Adeline Sanders Obituary
Adeline Rose Schubert was born on February 11, 1928, in Stanley, North Dakota, to her father, Charles Marion Schubert, who was twenty, and her mother, Florence Rosella Shupe, who was nineteen.
Adeline gently passed into her next chapter in Heaven, joining with her departed loved ones the morning of September 27, 2021 in Olympia, Washington. She was 93 years young. Adeline's mom, dad, husband John William Longwell, second husband Wilbert Sanders, brothers, son, and daughter (John Wallace, Cecil Charles, Alanson "Lance" Homer, Donald Keith, Walter Jean, Stewart Harlan, David William, John Wayne, and Caryn Rose) all preceded her in death. Adeline is survived by her sisters Carolie Hayes and Peggy Mohr, sons Dan Longwell, Paul Longwell and Dean Longwell, and numerous nieces, nephews, grand- and great-grandchildren.
Adeline and some of her siblings took a road trip together in the summer of 1995. They traveled back to Stanley, North Dakota to revisit their childhood home, reminiscing about difficult years and triumphant accomplishments. Adeline loved genealogy, and carefully chronicled the trip in a collection of prose, pictures, and ponderings. She recounted vivid memories of wind and snow, sledding down the hill, seeing movies for ten cents, and winter hayrides.
Adeline Rose lived a character-building life in Stanley, North Dakota. As a youngster with a house-full of siblings, Adeline mastered many of the household chores that a young girl managed on a farm in rural North Dakota. She loved telling stories about what life was like "back in the day." Cold winters, blistering-hot summers, lots of laundry and floors to mop. Adeline described North Dakota winter snows as "so high, you could open a window on the 2nd floor and almost step out into it!"
Her most favorite story she liked to tell was when as a young girl, her uncle gave the local kids a ride in his airplane. Her uncle told the kids not to scream and holler while in the plane, or he would do loopty-loops and dump them out! Adeline made sure she was quiet as a mouse, enjoying the thrilling airplane ride she reminisced about during her last few weeks on this Earth.
Adeline humorously remembers the big "move" from Stanley North Dakota to Seattle, Washington in 1943, in the back of an old pickup. Grandparents, mom, and baby Carolie were in the cab, while the rest of the kiddos sat on a twelve-inch wooden plank in the back truck bed. Imagine how cold they must have been, using a tarp to keep the wind from stinging their faces. Truly rustic travel with family and kids, sleeping in campgrounds under the stars. How thrilled they were to reach their Seattle destination!
Adeline Rose did very well in high school, graduating as one of the top achievers in her class. Her nickname was "Dutchess," or "Dutch" as she was known while working as a nurse later in life. Adeline Rose married John William Longwell in South Park, Washington, on January 7, 1945, at the tender age of 16 years old. They had five children together (4 boys and one girl). John Wayne Longwell deceased (Pat), Dan W. Longwell, Paul Blaine Longwell (Penny), Caryn Rose Longwell, deceased, and Dean C. Longwell (Loretta).
They made their first home in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, where Adeline recalls a rustic life up on a high mountain. She helped her husband clear property and worked the land with him. They moved to Portland, Oregon, and later settled in Seattle, Washington to raise their four boys.
Adeline was a caring and devoted mom and grandmother. She fiercely loved her family. Her original dream was to become a surgeon, but realized money wasn't available for a college education growing up. So as her boys got older, Adeline went back to school and became a Registered Nurse. She was a charge nurse for an ER department, and later tended to the aged in a Masonic Temple nursing home. Adeline was known for her holiday decorations, flower arrangements, and beautiful cross-stitch creations she displayed to boost morale for staff and residents.
Adeline had the gumption of a true depression-era survivor, saving money where she could, learning to fix things herself, including tearing out a wall in her Portland home to expand the pantry, building shelving, etc. And her boys learned right along with her, all gaining expertise in self-reliance that would serve them well as they became young adults, starting their own families.
Adeline dearly loved all her grand- and great-grandchildren. The entryway wall in her apartment was covered floor-to-ceiling with photos of her family and grandchildren. She often wore a Mickey Mouse necklace given to her by grandson Adam Longwell. So deeply did Adeline love her family, she kept every card and precious memento family and friends sent her through the years. She adored those personalized messages you all sent to her.
What kept Adeline busy once she retired? While living in Ballard, Washington, Adeline belonged to the Scarlet Belles of Ballard Red Hat Society. Her social calendar was always full of outings, lunches, and dinners with her Red Hat friends. She also loved dressing up in costume for Halloween. Her latest favorite was dressing up as Raggedy Anne while residing at The Firs retirement community in Lacey Washington, prior to moving to Roo Lan Nursing and Rehabilitation facility, also in Lacey, Washington.
Adeline always enjoyed reading, especially mysteries. She not only could tell you what books were in her extensive library, but all about the authors and their personal lives. She immersed herself into those far-away locals such as England, Ireland, anywhere in Europe solving murders. She adored her authors and their book series' so much; Adeline would often re-read a series a couple of years after she completed reading them.
She had such a zeal for adventure. Adeline made many trips in her retirement years, such as taking a train cross-country to see the east coast, the light houses of Novia Scotia, a cruise ship to Alaska. She adored reliving the lively music and tasty food during several trips to New Orleans. And of course, each trip lent itself to copious options for shopping! Yes, you could expect a souvenir or trinket as a Christmas present once she returned home from her latest escapades, along with a story about the trip.
Jigsaw puzzles were her next love. Her diverse collection of puzzles kept her engaged for hours, and she often shared her favorites with other family members once she completed the puzzles. Adeline also had an enormous collection of movie DVD's including tv series and favorite movies. Her absolute favorite collection score was that she amassed nearly all the Phantom of the Opera movie DVD's, with various actors playing the lead, such as Michael Crawford, Lon Chaney, and Gerard Butler.
Those who knew Adeline Rose can sum up her spirited personality with words like, "candor, up-front, analytical, whimsical, dry humor, steadfast, devotion, generous, shoot from the hip, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, live and let live, you can do anything you set your mind to, buy the best so it will last, don't judge people until you walk in their shoes, I take my coffee black please, no sugar in my tea (I want to taste the tea), gin and tonic? Sure!
Paul and I will miss Adeline's treats, newspaper clippings, newly tested recipes she brought with her at every outing. She arrived for a visit with her arms brimming with bags, boxes, and assorted things to share with everyone. Adeline loved to watch cooking shows. So, during the holidays, she would sit on a stool near my kitchen to watch the bustling of pans, ingredients, and the promise of a tasty dish at the end of my efforts. She loved being engaged in conversation with anyone willing to chat about current events, food, travel, and kids. Adeline kept up on everyone's birthdays and important life events, making sure they received a greeting card or letter from her on a regular basis. And you could count on receiving a thank you note soon after receiving a gift you sent to her.
She was the rock many of her family members stood upon when the waves came crashing down on their lives with trials and challenges. Adeline would generously help family members out when they needed it most. She grew up going to church as a young girl and kept her spiritual grounding throughout life. Adeline believed in treating those around her with love, dignity, and kindness.
It's your turn to rest now, Mom. You were a great role model for other moms and grandmothers. Making sure all your sons and grandkids were treated and loved just the same as the other. You worked tirelessly to help your sons become productive and caring men. To ensure they had a good upbringing and the tools necessary to manage most crises. Your shift is over now. Your work is done. Smile down at your family and friends from Heaven, without pain or weariness, and without worry. All will dearly miss you, but you are not forgotten.
