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.
Rachel Bredfeldt of Trout Lake, Washington, passed away on Sept. 7, 2026, due to cancer. She was 49. She is survived by her husband of 18 years, Dennis Deveny; her parents, Glenn and Judy Bredfeldt; her sister, Lisa Althaus (Steve); her brother William (Bill) Bredfeldt (Elizabeth); and their families, including many beloved nieces and nephews. Also important in her life were her two horses, Big Muddy and Oro, her dog, Charlotte, and cat, Steve French. Â
Rachel was born in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park on April 19, 1977. She grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, and graduated from Wheaton North High School in 1995. Rachel attended William Woods University to study Equestrian Science in 1995 and graduated from the University of Missouri with BS in Biology in 2000. She later went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2005. Her interest was environmental law.
Before law school, Rachel had the opportunity to work for a nonprofit doing field work in Yellowstone National Park, studying the impacts of the wolf reintroduction on other canids in the park. She also worked for a nonprofit in Chicago, helping with indoor air quality in inner city housing.Â
After law school, she worked as a public defender in the Portland, Oregon, metro area doing juvenile and adult court-appointed criminal defense work.Â
Rachel was truly one of a kind. She was wickedly funny, brilliant, generous, and passionate in speaking her mind, especially when advocating for vulnerable people. She was intensely caring and protective of the people and causes she championed. She never backed down from speaking up for what was right and will continue to inspire those who love and miss her deeply to do the same.Â
She loved the outdoors: hiking, camping (especially with her horses), riding on the beach, and spending time with her husband, her family, her friends and her animals. She and Dennis bought property at the base of Mount Adams in 2009 and moved there full time in 2013. She loved the community of Trout Lake and the many friends she made there. She also cared very much about the environment and wildlife.
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, Oct. 4 from 2-4 p.m. at Trout Lake Hall, 15 Guler Road, Trout Lake. Any donations are requested to Mt. Adams Resource Stewards, www.mtadamsstewards.org/donate.
Columbia Gorge News, Sept. 23, 2026
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