Ethel Vedder Meyers

Ethel Meyers was born in the year of 1920. A very important year as it was the year women were granted the right to vote and of course the year of Ethel’s birth. She lived long enough to actually see the first time a woman was a presidential candidate. When I think about what she experienced in her 98 years it is amazing!

Ethel was born in Gresham Oregon. Her parents were Guy and Stella Vedder. The 1920’s and 1930’s were very difficult years to be a child. Antibiotics were not available and Ethel lost two sisters that died from treatable childhood illnesses today. At the same time Tuberculosis was killing people all over the world. Stella was diagnosed with TB and was required to leave her home and children in order to protect them from developing TB. This was a very difficult period of time for the Vedder family. Ethel stated that the only benefit was the government would supply families with a member with TB, additional food, hoping to improve the health of the children. Since this was during the Great Depression this was particularly important.

Ethel had one older brother Fred who was provided work through the federal government. Sadly, when Ethel was sixteen, her mother died from TB and her younger brother Billy (12) died from a bicycle/auto accident. She experienced an incredible number of losses in such a young life. Ethel’s father, Guy Vedder, later remarried to Mildred. Ethel has two younger siblings, Dave Vedder of Wenatchee, Washington and Irene Schaefer of Port Orchard, Washington.

My mother spoke very vividly about Pearl Harbor and the changes and impact on her life and the United States. She was living in Bremerton, Washington where a Navy yard is located. Ships were being built in the harbor and meanwhile the other half of that ship would arrive from Pearl Harbor. My mother was employed as a crane operator. Now, that’s a little scary as my mother had difficulty knowing right from left!

One of the benefits of being a woman living near a Navy yard was there were a lot more men available than women. Ethel stated as a woman you could never sit down if you were at a dance unless you hid in the restroom. She met Oscar (Bill) at a swing shift dance, dancing to the song String of Pearls. After three months of dating, Bill and Ethel married on September 5, 1942. Bill was employed in the Navy Yard and they were aware that at any time he would be drafted into the Navy. Ethel became pregnant and shortly before the birth of their first son Larry, Bill left for military training. Bill was able to return to Bremerton for about a month after Larry’s birth and then he was in the Pacific War for approximately two years. All correspondence was censored by the military therefore Bill and Ethel set up a code system in order for Ethel to know where he was located. For example, if Bill asked about Aunt Clara that would mean he was in the Philippines. The USS Cofer was in a number of battles and fortunately there was only one death on that ship.

While Bill was gone, finding housing was very difficult. Ethel was able to purchase a house in the Bremerton area. This house did not even have indoor plumbing. She was supported by a dear friend, Carl who assisted her and Larry while Bill was in the Pacific War. When Bill returned from the war he had his work cut out for him. This was the first of many houses that Bill and Ethel renovated and sold throughout their lives.

Following the war, Bill and Ethel remained in Bremerton. At that time, Bill owned a gas station and attended college under the GI Bill. In the background, Ethel was doing his homework and helping him study. Their second son Steve arrived in 1947. While bringing Ethel and Steve back from the hospital, Bills car ran out of gas and they had to coast into the gas station of their competitor across the street. My mother would never let her gas tank get low!

Bill and Ethel moved to Longmont Colorado in 1950 to assist Bill’s mother, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was living independently but struggled as she was legally blind and also deaf. In order to communicate with Elizabeth you needed to know sign language. Ethel became fluent in sign language. In order to have more income, Bill was in the Navy Reserve. Along came the Korean War and Bill was called back into the Navy. Bill and Ethel lived in San Diego and Huntington Beach. Ethel stated that that year was exciting but a bit hard on Larry having to change schools so frequently. Fortunately, Bill did not have to go to Korea. They returned to Longmont and continued to purchase and renovate houses.

Ethel wanted to have a baby girl. She was the old age of 33 and her doctor questioned her about having a baby and the fact he could not guarantee she would have a girl. She stated she certainly wouldn’t if she didn’t get pregnant. Along came that baby girl, Marilyn.

