Doreen Stephens

1924-2014

Doreen Stephens of Port Angeles, Washington died in her sleep of late end stage cerebral vascular disease on October 24, 2014 at Silver Cedars Adult Family Home in Snohomish, Washington. She was 90 years old.

She was born in the Doctor’s log cabin on January 8,1924 in Molson, Washington to Margaret and Glen Warren.

In her early years she moved with her mother and first stepfather to Aberdeen, Washington.  When her mother fell ill she went to live with her Uncle Evan and Aunt Hazel in Seattle for a year. When Doreen returned to her mother in Aberdeen her stepfather had left them. Her mother remarried. They returned to Molson to live and help her grandfather with the homestead ranch. This appealed to Doreen. She learned to shoot and rode a horse to the one room school she attended. Farming didn’t appeal to Doreen’s new stepfather. They left to find work at the Grand Coulee Dam, pick apples and hops. Her step father found a business opportunity in Port Angeles. They settled there in the late 1930’s.

Doreen attended Roosevelt High School graduating in 1941. After graduation she worked as a telephone operator. During WWII she also worked as a civil defense plane spotter.

She met Chester Stephens before WWII in Port Angeles. They married in 1946. She followed Chester through his army career. Leaving the army life in 1953 they returned to Port Angeles. Doreen returned to her job as a telephone operator. She gave birth to her only daughter, Kristina in 1954.

After retiring from the phone company as a supervisor in 1981 she and her sister-in-law, Betty, ran a silk flower business for many years. They spent many hours pressing flowers for their unique note cards. They sold the cards to raise money for Seattle Childrens Hospital in the name of the Gladys Billings Moon Guild.

Doreen was a member of the “Telephone Pioneers”. She wrote her memoirs. She was a member of Word Weavers, a group of north olympic authors. She also worked for the county counting ballots.

She enjoyed reading, writing, the library, beach combing, crosswords, garage sales, arts, crafts, gardening, cats and family.

She’s survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Kristina and Christopher Plourde of Snohomish, granddaughter, Kimberly Plourde of Port Angeles.

Doreen was interred with her husband, Chester, at Mount Angeles Memorial Park.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, August 22, 2015, 1:00-3:00 P.M at the Red Lion Inn Ballroom, 221 N. Lincoln St., Port Angeles, Wa. 98362. Phone: 360-452-9215

Memorial gifts can be sent to Seattle Childrens Hospital, M/S S-200, P.O. Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98145-5005, or 1-800-635-1432.