Yvonne LeMaire Tellam

She was raised in Curlew, Iowa during the depression, and North Platte Nebraska after. She had a very humble upbringing where she met her life long friend, Pat Reidy. Pat and our mom still spoke up to the week of her passing, laughing at their antics with a ‘42 Packard.

Our mom was raised Catholic and went to Catholic schools throughout her education, establishing her lifelong commitment to her Catholic faith. She graduated from Duschene College and was a Sacred Heart Alumni, where she developed and maintained life long friendships as well.

After college, she travelled the country with her sister Jackie, putting on fashion shows for pattern companies, both as the seamstress and organizer for the events. It was during this time Jackie’s husband, a pilot in the Korean War, was lost in combat. Our mom, dedicated to her family, left her career as a seamstress and fashion event planner to accompany her sister to a start a new life in Southern California.

Jackie settled in La Jolla and our mom settled in Julian where she took a teaching job. It was here she was introduced to her future husband of 66 years, George Tellam. After they were married, they lived on the family ranch for a time but ended up moving off the ranch and eventually ended up in Anaheim to support our father’s pursuit of his career in construction.

Prior to settling in Anaheim, they had 3 children: George, Denise and Matthew. In Anaheim, Madeleine and Curtis were added to the Tellam family. Mom and dad lived a very happy and fulfilling life, with friends and family and watching their family grow and succeed.

Our mother was always our biggest cheerleader, always subtly pushing us to do more.

She was proud of all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mom always was interested in what each child was up to and and how we were doing. She was always very attentive to our struggles and accomplishments. All her life, she gave to family and friends above herself, passing this trait on to her children. Our success was her success.

Our mother was a fantastic designer and was able to fulfill her dreams by designing houses our father had built. Her last house in San Clemente was her true home. She would often times sit in her purple chair, at the round glass table in the kitchen that overlooked the ocean and wonder out loud to anyone who would listen, “who would believe a little girl from North Platte, Nebraska could end up here” pointing to the beautiful ocean view in her Southern California hill top house, built by her husband and designed by her.

In our time with our mom in the last few years after our father’s passing, she asked many times if she was a good wife, mother and what her legacy was. We would always assure her over and over she was an incredible wife, fantastic mother to all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a loving sister and loyal friend. She stretched every penny to a dollar and gave us all she ever could in order to have the best life possible. We will all be eternally grateful out our fortune to have her as our mother.

Our mom loved her life. She was unwavering in her beliefs. She was our advocate, our teacher, and our friend. To describe her role in everything she did for her family would be impossible. She created what we all strive for, a loving home with the presence of her soul for us to always come home to.

We will miss her laughter, our life lessons and coffee and toast with her in the morning.

We love you mom.