Wasco-Clackamas County OR Archives Obituaries.....Commander, Grace Glendia December 11, 2004
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Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com April 5, 2006, 5:47 pm

The Dalles Chronicle, December 16, 2004
     Grace Glendia Commander, 86, a longtime resident of The Dalles, died at 
the local hospital of natural causes on Dec. 11, 2004.
     She was born in Sheridan, Wyo., Nov. 23, 1918, to Cornelius and Josephine 
Jane (Purdum) Bensch, the youngest of six children.
     She spent her childhood in Eastern Montana, living for a time in Glasgow 
and on the Crow Agency Reservation near Hardin. In 1937 she graduated from 
high school in Helena, Mont. Her senior year was spent attending school in 
railroad passenger cars after the new high school was destroyed by an 
earthquake.
     She wrote poetry during her school years and several were published in 
Helena newspapers.
     She proudly served her country during World War II as a switchboard 
operator in the communications center of the Pentagon. In 1944 she married 
Walter Graham Commander in Washington, D.C. They met while he was a bus driver 
for Greyhound Bus Lines.
     She lived in Sandy and then Carson, Wash., before moving to The Dalles in 
1949, when her husband took a job for The Dalles ferry. Later he worked as a 
teamster on many major dam construction projects in the Pacific Northwest.
     As the family grew, she worked first at The Dalles Clinic for five years 
and then spent 28 years as a receptionist for local osteopath Dr. John 
Gilhousen.  The family lived in the Chenowith area for many years before 
moving closer to town.
     She was a Cub Scout den mother, Sunday School teacher at the Nazarene 
Church, and a member of the PTA, The Dalles Senior Center, Fort Dalles Riders 
Club and Fort Dalles Rodeo Association.
     She enjoyed gardening, reading nonfiction books, working crossword 
puzzles and traveling to Alaska to visit her sons.
     Survivors include a sister, Louise Munn, Moscow, Idaho; children Jerry 
Commander and wife Loretta, Valdez, Alaska; Tony Commander and wife Evelyn, 
Anchorage, Alaska; Betsy Place and husband, Greg, The Dalles; Lloyd Commander 
and wife, Paula, Pendleton; former daughter-in-law Delia Commander, Anchorage; 
and grandchildren Lisa Commander and husband, Adam, Kirkland, Wash.; Jessika 
and Elana Cranston, Milwaukie; Graham, Jacob and Malhcolm Place, The Dalles; 
Terra and Tiffany Commander, Minneapolis, Minn., and numerous nieces and 
nephews.
     She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter C. Commander; daughter, 
Cherie Ann; two brothers and two sisters.
     A celebration of her life will be held at The Dalles Church of the 
Nazarene on Friday, Dec. 17 at 11 a.m. with Rev. Lloyd Commander officiating.  
Memorials may be made to CatLink of The Dalles.
     Arrangements are by Spencer, Libby & Powell Funeral Home.


Additional Comments:
Written permission to reprint given by The Dalles Chronicle, The Dalles, 
Oregon, Dan Spatz, Editor (e-mail dated 3/7/2006).


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