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Emily Frances AdamsBorn August 4, 1926 - Lakeland, FloridaDied October 29, 2012 - Gladstone, OregonFrances, as she preferred to be called, was the first born child of Samuel W. and Jessie Lee Johnson. They lived in Lakeland, Florida. Her father was a Greyhound bus driver which led to many moves when she was young, living wherever the bus terminal was located. Her mother stayed at home, was an excellent cook and seamstress but would have been happier if she had been employed in an interesting job (not the case for most women in those days). Over the next nine years Mom's two brothers were born.Mom said she was skinny and small for her age, not at all outgoing. She was very intelligent - a straight A student and skipped half of two grades during her elementary years. She managed to get through high school without learning to ride a bicycle, swim, skate, catch or throw a ball. What she did enjoy was reading. Mom graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1943 and was described in the yearbook as "most intellectual." Her grade point average was 94.7 - the highest in her class.1943 was right in the middle of World War II. Tampa Shipbuilding Co. needed draftsmen and not knowing what else to do, Mom took a short course in mechanical drawing and was hired by the shipyard in the fall of '43. Her squad was responsible for engine room piping and she really enjoyed her job. This is where she met Wes Adams, her boss. As the war ended, Wes found a new job in Wilmington, Delaware. Mom meanwhile began a bookkeeping course in Tampa and was soon hired at a job in Lakeland, Florida. She and Wes had been corresponding and Wes decided he wanted to meet her folks. Mom's mother was difficult to face on anything and with Wes being divorced and 13 years older than she, she just knew he would not be acceptable. Soon after, Mom agreed to pack what she had, catch a train and meet Wes in Charleston, SC to get married.Mom and Dad had not seen each other for quite a while and she was very young (19) and immature, in her words, so was not too sure about marriage. They ended up on a bus heading south with Dad singing love songs to her, trying to change her mind and totally embarrassing her. They agreed that if the county clerk would issue them a marriage license they would get married. Even though she said she probably looked 14, they did get the license and were married.Dad's mother, Sarah Wilcox Adams, joined the newlyweds 3 months later and lived with Mom and Dad for the next 20 years until her death. When they married, Dad was 32 and Mom was 19; she always said that Grandma helped raise her. Grandma taught Mom to keep house, cook and sew. The only problem was that Mom and Dad didn't have much alone time.Over the years there were different jobs that led Mom and Dad through Houston, TX, then Yazoo City, MI, then on to Jackson, Mississippi. In 1951 they moved to Millbrae, California. Daughter Nancy was born there in 1952. Soon after they moved to Menlo Park, California into their first home. Son Charlie (1953) and daughter Mary (1957) were born there. They moved to Sunnyvale, California in the spring of 1960 where daughter Katy was born in 1961.Over the years Dad many times worked two jobs. Mom was a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. They decided that perhaps the time had come when she should get a job which would allow Dad to spend more time with the family. Through several answers to prayer, Mom was hired as a part time draftsman at Krebs Engineers even though her skills were a bit rusty. She was the sole draftsman as they started a new division called "Gas Kinetics," building air scrubbers - equipment installed to remove pollutants from smoke stacks in heavy industry. She worked at Krebs for 19Â½ years and considered it a wonderful job. After retiring twice, she took a job as administrative assistant to the pastor at their Nazarene church in Sunnyvale. Over the years Mom and Dad opened their home for Bible studies, traveling missionaries and evangelists. Mom had the most wonderful gift of hospitality. Dad could talk to anyone (she said Wes never knew a stranger) and Mom could cook up a fabulous meal - all from scratch! They welcomed many new couples into the church with a home cooked meal after Sunday morning service.As they grew older, they decided to sell and move to Oregon for retirement. There they became members of the Wilsonville Wesleyan Methodist Church serving there and making many close friends. When Dad passed away in January of 1997 Mom moved into a retirement home close by. She said that retirement in Oregon truly brought them oneness with each other and their last 4Â½ years together were the very best in their marriage. She has lived the past 15Â½ years without him, and missed him every day. They are once again together, with the Lord, enjoying all the promises they built their lives upon.Everyone who knew Frances Adams would remember her for her many talents - an accomplished seamstress and cook, her ability to organize and plan and run her household and especially her sense of selflessness - always putting herself and her wishes second to those she loved and served.One of Mom's favorite scriptures was "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust" (Psalm 18:2).Family:Emily Frances Adams is survived by her four children, Nancy Garner, Milwaukie, Oregon; Charles W. Adams, Campbell, California; Mary McFarLand, Palmdale, California; and Katy Zajac, Virginia Beach, Virginia; seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren; two brothers. Preceded in death by her husband, Charles Wesley Adams and grandson David Paul McMoyler.Service:Saturday, November 3, 2012, 1:00pm12:00 noon to 1:00pm viewingCornwell Colonial Chapel, 29222 SW Town Ctr. Loop E, Wilsonville, OregonPastor Jim Winters officiatingBurial at Aurora Community Cemetery

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Frances Adams (Johnson)

August 4, 1926 - October 29, 2012