Life Story of

Alfred Emilius Ness was born on Sunday, January 13, 1918 to Norwegian immigrants, Christian and Laura (Andreson) Ness, exactly 30 years after his father. The eldest of three children, he had a brother, Harold, and sister, Lillie. Al’s father was a farmer and a fisherman homesteading free land offered by the government located northeast of Roundup, Montana; 18 miles outside of nowhere. Due to a fierce blizzard the day Al was born, the midwife didn’t arrive until three days after he was born, the doctor showed up three weeks after that. Al was named after a paternal uncle in Norway, and his middle name was his father’s best friend, Captain Emilius Hansen. The captain’s daughter, Myrtle, and husband Jack Noah would become lifetime friends.

After years of the crop yield being low, Christian moved the family to Portland where they had support from other Norse families and he went back to fishing to support his family. When he was nine, Al’s mother died from Tuberculosis. Lillie was placed in a Tuberculosis Sanatorium for many years, even though she had no symptoms, while Al and Harold were sent to a boarding home while his father worked deep sea fishing.

Al attended Vernon Grade school and Benson Polytechnic High School which at that time was a place for boys in or nearing trouble, graduating with Harold. Later his son, David and grandson, Jeremy would graduate from Benson as well. After graduation Al found, as he called it, his “gipsy blood.” If he had $20 in his pocket, his dad and brother might not see him for months. He would be gone to some coastal fishing town in his 1936 Ford Convertible, picking up day labor fishing jobs. He loved the car and stored it in his Dad’s garage when he left for the war. When he returned home, he found his father had sold his car. Family rumor is that Al was always a little cranky about that but did not say anything. Most people value family time and Al was no exception. He was very close to Harold and both had a great respect for their father, Christian. After his Dad had a stroke and was bed ridden in a home, the two of them would visit EVERY night at 7:00 for half an hour.

Having the chance to go fishing with his Dad while in school, and as his job after graduat ing, Al developed a lifelong love of fishing and the ocean. Two out of three pictures in the family photo album have someone holding a salmon. According to Al, it was not a family vacation without a view of the Pacific from the room. And of course, if anyone in the boat caught a fish, there was a good chance it was Al. Many years he fished with his Dad and Brother, and after they no longer fished, he seemed to find fishing buddies everywhere. When David was young, they were on the Columbia River beach most open times, just east of the I-5 Bridge. Casting long poles out into the river, the pair would place the rods in holders, and put a bell on them. Then came the relaxation of sitting and talking, waiting for the fish-on-hook bell to ring. Of course if you are a 12 year boy this style of fishing can be very boring, and one fateful Saturday, after whining too much, Al had had enough and gave David a green spinning rod, bait and supplies and banished him North, under the bridge. Of course David caught an 18” salmon, the only person on the beach that day to catch a fish. Mr. Erik Sundling packed up his gear and marched off, mumbling some under his breath like “How can you win when a third generation Ness starts catching fish.” Al lovedto tell that story. Charlie Achatz was the last friend that Al fished with; he would come to visit him the last two years whenever he could

What is the value of 19 days? That is all the time that Al dated Eleanor before he was drafted in to World War II. On January 20th, 1942, he was loaded on the first train of men leaving Oregon, headed for basic training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Apparently that was enough time because Eleanor said she would wait for him, and even though there were many suitors, even one that got "too fresh" and she had to turn the garden hose on him, she did write Al often and sent him gifts. They married when he returned from the war and were together for 52 years until she passed in 1997. One city, one wife, one job, one house (67 years), and some of us were worried there would be just one car, a 1962 Pontiac Star Chief, but a big truck rear ended it and saved us from that fate.

During the war, Al was part of the 701st tank destroyer battalion (code named Havoc) assigned to the 1st armored division, and arrived in Belfast, June 11, 1945. He was made a Corporal when there was a shortage of leadership and ended the war as a Sargeant. He survived, which was the greatest accomplishment, as his unit saw over 400 days of combat. He received a Service and Good Conduct medal and could have gotten a Purple Heart but did not apply for it. He had numerous stories: stories that made him smile and stories that produced tears, far too many to share here. As a Norge relative said at hearing of his passing, "old soldiers never die, they just fade away."

