Grace Ernestine Lindsley: ‘Everybody Loves Me’

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Grace Ernestine Lindsley
February 07, 1930 – October 13, 2022

Grace was born on February 07, 1930 in Scio Oregon to Frank and Iva Freitag and passed away at the age 92 in Eureka.

As a young girl along with her cousins, growing up in meager circumstances, she picked beans in the local fields for 2 cents a pound. When Grace was fourteen, she lived with her aunt Alice and uncle Dorsey in order to take care of her two cousins. She also was attending Lebanon High School and working in the produce department of a grocery store. She met a Navy sailor named Allen Robert(Bob to family)Lindsley when he came to see his Aunt Alice. Alice was Allen’s aunt and Dorsey was Grace’s uncle. On December 04, 1946 Allen and Grace were married in Lebanon Oregon. They were married for 66 years until his death in 2013.

Shortly after they were married, they moved to Brookings Oregon. They then moved to Arcata. They built a house in McKinleyville and in1956 moved to sunny Garberville as Allen (Al) was hired by PG&E as a line truck driver. In 1966 Grace was hired by the Southern Humboldt Unified School District to work as a cooks assistant at Redway Elementary School. She eventually would become head cook. Grace retired in 1992 after 26 years of service. 

After her retirement, children she had cooked for would come up to her and express how much they had loved the food she had cooked as everything was homemade. Especially her yeast rolls and apple crisp. After she retired our dad and mom volunteered at the Healy Senior Center. Grace volunteered for 28 years. Grace would sell raffle tickets during their annual yard sale. She would also sell tickets and volunteered at the annual Redway Volunteer Fire Department BBQ for 41 years. After dads death, her good friend and neighbor Candi Brady took her to the Jerald Phelps Community Hospital to listen to the weekly live music. She attended the sessions for the next seven years and enjoyed the pie and ice cream they served.

Grace is survived by her two daughters, Patricia Wormington, (Dan) and Nancy Jurrens (Greg). Granddaughter Amy Winslow, Grandsons Jason Jurrens (Sara) and Jeffrey Jurrens. Great Granddaughters Nikki Winslow, Anna and Grace Jurrens and Great Grandson Caelan Winslow. Sister Doris Rakow of Salem Oregon and brother Robert Freitag of Lebanon Oregon.

On November 02, 2022, Grace was laid to rest next to Allen at the Liberty-Nye Cemetery in Sweet Home Oregon to her favorite songs Amazing Grace and You Are My Sunshine.

Mom would say “everybody loves me”. This was so true.

We would like to thank the staff of Frye’s Care Home for their compassion and kindness and Hospice of Humboldt for their care and guidance during her final days.

A celebration of her life will be held in the spring.