Another Farewell
Evelyn LaVonne Holce, a longtime resident of the Vernonia community who was a philanthropist, volunteer and loving mother, died Wednesday, August 19 in her home at the Springs Retirement Community in Hillsboro. She was 94.
Evelyn, known to her family for her infectious laugh, generosity, love of chocolate and the Portland Trail Blazers, lived a life full of adventure and giving with her late husband of nearly 50 years, Wilfred Earl Holce. The two married on September 23, 1943 during the middle of World War II in Vancouver, Washington. They lived in several communities while Wilfred served in the U.S. Navy, including Oklahoma, Florida, Whidbey Island, Washington and Tongue Point, Oregon. Following his discharge in 1945 they moved to the Vernonia community where they made their home.
Evelyn was born September 22, 1925 in Baker City, Oregon, to the late Sam L. Hearing III and Eva (Cook) Hearing. She was raised and received her education in the communities of Haines, Oregon, Portland, Oregon and Longview, Washington until 1935 when she moved with her family to the Vernonia community. In the foothills of the Coast Range, Evelyn’s father started a grocery store. She worked for her dad at Sam’s Food Store in high school, and Evelyn graduated from Vernonia High School in 1943.
Her husband and Vernonia would be two of the defining things of Evelyn’s life. She went to work right out of high school as a bookkeeper for the Oregon-American Lumber Company and later worked in town at Washington Grade School as Principal Paul Gordon’s secretary. Eventually she started bookkeeping for the family business, Holce Logging Company.
In 1983, Evelyn and Wilfred established the Holce Logging Co. Scholarship Fund Inc., which has given several hundred VHS graduates the chance to further their education through the decades. That legacy will outlive them both as scholarship grants will continue to be awarded indefinitely out of the trust income.
During her time in Vernonia, Evelyn was an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star Forest Chapter # 42 in Forest Grove, the Rainbow Girls and the Vernonia High School Hall of Fame. Evelyn enjoyed reading, card playing, traveling (she would travel the globe in later years), playing in a bowling league in Vernonia and going to the theater. Evelyn also loved flying, having had her private pilot’s license. In later years she enjoyed watching movies her friends would bring her and cheering on her beloved sports teams.
Wilfred died on April 23, 1993 in Vernonia, Oregon. The couple had enjoyed more than 49 years of marriage together and the raising of two sons, Randall and Richard. Evelyn continued living in the Vernonia community until 2002 and then moved to the Claremont area in Hillsboro. In 2010 she moved to the Springs Retirement Community in Hillsboro where she lived out the remainder of her life.
Evelyn was also preceded in death by her parents, Sam Hearing III and Eva Hearing; her brother, Sam “Buck” Hearing; her sister, Virginia Ewart; her daughter in infancy, Baby Girl Holce, and her son, Richard Paul “Rick” Holce on August 5, 1998.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Randall Earl “Randy” and Bonnie Holce, of Vernonia, Oregon.
Also surviving are her four grandchildren and their spouses, Gregory Earl “Greg” and Kim Holce, of Justin, Texas; Traci Anne Holce Wolf, of Vernonia, Oregon; Benjamin West “Ben” Schorzman and Elissa Gavette, of Eugene, Oregon; Byron West Schorzman, of Tumwater, Washington; her six great-grandchildren, Rebecca Holce; Courtney Holce; Wilfred Holce; Tyler Wolf; Trevor Wolf and Lillian Schorzman; her great-great-grand-daughter, Aurora Birckett, several nieces and nephews and her caregivers Pamela Sjolin and Brittany Ray.
Evelyn’s family would like to thank Greg Young and all the staff of the Springs Living of Tanasborne for their loving care and friendship over the last ten years.
The family suggests remembrances may be contributions to the Vernonia Skate Park, c/o the Vernonia Boosters, Inc., 1162 State Avenue, Vernonia, Oregon 97064, in her memory.
Here I am, again struggling to find the motivation and words to write about another loss. As you just read, my Grandma Evelyn died two weeks ago, and I think everyone in our family would agree we just lost the best of us.
Grandma and I weren’t related by blood. She is my step-father’s mother. But from Day 1, she told me and my brother in no uncertain terms that she was our grandmother. Still makes me cry to this day when I think about that. For two decades she was indeed another grandmother to us. She gave and gave, expecting almost nothing in return but pictures, showing up for family gatherings and maybe the occasional card game.
Old age sapped Grandma Evelyn of some of her personality in the final few years, so it is a strange twist that her death is what’s helping me remember the best of her. I had forgotten some of the best moments we shared together, sitting around her dining room table playing games. I forgot her infectious giggle that was so seldom heard in the final year. I forgot her radiant smile and positivity, both things stolen from her because of various ailments that frustrated and saddened her.
I will never forget, though, how she accepted my brother and me and helped us. Without her financial support — or that of my step-dad and mother — I would have left college with more than the $27,000 of debt that I did. Without her generosity I would still be paying off my student loans.
Grandma Evelyn was the best person I knew. Always so innocent and good natured, she just enjoyed listening to her family. Her philanthropy is her enduring legacy. She gave thousands to various causes in her hometown of Vernonia. The school and community are a better place because of it. I just wish more of the community could have given her the memorial service she deserved. COVID-19 has made gathering in groups extremely tricky, and we had to parse down the service to a graveside memorial with people standing, spread out between the nearby graves.The gathering up at my parents’ house after was for just immediate family and was another muted affair. She deserved a packed gymnasium full of family, friends and well-wishers.
I wish I knew her in her younger years, back when she was still a pilot and world traveler. She had so many interesting stories of flying with her husband Wilfred and taking trips to Europe and Africa.
Grandma was almost 95 when she passed. She squeezed every ounce out of life that she could, and she left her family in a better place. For that we will always be grateful.
I wish I could do more to honor her in this space, but the words just aren’t there. It just makes me incredibly sad. Since March I had been calling her and my other grandmas. As the summer wore on and I got more distracted by good weather and outdoor activities, I forgot to call. I would look at my calendar reminder to call them and think, “Too late today. I’ll do it tomorrow.” Then I would inevitably forget.
I did that for all of July before calling her in early August. She didn’t pick up and I left a message, promising to call back.
Now I don’t get to do that. I never properly got to say goodbye, so I’ll say it here.
I love you, Grandma. I can’t thank you enough for helping me, my brother and my mom. Thank you for the generosity and the acceptance. Thank you for showing me what it truly means to care about a community and that you can work hard in life but also have fun. Thank you for always being quick with that laugh of yours.
I love you.
