Obituary for Dorothy Ellen Milne (Conrad)
July 3, 1926 to March 15, 2019
Dorothy was born on July 3, 1926 and into a family of wealth. She had one sister, Virginia, 10 years older than her and one brother, Roger, 8 years older than her.
Her mother, Laura Dania Kruse, was the daughter of K.V. Kruse, who was a successful builder of wooden ships (Kruse and Banks, 1905-1945). Laura was “civic-minded” and active in community affairs, including 33 years on the Library Board and terms as President of the “Progress Club” and the “Women’s Civic Club”.
Dorothy’s father, W.J. Conrad, was a successful “self-made man” (as they say), working his way up from clerk in the timber industry to the founder and owner of Conrad Lumber Company of Coos Bay, Oregon. He was also a land developer and he and Laura owned a resort at Sunset Beach, now an Oregon State Park.
When Dorothy was 3 years old the stock market crashed. Dorothy remembered pushing her doll buggy from the grand house at 979 South Fifth Street, Coos Bay, Oregon down to a more modest house at 480 Hall. Both houses are on the National Register of Historic Places today.
Dorothy was sad to see their maid, Annie, of Norwegian descent and a family of fisherman, “let go”. Later when fortunes improved Annie returned.
Dorothy was even sadder to have her beloved Grandfather, Alexis Conrad, move out and move away, down to San Diego to live with his daughter, Stella.
During the Depression Dorothy remembered men knocking on the back door asking for food or work. Dorothy’s mother Laura made sure that they never left empty-handed.
Dorothy and her grandfather Alexis corresponded faithfully until he died when she was around 16 years old. Grandfather Alexis wrote beautiful letters and poems, in fancy (sometimes gold) script.
Grandfather Alexis and Dorothy shared a lifelong love of words and reading. As a child Dorothy ran a library for the neighborhood kids. She and her best childhood friend, Nancy Bedingfield, wrote and published a neighborhood newspaper, “Talk of the Town”.
The Great Depression did not stop Dorothy from having a great childhood, particularly as the Conrads and the Country slowly recovered. She enjoyed summer outdoor fun at the family summer home at Lakeside and at her friend Nancy’s summer home on a river. Nancy’s mother loved children and always knew how to keep the girls entertained.
In Dorothy’s 1939 diary (when she was 13 years old) she mentioned baseball, tennis, numerous “boys”, ballroom dancing, Campfire Girl camp, concerts, trips to Portland and much more. Many entries, especially those in which different boys are mentioned end with, “Thrilled!” and “More fun!” Dorothy was definitely having a great time.
By the time she was 18 she wanted more adventure; she had had enough of small town life. At the University of Oregon she devoted herself to the college newspaper, so much so that she failed her other classes. While at the University of Oregon she was voted “Dream Girl” by the student body.
After 2 years college Dorothy married her handsome and smart high school boyfriend, Ralph Henry Milne, who had recently returned from serving in the Navy Air Corps during World War II. Ralph had, during high school, nicknamed Dorothy “Connie”, short for Conrad, and that was the name she preferred for the rest of her life.
Connie and Ralph’s first child, Ralph III, died at age 1 from heart problems. They went on to have 4 daughters and later 3 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
During their parenting years they lived in Tacoma, Washington, where Ralph was a criminal law attorney and Connie was a secretary and home-maker. They struggled financially but managed to scrape up enough money to send the 4 daughters to Catholic school for most of their primary schooling, not because they were religious but because they felt Catholic schools were better than public schools. This belief stemmed from Connie’s experience as a child when she transferred from Saint Monica’s to the public school; she regretted the move. Ralph and Connie paid all that tuition because they wanted their children to have a good start in life.
Connie and Ralph weren’t really that fond of kids, but they tried their best. They coached their children’s sport teams, lead scouts teams, sent the children to music and dance lessons, and eventually moved to a 10 acre hobby farm so that the children could be in nature, raise animals, including horses, and have a garden. It was a good life.
They instilled values of empathy and love in their children, love of people, all creatures, nature and the Earth. But they were never dictatorial about what their children should believe or what they should do.
Around age 50 Connie and Ralph wanted a change; they wanted a new adventure. They packed up their bags, moved to Australia and became citrus farmers. This was quite a challenge, especially for Ralph who had no mechanical knowledge and suddenly owned 2 tractors, an irrigation system and other miscellaneous machinery!
One reason they moved was so that their children could get “free” college and “free” health care.
That move was the best thing they ever did. Life in Australia was healthy and happy; life was good. They made great friends and they had a lot of fun.
After about 10 years of farming they sold the farm, had a sailboat built and set off for Samoa, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and other Pacific islands. At one point they got stuck on the Great Barrier Reef, but they were rescued and their boat suffered little damage. They loved the native island inhabitants and they loved their sailing friends and lifestyle.
