Addie Sue Blaha died on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008, at 12:45 a.m. at her Klamath Falls, Ore., residence.
She was born on Oct. 5, 1909, to William Faris Skinner and Virginia Elizabeth Barnett Skinner. Sue was the 12th child of a family of 14 children. The first eight were boys. The eighth son died in infancy. The ninth child, a girl, also died in infancy. Eleven of the 14 children lived to adulthood.
After the three girls Gracie Letah, Ida Faye, and Addie Sue were born, two boys Lawrence Barnett and Robert Lee were born. Robert Lee died at the age of 7. The four youngest members of the family grew to adulthood, helping their father on the family farm.
Sue graduated from high school in 1927 from a country school near Eldorado, Okla. After graduation, she went to Chicago, Ill., to visit a brother. There she met a young man, John Blaha, who later became her husband. They were married on Dec. 4, 1929, at the home of her parents.
Two children William Charles and John Raymond were born to that union.
During the years of 1932 to 1941, the Blaha family left Chicago and lived in Oklahoma, where Sue attended college. She taught primary grades for one term.
The World War II years were spent at Fort Hood, Texas. After the war, the family moved to El Paso, Texas. John continued working for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. Sue went to work for Chevron Oil Co. In 1961, the company transferred employees to Denver, Colo., where she was employed until she retired in 1975.
In 1979, the family moved to Seattle, Wash., to be near son Raymond. Three years later, they made another move to Klamath Falls, to house sit for son William and daughter-in-law Ann for one year.
John preceded Sue in death on Feb. 19, 1990, at the age of 90. She was also preceded in death by all her siblings and granddaughter Susan Eilene Smith.
Sue is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, William Charles and Ann of Klamath Falls and John Raymond and Kathy of Seattle, Wash.; granddaughter Kimberly Ann Batnett of Seattle; great-grandsons Macgyver Smith, Brandon Barnett and Benny Barnett.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Friday, Aug. 8, 2008, at 10 a.m. in Davenport's Chapel of the Good Shepherd with Bill Davenport, friend, officiating. Final resting place will be with her beloved husband, John, at Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens at a later time.