Sophie Meadows

Sophie Meadows was born in Fosston Minnesota on March 13, 1919 to Norwegian parents, Sophia (Kepler) and Albert H. Lillo. Sophie spent her youth in Minnesota and spoke often both of the Indians that often passed on trails nearby trading animal skins for flour, sugar and supplies at her fathers’ general store; and, the bitter cold winters and hardships inherent through the depression years. Sophie along with her sister, Evelyn, and three older brothers (Allen, Clarence, and Henry) helped her father, Albert, manage his many business ventures: lumberyard, creamery, farm and general store. Sophie at a young age gained both a strong independent business sense and practical ability of strict accounting/ budget balancing. She later carried this talent to California where she studied both business and creative writing at San Jose State. Sophia loved to write letters in which had a special way of stopping time with detailed descriptions of her immediate surroundings and the joy held therein. Sophia was proud of her Norwegian inheritance and loved to recite the Lord’s Prayer in Norwegian before every meal. She was brought up in the Lutheran church and raised both her sons also in Grace Lutheran Church in Palo Alto, California. Sophie was referred to usually as Milly (short for Amelia) and understandably wrote her first name as Sophie to distinguish herself since both her Mother and herself shared the first name of Sophia. She loved to share favorite sayings and aphorisms such as: a stitch in time save nine, beggars never ride, I have eyes in the back of my head, a penny saved is a dollar earned and a little birdie told me. After high school she moved to Palo Alto, California to be near her Aunt Lisa and explore her new found independent freedom in the West. She soon moved to San Jose working in the San Jose Creamery and later lived and worked in San Francisco where she met her husband, Henry Meadows. They were married June 21, 1942 at the First Lutheran Church in Palo Alto. After giving birth to their first son, Allen, in San Francisco, they moved to Palo Alto where Henry started a job with Hewlett Packard. They lived in the San Francisco Bay Area until 1967 when they then purchased and managed a trailer park in Ukiah, California. They later retired in Philomath and Corvallis, Oregon near their sons and Granddaughter, Maggie Meadows. Sophie enjoyed writing, camping and traveling. During the years spent in California she spent summers traveling with her family across the country or camping at lakes and the ocean in California. Sophie’s grandest and most memorable trip was an eight month journey with her husband and younger son to Europe to travel and visit with her older son, Allen, who was stationed at Heidelberg, Germany. They drove across the country in their 1968 Chevy Impala, took a cruise boat across the Atlantic to Europe, purchased a 1956 Opel station wagon and rented a flat in Sandhausen, Germany located approximately 10 kilometers from Heidelberg. They organized three different trips throughout Europe traveling in the 1956 Opel station wagon - camping tent and cook stove included. She loved shopping in the small villages and enjoyed learning travelers’ German. Sophie kept a written log of her travels throughout Europe and collected dolls representative of all the countries visited (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland). After a typical day of traveling, the tent would be erected, tables and chairs set up, gas cook stove fired up, evening meal served, then hours would spent outside writing and sharing stories of the day. This trip was never to be forgotten and became the focal point of our lives from thereon. Survivors include: sons Allen and Robert Meadows; granddaughters Maggie Williams and Mara Kyger; and four grandchildren: Gavin and Dominic Williams; Yzadora and Imogene Kyger; along with many nieces and nephews. Sophie’s family would like to extend great appreciation to Dr. Grube, Dr. Weisensee, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Staff, West Hills Assisted Living Community, The Caring Place, Benton Hospice, Albany Senior Center, Friends and Management of Highland View Mobile Estates, and Meals on wheels for all the good care and support over the years. A funeral service is planned for 11:00 am, Monday October 31st at McHenry Funeral Home Chapel. The casket will be open one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Oak Lawn Memorial Park.

Tributes

Sophie Meadows

March 13, 1919 - October 28, 2011