Mary Louisa Laxson Houk

Mary Louisa Laxson Houk: Mary was born in Black Water, Missouri in 
1897, also 101 years before you were born. When she was 9 years old 
her family took the train from Missouri to Portland, Oregon along with 
many of her family members. She had 1 brother and 4 sisters. She 
went through school in Portland, then met Mack (that's what he was 
always called) in church. They married in 1917. She worked in a 
department store in Portland until she and Mack moved to Redmond, 
Oregon. She always helped out in the Ford business as secretary. Her 
daughter, Jane, was born in 1920, and a son in 1924. She was a member 
in many of Redmond's activities and organizations, including being a 
Girls Scout Leader and the Eastern Star. She loved to bowl, and won 
many trophies. In 1937 she and Mack, along with their children 
traveled from Redmond to Washington DC and back pulling a trailer. 
This was in the early days of trailers and everywhere they went people 
wanted to peek inside to see this new way of traveling! Grandma Mary 
was a wonderful cook who always had something special for us to eat. 
She was active until she died in 1979.