After about 5 years they sold their boat and settled in rural Palmwoods in Queensland. Connie and Ralph played tennis daily and duplicate bridge often, usually winning. Ralph continued with his outstanding portrait painting (in oils). They drank a lot of beer with their friends, having much fun. Friends and family from the United States visited when they could. They made one trip to Greece and Italy and Germany and while making a 12 hour ferry trip between Greek Islands they made a lifelong friend who lives in Ulm, Germany. Twelve hours created a life-long bond of love.
When they were about 70, Ralph became “homesick”. Back to the U.S. they went, settling in Sequim, Washington. They went to New Orleans for jazz and to France for art.
Connie, like her Mom, Laura, always believed in helping people. She raised money for cancer research, volunteered at the Gabriola Island Recycle Center, delivered “Meals on Wheels”, etc. And she was the best “greeter” St Nicholas Catholic Church in Sequim ever had!
She really loved people, all people, hardly seeing race or wealth, just seeing people for whom she wanted the best.
Connie was an outstanding mother, always supporting but never judging, no matter what. Her kids nicknamed her “Mother Wonderful” and that she was!
Connie 4 daughters are Susan Jones (deceased), Candace Milne, Katharine Dawn Kirkwood, and Virginia (Ginna) White. Her 3 grandchildren are Joseph Kennedy, Brandy Oman and Myriad Milne. Her 4 great grandchildren are Lorissa Mae Oman, Dylan Oman (deceased), Joshua Kennedy and Chloe Milne. Chloe was born in November 2018 in Australia.
Although afflicted with Alzheimer’s during her last 11 years Connie’s core personality never changed. She continued to love reading, learning and especially people.
She lived the last 18 months of her life at “Riverside Place”, an excellent “Memory Care” facility in Hoquiam, Washington. While there, music became one of her greatest pleasures. She’d watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers twirl and Gene Kelley dance while “singing in the rain”. And of course there was Frank Sinatra, her favorite. Listening and watching she would often close her eyes and remark, “I’m in heaven”; she meant it.
Connie’s great attitude persisted until the day she died. Her attention and concern were always directed to others. Except for some care tasks she was subjected to her attitude was always positive. She wasn’t a worrier or complainer; she was too busy enjoying the “Now”. She was always very alive, very interested and tons of fun.
She is very much missed by family and friends. Bye Connie. Bye Mom. Bye Grandma.
We love you.
Dorothy was born on July 3, 1926 and into a family of wealth. She had one sister, Virginia, 10 years older than her and one brother, Roger, 8 years older than her.
Her mother, Laura Dania Kruse, was the daughter of K.V. Kruse, who was a successful builder of wooden ships (Kruse and Banks, 1905-1945). Laura was “civic-minded” and active in community affairs, including 33 years on the Library Board and terms as President of the “Progress Club” and the “Women’s Civic Club”.
Dorothy’s father, W.J. Conrad, was a successful “self-made man” (as they say), working his way up from clerk in the timber industry to the founder and owner of Conrad Lumber Company of Coos Bay, Oregon. He was also a land developer and he and Laura owned a resort at Sunset Beach, now an Oregon State Park.
When Dorothy was 3 years old the stock market crashed. Dorothy remembered pushing her doll buggy from the grand house at 979 South Fifth Street, Coos Bay, Oregon down to a more modest house at 480 Hall. Both houses are on the National Register of Historic Places today.
Dorothy was sad to see their maid, Annie, of Norwegian descent and a family of fisherman, “let go”. Later when fortunes improved Annie returned.
Dorothy was even sadder to have her beloved Grandfather, Alexis Conrad, move out and move away, down to San Diego to live with his daughter, Stella.
During the Depression Dorothy remembered men knocking on the back door asking for food or work. Dorothy’s mother Laura made sure that they never left empty-handed.
Dorothy and her grandfather Alexis corresponded faithfully until he died when she was around 16 years old. Grandfather Alexis wrote beautiful letters and poems, in fancy (sometimes gold) script.
Grandfather Alexis and Dorothy shared a lifelong love of words and reading. As a child Dorothy ran a library for the neighborhood kids. She and her best childhood friend, Nancy Bedingfield, wrote and published a neighborhood newspaper, “Talk of the Town”.
The Great Depression did not stop Dorothy from having a great childhood, particularly as the Conrads and the Country slowly recovered. She enjoyed summer outdoor fun at the family summer home at Lakeside and at her friend Nancy’s summer home on a river. Nancy’s mother loved children and always knew how to keep the girls entertained.
In Dorothy’s 1939 diary (when she was 13 years old) she mentioned baseball, tennis, numerous “boys”, ballroom dancing, Campfire Girl camp, concerts, trips to Portland and much more. Many entries, especially those in which different boys are mentioned end with, “Thrilled!” and “More fun!” Dorothy was definitely having a great time.
