Marie Chaussee

HAMILTON - Marie Chaussee went to her last sweet sleep on July 10th, 2011. She was born on
September 2nd, 1924 in Sioux City Iowa to Gilbert and Helen Fortin. She was the oldest child of five siblings, three daughters and two sons. Her parents were farmers in Salix, Iowa, a small town south of Sioux City.

Marie spent her childhood in Iowa and at the age of seventeen after attending a Secretarial School she went to California to live and work. She was a secretary for the Department of the Navy at the Port Hueneme Naval Base during World War II.

On December 31st, 1949, she married Harry Chaussee at St. Paul's Church in Los Angeles, California and they were together for 56 years until Harry's death in 2006. She was the mother to four children, Micheline Doan of Vancouver, Washington, Harry C. Chaussee of Goldendale, Washington, Jean Chaussee of Hamilton, Montana, and Gilbert Chaussee of St. Helens, Oregon.

The first year of marriage Marie spent in Saudi Arabia with her husband who worked for the Arabian American Oil Company. Upon their return to the United States Marie and Harry settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota and later in Rochester, Minnesota where Harry worked for IBM and Marie was a housewife caring for her children. In 1970, the family moved to Portland, Oregon. After her children had grown, Marie returned to work as a secretary for the Federal Government Corp of Engineers from which she retired.

In 1989, Marie and her husband, both retired, moved to Vancouver Washington where they lived until 2000 when they moved with their daughter Jean to live in Hamilton. Harry and Marie lived with their daughter until their deaths.

Marie was preceded in death by her husband, Harry M. Chaussee; her parents, Gilbert and Helen Fortin of Salix, Iowa; her sisters, Luann Fortin of Salix, Iowa and Lucille Beran of Grand Island, Nebraska; and her brothers, Gilbert Fortin Jr. of Sioux City, Iowa and Donald Fortin of Salix, Iowa.

Marie is survived by her daughter, Micheline (Chaussee) Doan and husband Mark of Vancouver, Washington; her son Harry C. Chaussee and wife Alison, of Goldendale, Washington; her daughter, Jean Marie Chaussee of Hamilton Montana; her son Gilbert Chaussee of St. Helens, Oregon; her grandchildren, Peter Romo and wife Christy of Vancouver, Washington; Angela Radke and husband Bill of Dodge Center, Minnesota; Kevin Chaussee of Portland, Oregon; and Aimee Doan of Vancouver, Washington; her great grandchildren Brianna and Ryan Romo of Vancouver, Washington, Katie, Magen and Zachary Radke of Dodge Center, Minnesota and Brandon Chaussee of Portland, Oregon. Marie loved all of her family very much and they will miss her.