Kathryn Dusek Eshleman

Kathryn Eshleman passed away on April 21, 2015 from complications related to dementia. Kathryn was born on Leap Day 1928 to Frank and Lucy Dusek in Bladen, Nebraska. Driven off their farm by the depression, the family moved west in search of a better life when Kathryn was eight years old. They bounced around the Portland-Vancouver area for several years, eventually putting down roots at their small farm outside Estacada, Oregon. As she completed her high school years in Estacada, she met the person who was to be her lifelong companion, Donald Eshleman. The high school sweethearts were wed on November 18, 1949, a partnership that lasted 59 years. After Don earned his degree at Oregon State in 1950, they moved to southeast Portland, where they were to make their home for the remaining years of their lives. They raised four children, the nucleus of the extended family. Kathryn was the cog that kept the family together and moving in the right direction, ensuring all were cared for and supported in every endeavor. Don and Kathryn were well known in the community for their friendly faces and their omnipresence at their children’s and grandchildren’s ballgames, recitals and school programs. A loving and generous person by nature, she volunteered countless hours to Providence Hospital and St Paul Lutheran Church. Even with her full schedule, she managed to nurture her creative side, excelling in visual and floral arts, but particularly in the creation of her ceramic pieces. Despite the successes she and Don enjoyed later in life, she always remembered her humble beginnings and displayed a grounded and common sense approach to life. After Don’s retirement in 1984, they went on frequent excursions to Hawaii and Las Vegas, and enjoyed puttering in the yard well past their seventies. Kathryn is survived by her sister, Lois; brother, Mike; daughter, Julie (Dave); three sons, Bob (Eileen), Ron (Pam), and Randy (Renae); eight grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11am Friday April 24 in the chapel at Portland Memorial Funeral Home, 6705 SE 14th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. A reception will be held following the service at the Eastmoreland Golf Course Grill. In lieu of flowers remembrances can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1650 NW Naito Pkwy, Ste 190, Portland, OR 97209. Service Information