Doris Thelma Price Haney of Hermiston died on Aug. 31, 2017 at Guardian Angel Homes in Hermiston at the age of 91.
She was born on Nov. 16, 1925 in Birmingham, England to John Henry Price and Margaret Kate Colley Price.
Doris had a good childhood, even though times were tough. She had to quit school at 14 when World War II broke out. She had to go to work in the war factories. She used to tell the story of the blitz. Her mom and siblings would go down to the air raid shelter every night for over a year. She and her dad, being defiant, chose to stay in the house. She said she never knew if she would wake up in the morning. Lights were turned out so the enemy bombers couldn’t see the city.
After the war, she met and married Frank. She was introduced to him by her sister, Alma, who was dating Frank’s brother, Joe. They also married. Doris and Frank’s first child, Paul, was born in 1949. The war devastated the city of Birmingham. With no housing or jobs, the two couples emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1951. The Australian government sponsored their voyage by ship, costing them 10 British pounds per person. Jobs were abundant. They lived in hostels, tents and shipping crates along with thousands of other emigrants. Houses were being built by the emigrants themselves in a cooperative. A lottery system was used to determine in what order families would occupy the homes. Doris and Frank’s number was high and they would have to wait at least two years for their home. Fran, their second child, was born in 1951. With, two small kids, they felt they couldn’t wait that long. They emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand in 1955 and settled in Tokoroa, having their third child, Kieron, in 1958. Then in 1959, Doris’s aunt in Oakland, Calif. sponsored them after a two-year wait.
The journey took them 16 days by ship. Interestingly enough, the ship stopped in Hawaii the day it became the 50th state. From 1959 to 1972, they lived in Redwood City and Sunnyvale, Calif. Their fourth child, Dirk, was born in Mountain View, Calif. in 1964. They then moved to Irrigon in 1972 and Hermiston in 2004. People are stunned that this amazing couple, with little more than the clothes on their backs, moved not once but three times to three different countries. Doris had told her kids that she’d had a wonderful life despite all the hardships.
She first and foremost took care of her family. She worked and raised her kids sometimes on a shoestring, but they were always loved and taken care of. Her kids and husband would say she was the BEST mom and wife ever! Rest in peace, Doris; you are with Frank now.
She is survived by her children: Paul, Irrigon, Fran Montgomery (Bobby), Kennewick, Wash., Kieron, Irrigon, and Dirk (Diana), Kelso, Wash.; grandchildren, Kristopher, Michael, Austin, and twins, Alison and Andrea; and great grandchildren, Konner, Arriya and Gavin.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank, and all her siblings, Raymond, Olive, Donald, Joan, Eric, Gwen, Alma and Audrey.
At Doris’s request, there is no service. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to Alzheimer’s/dementia research.
Please sign the online guest book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