Bill was employed at Boulder Metal Products as the shop foreman. Even in the 1950’s the drive between Longmont and Boulder was difficult. They purchased land up Four Mile Canyon and began building a new house. As they were building…surprise! Ethel was pregnant. The new house had only three bedrooms so hopefully the baby was a girl. On top of it, their house in Longmont sold very quickly so in June of 1956 they were moving into a very unfinished house and Ethel was six months pregnant. Boy, she had resilience! On the very first night, there was a flash flood and they lost their bridge and almost the Boulder Metal truck and the family baby grand piano! They lived in that house for 46 years.

In September 1956, baby number four arrived, James. Jim and I shared a bedroom for a number of years. Eventually, when the big kids (Larry and Steve) left for college we were able to have our own rooms. The day before Ethel died we sat and laughed about the adventures of the Four Mile Canyon house. We built wonderful dams, had more floods, dealt with huge bull snakes, saw wildlife, camped in the back yard and eventually Bill and Ethel put in a pool. Ethel swam daily in that pool. Ethel also had an incredible green thumb. She had two strawberry patches, raspberries, blue berries, black berries, goose berries and numerous fruit trees.

In 1965 Ethel returned to school and became a licensed practical nurse. She graduated number one in her class and had the second highest score in the state. Ethel initially worked in the recovery room and then became in charge of scheduling surgeries at Boulder Community Hospital. Once the hospital decided to become computerized she decided to quit and she became the office manager for Meyers Heating and Air Conditioning.

In the 1960’s Bill began his own business as Flatiron’s Heating and then he purchased Jensen Sheet Metal which became Meyers Heating and Air Conditioning. Meyers was owned by both Bill and Ethel. Ethel retired in 1985.

Ethel loved to travel, I think even more than my father. The two of them traveled all over the world. After they retired they did a number of road trips and then at least two major trips every year. They were very social and active in the Boulder community. When Bill began to experience some medical problems in his late seventies they continued to be very active even in the last year of his life. Bill died January 20, 2001.

Following his death, Ethel worked very hard to get the Four Mile Canyon house up for sale. I would bring up numerous bags of compost and at 81 she was out spreading the compost on the lawn. Jim got a call from a neighbor worried about Ethel being out on her hands and knees. He went up to check on her and she was just pulling up dandelions. We began looking for a townhouse or condo for her in Boulder. On her own, Ethel found a beautiful three bedroom condo, made an offer and purchased it all in one day, with no help from her children. She was an extremely independent woman.

The one thing that did slow Ethel down, but only a bit, was macular degeneration. Due to macular degeneration she needed to stop driving. Once she was in Boulder she got around very independently using the bus system. Even in the condo she continued with renovations and totally remodeled the kitchen. She hired it of course but living without a kitchen is not easy! Ethel continued to travel visiting Larry in Oregon, traveling to Seattle with Steve and twice going to Europe with Marilyn and traveling with a friend to Malta.

By 89, Ethel was using a walker and was beginning to need more assistance. At that point she moved to Balfour Independent Living in Louisville. She truly blossomed at Balfour. She had more socialization, she went on day trips, she learned how to play poker, and she was a coveted pinochle partner. At 91 she began taking Bridge classes at the Senior Center and at 92 she purchased an I-Pad. She already knew how to use the computer.

By 94, age was beginning to catch up with her. Ethel began to have some falls and it was more difficult for her to take care of herself. She moved into Assisted Living. She wasn’t as happy at Balfour and moved to Bella Vista Assisted Living in Boulder. Ethel loved Bella Vista and again did much better with the socialization and support. July 2017 Ethel was hospitalized due to a small stroke and she had more difficulty and needed more support than Bella Vista could provide. She moved for a short period of time into Balfour Skilled Nursing and then into the Peaks at Laramie Trail Memory Care Center in Lafayette. Ethel was loved at the Peaks. She continued to have a sense of humor and could be quite feisty! I guess that’s how you live to be 98.

Ethel is survived by her sons Larry (Nancy), Stephen (Karen), James (Laura) and daughter Marilyn (Kenneth Platt). She has six grandchildren; Mikeal, Katherine, Jessica, Jeramy, Christopher, and Wendy and six great-children; Shynia, Kiley, Kaitlin, Henry, Liliana and Archer. Ethel loved being a mom and grandmother.

Ethel lived quite a full and active life. We will all greatly miss her!

Services are scheduled at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 898 14th St., Boulder, CO. Rosary: August 2, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. and memorial services August 3, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception following at the church.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or the National Macular Degeneration Foundation.