Zona Sylvia Clark

Zona Sylvia Gale was born in Quimby, Iowa to parents George E. and Sylvia D. (Riseling) Gale on August 15, 1914. Zona was raised in Iowa and came from a family of six children born to George and Sylvia Gale: Zona, Hazel, Lovell, Robert, Willie, and Russell; with the latter two children passing away in infancy. Her parents separated when she was very young and later, her mother married Glen Smith. From that union came two more siblings, a twin brother and sister. At the age of 17, Zona married Quenton Leon Clark in Iowa on March 31, 1932. Zona and Quenton had three children: daughters, Meredith and Sandra; and son, Quenton, Jr. Near the beginning of WWII, the young family relocated to Albany, Oregon and lived in Albany for a short period. They then moved to Roseburg, Oregon where Zona and Quenton went to work for a plywood mill. They remained in Roseburg and worked together at the plywood mill until their children were raised. Quenton was the foreman and Zona was a skilled mill worker.

Following retirement from the plywood mill, Zona and Quenton relocated closer to the Portland, Oregon area and for a time, they ran a donut shop across the street from a school in Portland. The donut venture was short-lived and from 1961 to 1971, Zona and Quenton worked together as caretakers at a Campfire Girls Camp, “Camp Namanu” in Sandy, Oregon. The two later moved to Salem and into the home of their daughter Meredith. In 1980, Quenton passed away.

Following Quenton’s passing, Zona lived in Gladstone, Oregon and most recently, Oregon, City, Oregon.

Zona had many interests and pursuits throughout her rich and long life. She enjoyed working in her flower garden. She followed professional baseball and was an avid Seattle Mariners fan. She enjoyed knitting and once won a Blue Ribbon at the Oregon State Fair for a technically crafted afghan that she constructed. Zona had a commitment to health and fitness - she rode her stationary bicycle five miles a day until she was 92 years old!

Zona will be remembered a very friendly, kind, and giving person. It has been said that she was the “classic grandmother”. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother, and friend and will be missed.

Zona is predeceased by her loving husband, Quenton; parents, George and Sylvia; son, Quenton Jr.; and her five siblings. She is also predeceased by two siblings from her mother’s second marriage.

Survivors include her daughters, Meredith Clark and Sandra Hammond; four grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.

A funeral service and reception will take place at Skyline Memorial Gardens, 4101 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, Oregon, on Monday, April 7, 2014, at 1:30 PM. Zona will be privately laid to rest in Skyline Memorial Gardens.

Please visit Zona’s internet memorial and online guestbook at www.skylinememorialgardens.com. Thank you.

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Arrangements under the direction of Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Portland, OR.