Inge Marie Putz's Obituary
Born Inge Ehlers, Sept. 22, 1924, Inge Putz passed away on Sunday, April 6th, 2014. After surviving WWII, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Inge married Helmut Putz, a tool and die engineer, March 26, 1951. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Switzerland, and lived in two smaller towns for several years. Helmut had a childhood dream of coming to the United States, and Inge would go where he went. Because, as she always said, "that's what a wife did in those days". She went back to her family in Frankfurt, when Helmut boarded a ship in August, 1955. When he was established with a job and an apartment, in Chicago, Illinois, Inge boarded the Queen Mary, in April, 1956, and crossed the Atlantic, arriving in New York, and their American adventure together would start. Helmut met her there and they took the train back to Chicago. After their son, Ron, was born, they considered moving to the West, and did so, in 1961, when Helmut was offered a job with Boeing. They lived in Renton, Washington, until 1967, when they moved to Raleigh Hills, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. Eventually, they moved to Gladstone, Oregon, in 1969, to live out their lives and become part of the fabric of the community. As Germans are known for, Inge was tremendously involved with her family. Organized, and meticulous, she became a housewife, and was in control of the household. Always home, when her son, Ron, would come home for lunch, when he was in high school, as it was just across the street. She would welcome friends of his, when they joined him. She and Helmut were "green thumbs" and loved working in the yard and garden to make the home more inviting and enjoyable for all. And they loved the outdoors. Going camping and taking trips to the mountain, the coast, or up the Gorge. After Helmut passed away, in March, of 2008, she and her two children spent more time together, trying to make up for the hole left in the family by his loss. They were married for almost exactly 57 years. Something you don't see a lot of these days. But they were deeply devoted to each other. A fantastic cook! Many of her meals were made using long time German family recipes, with her own little touches. Her meals will be sorely missed by a number of people. Mainly, by her two children! (Fortunately, her son, Ron, was able to get a few of them from her over the years.) Always happy to have guests, but she also enjoyed time just by herself. She said her favorite times were when the house was full with just the four main family members. She was a devout Catholic, and attended church, regularly.She is survived by her son, Ron, and her daughter, Barbara. Along with relatives in the U.S., and mostly in Germany.A memorial service will take place on Saturday, May 17th, 2014, at 11 am, at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, in Oregon City. Internment and reception will be held at St. John's Cemetery, also in Oregon City, after the service. .
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