Ople Irene Foley

OPLE IRENE CASIDAY FOLEY March 18, 1918 - November 17, 2011 "She was beautiful, generous, spontaneous, and kind. She would help anyone in need. She was the perfect, quick- witted partner to a loving husband of more than 50 years." Ople Foley of Felida, WA, died on Nov. 17, 2011. She was born in Sweatman, MS, the 12th of 14 children of John and Ethel Casiday. The family moved to Truman, AR, when she was a baby and farmed a large homestead there for many years. She and her siblings helped chop cotton, feed the hogs and chickens, and tend the huge vegetable gardens they needed to feed those around the Casiday's famous 20-foot long table that was open to anyone. Ople met the love of her life when she was a senior in high school boarding in Truman, AR and Hubert Foley was the tall dark, handsome ice delivery man living next door. She was shy and so was he. His first words to her were a joke he made as she walked home from school one day, "Hey", he said, "are you walking or rolling?" It made her laugh and lose the weight she'd gained in the boarding house. She loved that guy. World War II intervened but they married after both served in the armed forces. They settled in Portland, OR, surviving the Vanport flood of 1948, moving to higher ground in Vancouver, first to the Harney Heights neighborhood then to 10 acres overlooking Mount St. Helens, the spot they both adored for more than 60 years. Over many years, Ople stayed active with her Baptist church, often teaching English and welcoming immigrants and other newcomers with berries and vegetables from the garden. She was the first to help a sick friend and the last to leave when illness took a hard turn. She loved her three children, three grandsons, great-grandson and extended family, which included many nieces and nephews. She was always ready to help or to have fun. She was truly adored and will be greatly missed. Ople is survived by her son, Hubert Tibbles Foley, Jr. "Buddy" of Seattle; her daughter, Eva Marie Foley (Craig) Weaver of Seattle and grandsons, Walter Weaver (Marc Jones) of Seattle, Ruston Scott Weaver (Shannon) of Seattle, and Nicholas Hubert Weaver of Seattle, and great-grandson, Justin Ruhe; and daughter, Susan Grace Foley (David) Helfand of Los Angeles. She was preceded in death by her husband, Hubert T. Foley. Friends and family are invited to her memorial service on Sat., Nov. 26th, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, 1101 NE 112th Ave., followed by a get together immediately afterwards.