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.
Mary Louise Watts died peacefully Feb.19, 2024, at The Springs at Mill Creek in The Dalles, Ore., at age 97. Mary was born Sept. 26, 1926, the first of three children, to David Layton Watts and Marie Schlesser Watts in Hillsboro, Ore. She lived there on the family dairy farm until she left to attend Western Oregon State College in Monmouth, Ore., where she studied education.
She taught second and third grade in Arlington, Creswell and Hood River, Ore., until moving to The Dalles in 1962, where she taught special education until her retirement in 1984.
In addition to her long career as an educator, Mary was also a very talented artist and had a lifelong love of history. She was well-versed in local history and had extensively researched and documented her family history. On her mother's side of the family, her research took her to Luxemburg a couple of times, tracing the family back to the 1700s. She also researched her father’s side of the family and was very knowledgeable about their struggles among the first settlers to travel by covered wagon across the Applegate Trail to settle in the Willamette Valley in the 1840s.            Â
During her many years in The Dalles, she was a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church and numerous other organizations relating to art, education, local history and genealogy. She was an active volunteer in these various organizations.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Elmer. She is survived by her brother, John, and nephew, David, of Princeton, Ore.; nieces Janice Theodorakis of Portland, Donna (Earl) Burt of Bremerton, Wash., Linda Watts of Burns, Ore., Marilyn Watts (Carol Wright) of Ocean Park, Wash., and Margaret Mary Watts of Seattle, Wash.; and three great-nieces and two great-nephews, and a great-great-niece and nephew. Â
A memorial service is planned for Mary on Sunday, March 24 at 2 p.m. in The Dallas at the Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Chapel, 1100 Kelly Ave. There will also be a funeral mass at St. Matthew’s in Hillsboro, 475 SE Third Ave., at 1:30 p.m. on April 6, followed by a graveside ceremony.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to The Dalles Art Center in Mary’s memory.
Remembering Mary during our Community Bible Study classes will always be a sweet memory. May you eternally be at peace in our Father's Kingdom Mary. My deepest condolences to Mary's family and friends. Patricia Lewis
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Remembering Mary during our Community Bible Study classes will always be a sweet memory. May you eternally be at peace in our Father's Kingdom Mary. My deepest condolences to Mary's family and friends. Patricia Lewis
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.