Obituary of Elizabeth Ann Wendlandt

Be Good. Have Fun. But Be Safe. Nov. 27, 1930 (Ipswich, Mass.) - June 4, 2021 (Forest Grove, Ore). Elizabeth Ann (Burnham) Wendlandt, daughter of Hervey Story Burnham and Elizabeth Duthie (Choate) Burnham, grew up in Essex, Mass. She attended Rufus Choate grade school, Gloucester High, and Salem Teachers College (now Salem State University) in Salem, Mass. Just before Labor Day in 1952, she came west on the train to Portland, Ore., to live with her Aunt Abby (Choate) McNeil and Abby's husband, Fred McNeil. Fred was then an executive editor of the Oregon Journal and author of the classic 1937 book on Mt. Hood, Wy'east "THE" Mountain. Very soon after moving to Portland, she met Jim Wendlandt at the Mt. Hood lodge of the Mazamas' mountaineering club, introduced by Malcolm McNeil, son of her Aunt Abby and Uncle Fred. She and Jim were a good team, devoted to each other in marriage for 65 years, until his death July 27, 2018. They visited every nook and cranny of Oregon, all 49 other states, the far reaches of Canada, and Europe. After teaching eighth grade at Boise and Atkinson schools, she attended Portland State University and earned a master's degree in library science. She returned to the Portland Public Schools, Ainsworth and later West Sylvan, as a media specialist where she was on the vanguard of the library's transition to the electronic age. In addition to helping teachers and students use the library to maximum advantage, she applied mechanical skills learned from her father to fix early VCRs and copy machines. When she wasn't caring for the family, teaching, hiking, quilting, crafting, skiing, breaking out in song or traveling, she was an avid community volunteer. She was a regular election poll worker. She was editor of the Mazama Monthly Bulletin for a decade. She was an editor of Nick Dodge's Climbers' Guide to Oregon. She applied her library science skills and her love of history to the Genealogical Forum of Oregon as a volunteer for over 20 years. She was a lifelong member of the Girl Scouts, leading troops, helping with big events and actively participating in the passionate and fun-loving adult Girl Scout alumni group the "Elles Gantes." For her work with the Mazamas, she was awarded the organization's Parker Cup award in 1967. The award recognizes members who distinguish themselves by hard work, ability and self-sacrifice for the benefit of the Mazamas. She and Jim lived in the Hillsdale neighborhood of Portland for over 50 years followed by several pleasant years in the Westbrook community of Beaverton and their final years receiving caring assistance in living at Jennings McCall Center in Forest Grove, Ore. She was an early recycler, saving scrap metal and other materials to help the war effort. She remained passionate and outspoken about reducing, reusing and recycling throughout her life and was a regular contributor to OSPIRG and Environment Oregon. She traced her own family tree back to the ship, the Angel Gabriel, which arrived at Pemaquid Point (now part of Maine) in 1635. Of the 25 individuals on that boat, two of the families are on her family "tree" -- three Burnham brothers and a large family of Cogswells. The day after the Angel Gabriel landed, it was sunk by a hurricane. Siblings include brothers, Francis Choate Burnham, (1925- 2019) and Everett Parker Burnham (1926-2011); and younger sister, Nancy Willett (Burnham) Lutts, born in 1933. Daughters, Nancy Ann Brown, Netarts, Ore.; Wendy Ann Wendlandt (Cliff Latimer), Los Angeles; granddaughters, Angele Nenet Kirk (Anthony and daughter, Emery) Independence, Ore.; Shirley Lyn Brown, Los Angeles; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She will be interred at Willamette National Cemetery, alongside Jim. A celebration of life will be held when it is safe to gather her large circle of family and friends. Contributions in her memory may be made to OSPIRG, Environment Oregon, Girl Scouts Oregon SW WA, and Genealogical Forum of Oregon. For more information, email: eawjrw@gmail.com Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits Please join us for a Celebration of Life Sunday, August 29, 2021 11-1:30 Rood Bridge Park, Picnic Shelter B 4000 SE Rood Bridge Rd, Hillsboro, OR 97123 (just West of Portland) Gather at one of Jim and Ann's favorite parks to share memories of a life well lived. Casual lunch will be served Rain or Shine. RSVP: eawjrw@gmail.com