Nola & Bill at the 25th Reunion in 1987

Nola Jean (Grimes) Conner passed away on November 23, 2009 in The Dalles, Oregon at the age of 66.

Nola was born at Parks Victory Memorial Hospital on Jefferson Street on July 9, 1943.  She attended local schools including Westwood Elementary, Ridgeview Junior High, and Napa High.  She began singing in the Glee Club in the 5th Grade at Westwood, and continued with the Chorus at Ridgeview, and the Napa Senior High-Junior College Choir.  Nola maintained her love of singing and music throughout her life.

At Napa High, in addition to the Choir, Nola was on the staff of the school newspaper, 'The Injuneer.'  She was also a faithful alum, attending three straight reunions for the 20th, 25th, and 30th.  In the 1982 Reunion Compilation, she described herself as a 'homemaker' . . .

On March 30, 1962, Nola married U.S. Navy Submariner William 'Bill' Conner.  They lived in many places during Bill's Navy career, including Vallejo, San Diego, Oahu, Hawaii, and New London, Connecticut, where their son William was born.  After Bill retired from the Navy in 1978, they made their home in The Dalles, an historic community (population 13,620) along the Columbia River.

Nola Jean loved bowling and was quite accomplished at the sport.  She was Treasurer and Secretary for several bowling leagues, and in 1986 her team competed in a national bowling tournament.  She was active in the Parent Teacher Association, and volunteered reading to first-graders.  She sang for several years in the Sweet Adelines, and played Bunco with a local group of women.  On the employment side, Nola worked for 12-years as a bookkeeping assistant for McDonalds.  A book lover, she could often be found engrossed in Civil War or Abraham Lincoln-era books.

Nola is survived by her husband of 47-years, Bill Conner, their son William, three brothers, one sister, and many nieces and nephews; as well as lifetime friends Karen (Hamilton) Jones and Eva (Wilson) Cooke.  You can be sure that those three made the most of the Reunion gatherings!

A memorial service for Nola Jean was held at Treadway & Wigger Funeral Chapel in Napa on December 8, 2009.