Al was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and acted as commander of Post number 1325 in North Portland for the first half of the 1950’s. He was happy that he could attend the Post’s 75 anniversary celebration in 2000. He also was a life member at the Gateway Elks lodge, which he joined with his brother-in-law and his friends. No one in the family ever did get an answer as to what “stag night” was all about.

After many years of trying to have a child with no success, they adopted in 1956 when Al was 38, a son they named Christopher David Ness. The family had two dogs, the first named Penny, the second a little tan colored Chihuahua named Tammy. Al taught her all the tricks, showing much patience. David and Al built the cutest little dog house for her in the basement shop where Al could spend hours puttering. The family had many fun trips with Tammy. She traveled well, being only six pounds and left pleasantly small piles in the yard. Years later, David and his first wife, Karen, brought them two grandchildren, Jeremy and Jennifer. In 1994, when David married his second wife, Joy, he added two more grandchildren with her boys, Dave and Sam. Now add four spouses, Kimberly, Kyle, Misty and Lola. He had eight grandchildren whom he loved and who loved him in return. To no one’s surprise, these unions have produced five great grandchildren (so far): Eleanor, 5 (named after Al’s wife), Mila, 2, Madison, 1, Amelia 1, and Brogan 9 months.

Al was an early-to-rise kind of guy. He would often be the first one at Stark’s Vacuum to unlock the building. Fishing mornings started even earlier. He had the nastiest tasting (according to his son) Quaker Oats for breakfast EVERY morning and meat and potatoes EVERY night. That’s not an exaggeration; he was a man who liked consistency and stability, but that’s probably obvious by now. He would leave little “Love Notes” for Eleanor each morning, which she would smile over, and would enjoy and feed the goldfish before leaving for work.

Al really clicked with people and was generally liked by all. In his 38 years working as service manager at Stark's Vacuum, he was the face most customers were welcomed by as they carried their broken vacuum up the ramp to the service counter. He was memorable, as customers who came back after years would ask to work with the “nice man wearing the bow tie.” One word used often to describe Al at work was conscientious.

After the founder and owner of Stark’s Vacuum, Clarence Stark, retired, Harold Gary became president, and along with Al, and John Houston, the shop foreman, ran the stores together as a team. Many, many days they lunched together, eating their homemade sandwiches their wives made, and played cards. Al had some responsibility for the satellite stores and used to leave early in the morning to do inventory in Seattle in order to be home early afternoon. Not quite sure how he did that.

Al and Eleanor made several trips to Norway to visit relatives. On the first trip they met over 50 first cousins! They made two trips to “The Old Country”, making new friends and seeing their parents’ homes and met A LOT of extended family. After the first visit, in-kind visits were common, and there many visitors from Norway. All of Al and Eleanor’s four parents were born and raised in Norway, and immigrated as adults to America, through Ellis Island. Eleanor’s family ended up on Denver Avenue in 1922, and 1926, along with some of their fellow Norge friends, helped build the family church, Bethel Lutheran. Almost all the friends and relatives were baptized, went through confirmation, were married, and had funerals in that church.

After retirement, Al and Eleanor purchased a motorhome and made long trips to Westport, WA, where he fished and hung around the docks all summer. He and his Dad had worked out of there when he was young, so the place had a special draw. The grandchildren would come to visit and stay with them. Many fond memories were made there. One that stands out was a long visit by Jennifer when she was about 14. She “fell” for boy also staying in Westport for the summer. Al would tease her about her first crush, happy to have been a part of the experience. They also enjoyed trips to see their friends Ester and Gil Johnson, who had property near Jewell, OR along the Nehalem River. He helped build the lean-to, and much later, helped tear it down and build the cabin. He would eat a large amount of crayfish, which his son and the other kids would spend all day catching. They would also go to Roy and Marian Skogmo’s place on Sleepy Hollow road, just a two room cabin that was also full of memories and fun. They inherited “Fred’s Place”, from Marian’s parents, and there was always some project that had to be worked on before the fun began, but Al loved it. The place was quiet and peaceful, with great family history.

