Robertson, Jessie S. 

97 6/30/1912 1/7/2010 Mom had a great life! It was a differ-
ent world when she was born in 1912. Early childhood years 
were spent in Spencer, Idaho, where there were basically two 
seasons: winter and August. At 5,800-foot elevation it was 
sometimes 10 degrees below zero during the long winters, 
yet the children played outdoors, ice skating and skiing. Her 
forest ranger dad taught her to fish when she was about 7. 
Mom would catch grass-hoppers for bait, thread the hooks and 
catch her share of trout. She and her sister Annie even raised 
an orphaned coyote together with their dog. The coyote 
thought he was a dog and would bark and wag its tail, but he 
also had an eye for the neighbor's chickens so they turned 
him loose to return to the wild. At age 11 the family moved 
to Eugene in their Model T Ford. Years later Mom attended 
the University of Oregon, was a member of the Alpha Gamma 
Delta sorority and graduated with a degree in journalism. She 
always felt fortunate to be able to complete her education 
during the height of the Depression. With her degree in hand, 
she accepted the position of society editor at The Salem 
Statesman, a fun job she held for three years. During this time 
she met our dad, George H. Robertson, on a blind date. They 
moved to Portland where they had 48 wonderful years 
together until Dad's death in 1986. She was a devoted mom 
to her three sons, serving as a Cub Scout den mother for each 
son's den and always being there with loving support. For 
many years she volunteered in most every category with 
United Way. Mom and Dad joined the Multnomah Athletic 
Club in 1947 where all three boys learned to swim. In her 50s 
she joined the MerMacs synchronized swimming group and 
practiced and performed with them for 27 years. As Dad 
neared retirement as CEO of the sales agency for North 
Pacific Canners and Packers, they filled their lives with travel, 
including group trips with MAC and University of Oregon as 
well as on their own. They visited every continent except 
Antarctica, and even after Dad's passing Mom continued to 
explore, mainly visiting areas of the United States of America 
she and Dad had missed. In the early '50s our family built a 
cabin at Camp Sherman on the bank of the Metolius River. 
She and Dad were in residence there from April 1 to Nov. 1, 
for many years. For 12 years she was the organist on Sunday's 
at Camp Sherman's Chapel in the Pines, and loved her daily 
walks along the river to and from the store. Mom never 
missed a stay at the cabin in over 60 years, ringing the bell at 
Chapel in the Pines last summer to celebrate her 97th 
birthday, and playing organ for the service postlude. Mom 
also was a great teacher. Recognizing limitations of age, she 
would adapt, enabling her to live life to the fullest every 
moment. She never saw her glass as half-empty. She loved 
music and with her failing eyesight learned 45 songs by 
memory on her Hammond organ. Her repertoire was mostly 
hymns but she also loved to play both the OSU and UO fight 
songs. A ritual when we visited Mom was to select a song, 
and she'd entertain us. A mainstay in Mom's life was Moreland 
Presbyterian Church. She served as an elder, deacon and 
editor of the church newsletter for 10 years (publishing 500 
editions), and sang in the choir for 30 years. She moved to 
Willamette View Manor in 2001. As she outlived so many of 
her dear friends, she would make new ones - from all walks of 
life. She always saw only the best in people. Mom had a goal 
of making it to 100, and came very close at 97.5. She is 
survived by two sons, George (Molly) and Duncan; 
granddaughters, Lisa Robertson and Laura (Randy) Shepard; 
and great-granddaughter, Hannah Robertson. Don Robertson, 
her youngest son, passed away in 2006. In lieu of flowers, 
please send remembrances to Moreland Presbyterian Church 
or to the Multnomah Athletic Club Foundation. Please join 
the family for a celebration of her life to be held at 2:30 p.m. 
Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010, in Moreland Presbyterian Church.

Published in The Oregonian on January 24, 2010