk. Pat worked for the Forest Service for 18 years – retiring in 1996. They met Ken Cook and his family and helped to plant Clackamas Valley Baptist Church in 1983. They started in a Grange Hall, then moved to the Odd Fellows Hall and then eventually the church building was built where it stands today.

Her family was everything to her. She loved their annual vacations back to Nebraska to visit family. Jess and Pat so enjoyed the time they spent together camping at areas all over Oregon. Anytime with family was a precious time. Playing the piano and singing - using the gifts God gave her always gave her great joy. Time spent at the piano and CVBC and Grace House and Whispering Pines was such a blessing to Pat. When she was a child, her dad would always encourage her to play the piano instead of doing the dishes or helping mom in some other way (not necessarily a hit with mom). He would give her $1 on occasion to buy sheet music which might explain the rather large stash of music.

Pat was married to the love of her life for 59 1/2 years. Pat’s faith in and love for her Lord was her life. She was not timid about sharing her faith to anyone who would listen. She was a prayer warrior and counted it a privilege to maintain the prayer chain at CVBC for so many years. She was a “social butterfly”. She was always ready for meeting with friends for coffee or a meal. She was an avid reader and loved to knit.

If you were her friend – you could count on her being your greatest encourager. She loved her outdoor Christmas lights. The day after Thanksgiving they were always lit. After Jess passed, it became Joe’s ( son in law) job to make sure everything was in working order and the arches were lit. She was an avid reader (Bible always first) and a prolific knitter.

February 2018 mom’s health took a downward turn. She was ready to “go home”. On August 18, 2018 – she moved to her home in Heaven.

Preceded in death by husband Joseph Jess Addleman (March 20, 2013)

Survivors include her daughters, Robin Heiner (Ken) – Portland, OR, Pam Ellis (Joe) – Sandy, OR, Sandy Golding – Eagle Creek, OR; Grandchildren – Anya Williams (Reuben), Zachary Ellis (Kelsie), and Matthew Ellis (Cara); Grandchildren – Nehemiah Williams, Azariah Williams, and Margot Ellis.