Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
Barbara May Engelgau, age 91, born on Dec. 01, 1926, in Santa Rosa, Calif. On July 25, 2018, she passed away in Tigard, Ore.
Barbara graduated from Washington High School, Portland, Ore., in 1944.
In 1946, a girlfriend encouraged Barbara to attend a private social for WWII service members where she met Eugene P. Engelgau, a U.S. Navy Electricians Mate. They became close friends over the next year. On Jan. 17, 1948, Barbara May Chalmers married Eugene (Gene) Paul Engelgau of Portland at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Portland.
After a time residing in Mill City, Gene accepted a transfer with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers at The Dalles Dam. Barbara and Gene settled in The Dalles, Ore., where they had three children, John, Thomas and Maurice. They were married for 47 years until Gene’s passing June 22, 1995, in The Dalles.
They were active parishioners at St. Peter Catholic Church in The Dalles and St Mary’s Catholic Church in Maupin, Ore.
While attending Oregon State College (now OSU), Barbara had interest in mechanical drawing, taking classes while working as drafting assistant at a contract firm building WWII war ships in Portland Kaiser shipyards.
After Barbara and Gene moved to The Dalles, She started a fulfilling career with Robert Welty Engineers, an electrical engineering firm, providing detailed plans and drawings for electrical substations and power transmission lines throughout Oregon. Barbara retired in 1983.
As a side project for several years, Barbara drafted early design plans for the majority of Pine Hollow Reservoir outside of Wamic, Ore. Barbara and Gene had vacation property at Pine Hollow and were both active volunteer fire department members.
Barbara enjoyed photography, art, painting, reading, political affairs, nature, and the study of cultures. She loved her family, and had a strong spiritual faith, reading daily Scripture and frequently praying the rosary.
An active parishioner of St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Beaverton, Ore., she had a positive attitude towards life, high moral and social values, and a passion for continual learning.
Barbara is survived by three sons, John Engelgau of Beaverton, Ore., Thomas Engelgau of Victoria, Texas, and Maurice Engelgau of Burleson, Texas; granddaughter Sasha Williamson (Engelgau) of Mansfield, Texas and her great-granddaughter Dove Williamson of Mansfield, Texas; Maurice’s wife, Helen and their step-son, Santiago.
There will be no funeral mass; however, family will get together later this fall or winter for internment of ashes and graveside burial service at St. Peters Catholic Cemetery in The Dalles.
In leiu of flowers, the family requests remembrance go to the St. Peter Altar Society in memory of Barbara Engelgau, P.O. Box 41 The Dalles, Ore. 97058.
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