Minnie L Proctor

Minnie Louise Proctor was born on November 21, 1929, at the original St. Joseph's Hospital to Mildred May (Smith) and Jess Layne Pitts.Minnie Lou was Vancouver through and through. With the exception of accompanying her stepfather's Army postings in Southern California during WWII and brief stays in Portland, Seattle, and John Day, Oregon as a young adult, she lived here her entire life. She was raised in her grandparents' home in the Rosemere District around many of her extended Smith family. She held her grandmother, Minnie May (Weatherby) Smith, especially dear, as well as her uncle, Yale Smith. Her birth father's family members in the Midwest also treated her very kindly. She honored the loving memory of her stepfather, Loren Hall, after his untimely death in 1937 by adopting his last name. When her mother met John William "Bill" Dush and married him in 1942, he immediately embraced her as his own. From that point forward, Bill and his "Chicken" enjoyed a very close father/daughter relationship for the rest of his life.Minnie attended Vancouver High School as part of the Class of 1948 and started working for George Propstra at The Holland Restaurant at the age of 15. She later worked at Travel Burger for Chet and Edna "Mom" Cederholm and, after her children had all started school, Totem Pole, Steakburger, Daisy Cleaners, Valu-Mart, and Fred Meyer Fourth Plain Jewelry, where she retired as Manager in 1994.James Proctor caught Minnie's eye while he was riding his motorcycle by her house on "S" Street in 1944. Minnie had many suitors while growing up but, from that point forward, Jimmie was the only one for her. Theirs was a storybook romance that blossomed while he served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, continued after their marriage April 10, 1948, and ended only when Jim died March 25, 2018. Through everything they faced in life, their devotion to each other endured.Besides her parents and husband, Minnie was predeceased by her first child, Cynthia, one day after her birth in 1950. Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Cindy Schlecht (Joe), Tina Rattling Thunder (Larry Bernt), and Brenda Hall (Alan Fivian); son, James Jr. (Marilyn); grandchildren Aaron (Beki), Jeff, and Gina Schlecht (Keegan Baun), and Bob and Mimi Hall; 10 great-grandchildren; brothers John Dush Jr. (Patti Mahurin) and Jess Pitts (Connie); and sisters Carol Greer and Diana Dush.Minnie was, first and foremost, a "people person." She loved talking with strangers, but they usually didn't remain strangers for long. Whether it involved neighborhood or school friends, work, Crosley bowling leagues, Harney Elementary PTA, Girl Scouts/Bluebirds and dance lessons for her daughters, aerobics lessons, or attending First Baptist Church, Minnie's caring, kind, and loving nature toward others invariably nurtured close lifelong relationships. She especially thrived as a caretaker, unfailingly making those in her life feel cared for with a call, a letter or greeting card, or a visit to older and infirm friends, even if all she could offer was a hug, a warm conversation, or a hand to hold.The family would like to thank the health care professionals who attended to Minnie's needs so well, most especially Mary Grizhinku and her Little Prairie Home team, who gave so much of themselves in providing Minnie's memory care, and Dr. Xin Zhang, who was a perfect match for Minnie as her Primary Care Manager.We love you, Mom. There's not much we wouldn't give for our phones to ring, to hear that always cheerful greeting again, and feel confident that, no matter whatever is going on in our lives, there's at least one person waiting with her whole heart to hear our joys and concerns and yearning to make us happy and secure. We will always hold you in our hearts with gratitude for all you meant to us.

Minnie L Proctor

November 21, 1929 - February 4, 2023