By the time she was 18 she wanted more adventure; she had had enough of small town life. At the University of Oregon she devoted herself to the college newspaper, so much so that she failed her other classes. While at the University of Oregon she was voted “Dream Girl” by the student body.
After 2 years college Dorothy married her handsome and smart high school boyfriend, Ralph Henry Milne, who had recently returned from serving in the Navy Air Corps during World War II. Ralph had, during high school, nicknamed Dorothy “Connie”, short for Conrad, and that was the name she preferred for the rest of her life.
Connie and Ralph’s first child, Ralph III, died at age 1 from heart problems. They went on to have 4 daughters and later 3 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
During their parenting years they lived in Tacoma, Washington, where Ralph was a criminal law attorney and Connie was a secretary and home-maker. They struggled financially but managed to scrape up enough money to send the 4 daughters to Catholic school for most of their primary schooling, not because they were religious but because they felt Catholic schools were better than public schools. This belief stemmed from Connie’s experience as a child when she transferred from Saint Monica’s to the public school; she regretted the move. Ralph and Connie paid all that tuition because they wanted their children to have a good start in life.
Connie and Ralph weren’t really that fond of kids, but they tried their best. They coached their children’s sport teams, lead scouts teams, sent the children to music and dance lessons, and eventually moved to a 10 acre hobby farm so that the children could be in nature, raise animals, including horses, and have a garden. It was a good life.
They instilled values of empathy and love in their children, love of people, all creatures, nature and the Earth. But they were never dictatorial about what their children should believe or what they should do.
Around age 50 Connie and Ralph wanted a change; they wanted a new adventure. They packed up their bags, moved to Australia and became citrus farmers. This was quite a challenge, especially for Ralph who had no mechanical knowledge and suddenly owned 2 tractors, an irrigation system and other miscellaneous machinery!
One reason they moved was so that their children could get “free” college and “free” health care.
That move was the best thing they ever did. Life in Australia was healthy and happy; life was good. They made great friends and they had a lot of fun.
After about 10 years of farming they sold the farm, had a sailboat built and set off for Samoa, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and other Pacific islands. At one point they got stuck on the Great Barrier Reef, but they were rescued and their boat suffered little damage. They loved the native island inhabitants and they loved their sailing friends and lifestyle.
After about 5 years they sold their boat and settled in rural Palmwoods in Queensland. Connie and Ralph played tennis daily and duplicate bridge often, usually winning. Ralph continued with his outstanding portrait painting (in oils). They drank a lot of beer with their friends, having much fun. Friends and family from the United States visited when they could. They made one trip to Greece and Italy and Germany and while making a 12 hour ferry trip between Greek Islands they made a lifelong friend who lives in Ulm, Germany. Twelve hours created a life-long bond of love.
When they were about 70, Ralph became “homesick”. Back to the U.S. they went, settling in Sequim, Washington. They went to New Orleans for jazz and to France for art.
Connie, like her Mom, Laura, always believed in helping people. She raised money for cancer research, volunteered at the Gabriola Island Recycle Center, delivered “Meals on Wheels”, etc. And she was the best “greeter” St Nicholas Catholic Church in Sequim ever had!
She really loved people, all people, hardly seeing race or wealth, just seeing people for whom she wanted the best.
Connie was an outstanding mother, always supporting but never judging, no matter what. Her kids nicknamed her “Mother Wonderful” and that she was!
Connie 4 daughters are Susan Jones (deceased), Candace Milne, Katharine Dawn Kirkwood, and Virginia (Ginna) White. Her 3 grandchildren are Joseph Kennedy, Brandy Oman and Myriad Milne. Her 4 great grandchildren are Lorissa Mae Oman, Dylan Oman (deceased), Joshua Kennedy and Chloe Milne. Chloe was born in November 2018 in Australia.
Although afflicted with Alzheimer’s during her last 11 years Connie’s core personality never changed. She continued to love reading, learning and especially people.
She lived the last 18 months of her life at “Riverside Place”, an excellent “Memory Care” facility in Hoquiam, Washington. While there, music became one of her greatest pleasures. She’d watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers twirl and Gene Kelley dance while “singing in the rain”. And of course there was Frank Sinatra, her favorite. Listening and watching she would often close her eyes and remark, “I’m in heaven”; she meant it.
Connie’s great attitude persisted until the day she died. Her attention and concern were always directed to others. Except for some care tasks she was subjected to her attitude was always positive. She wasn’t a worrier or complainer; she was too busy enjoying the “Now”. She was always very alive, very interested and tons of fun.
She is very much missed by family and friends. Bye Connie. Bye Mom. Bye Grandma.
We love you.