After Eleanor passed, Al still enjoyed travelling – his “gipsy blood” never left him entirely. David, Jeremy and Jennifer joined him for a great trout fishing trip to Canada. The lodge was 280 miles northeast of Vancouver BC, with mosquitoes the size of small birds. The fishing was great; the crew going out on a float plane to a different lake every day. That trip was a gift from Mark O’Donnell, Al and David’s attorney and friend. His sons Joe and Kevin were along, and it made for great fun.

Al and David were also able to go Alaska and visit his nephew Steve Skogmo, who was the superintendent of Wards Cove Packing Co., a fish processing plant at Ekuk in Bristol Bay. Traveling there consisted of flying from Portland to Seattle, on to Anchorage, on to the Dillingham Airport, and then to the “International airport of Ekuk”, or so the sign said. When the two finally caught up with Steve, they talked on and on, even though Al and David were so tired! What they did not realize, because of the sun, was that it was 3:00 am, and they’d had left Portland at 6:00 am the day before! They had a great time there, and then moved on to a fishing camp near King Salmon, where they caught a lot of fish. It was Al’s and David’s first time fly fishing, and they pulled in and released trout till they couldn’t lift their arms. They had a great time but a few too many close encounters with grizzly bears. There’s a reason Alaskan guides carry guns!

In 2005 his grandson Jeremy and wife Kimberly were looking to purchase their first home, Al talked to his neighbor across Holman Street, and “charmed” her into selling as-is for about $50,000 under market. This ended up being a double bonus for Jeremy, as for the first seven years, Al did all the yard maintenance for them! Jeremy would get home from work, and they’d share a drink and play cribbage, and Jeremy would usually find himself getting whooped up on and thinking “how do I keep losing to a 90 year old?”

Joy and David were able to take Al on a few business trips with them. A memorable one was in Cabos san Lucas in a resort on a hillside. Al and David went to the Hilltop pool and played cribbage. There was a “special” drink mix they were offering there. After three of these fruity concoctions, the two of them stumbled down the hill to their room to be greeted by a well-deserved scowl from the Joyous one. Al loved her so.

With is oldest grandchild, Dave, living in Fort Lauderdale, it was time for a visit to Key West. Grandson Sam, Joy, David and Al flew into Key West and Dave and his wife Misty drove down to meet them. A week of Al’s favorite thing, being on a boat, being with family, champagne breakfast, and sampling and judging Key Lime pie (which should never be yellow!). Great times were had by all!

Al kept checking off his bucket list, this time by going hot air ballooning with David and David’s friends Alan and Diana McLean, out of the Newburg airport, in August of 2011. He enjoyed the ride very much, but we think what he really enjoyed was all the attention from the young women there. Another check mark was purchasing a Seaside, OR beach home, with David and Joy. He loved that home and the view of the Pacific and, the family thinks, boasting about it a little to his coffee cronies.

Living at home, by himself, driving (oh my, but agreed to only do so between 9:00 and 2:00, under 35 and in the neighborhood), shopping, cooking and going to coffee with the cronies at the Saint John’s McDonald’s – these were the activities that Al loved. He was still taking care of part of the yard (some pay back for Jeremy), when he fell (or had a slight stroke), and lay in the backyard until Kimberly found him. A hospital stay, rehab, back to the hospital and then to David & Joy’s home for 71 days, then off to an assisted living facility.

A nice year went by and he adapted easily (but not happily) to his new environment and made new friends over the three long meals each day. About a year after the first fall, he had another fall getting out of bed, and ended up back in rehab. The doctors made the decision that he needed to go to foster care. The facility appropriately named “Grandparents House” was only a two minute drive from David and Joy’s home, so visits were easy. The staff showed Al much loving kindness. He got his wish; living a long, healthy life, with a nice family, and then he passed away quietly in his sleep. Thanks for the friends that were able to visit him in the last two years, and to Pastor Mike Keys of Bethel Lutheran for checking in with Al about life and his faith.