Susan "Tootie" Poling

Susan "Tootie" Poling passed away on Wednesday, June 29, 2016, at the Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City, Ore., with her loving family by her side.

Services will be held Saturday, July 23, at 10 a.m., at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Nashua with her niece, Pastor Bonnie Novak, officiating.

She was the third of four daughters born to Harold and Mildred (Anderson) Miller on Oct. 30, 1947, in Glasgow, Mont. She was raised and attended school in Nashua. She was unable to graduate with her class in 1965, but was very proud of the fact that she did receive her high school diploma in 1970 after taking correspondence classes.

On Dec. 7, 1964, she married Reginald Nelson in Glasgow, and later moved to Washington state. Two daughters, Darci Jean and Wendi Rae, were born to this union. They were later divorced and she and her daughters moved back to Glasgow.

While employed at the Glasgow Air Force Base, she met Neil Poling and they married on June 30, 1972. A daughter, Allison Marie, and a son, Ryan Neil, were born to this union. Allison passed away at six months. Tootie, Neil and her family moved to Washington state and were later divorced.

She worked at the Teacher's Credit Union and was later employed at the Clark County Auditor's office in Vancouver, Wash.

In 1991, she moved to Lincoln City, Ore., to start a new chapter in her life with Lon Meldrum. He was self-employed and she became the executive director of the Lincoln County Board of Realtors, where she worked up until her death. She also served on many boards in the coastal community where she felt so "at home" and gained many wonderful friendships. She lost Lon to cancer in 2004.

She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015, and she fought a valiant battle right to the end.

Her comfort zone was her home, yard and garden of beautiful flowers, where she and Phil tended the plants and enjoyed the rewards. The greenhouse he built provided the start of many plants, which gave them plenty of hours of work and garden therapy for which she was so anxious to begin every spring.

She loved to play scrabble, but she was NOT happy if she didn't win. The competition between her and her sisters and other family members was fierce!

Living at the beach suited her, and she became fond of the any cats that adopted her home through the years, especially her beloved pick of the litter, "Buddy." Many friends and family enjoyed coming to her home where it was often said that the outside world melted away and time didn't matter.

She was much loved and will be missed by all of her friends and family.

Survivors include her loving companion of 10 years, Phillip Marple; children, Darci Wiebe and her husband, Arne, of Helena, Wendi Deal of Vancouver, Wash., and Ryan Poling of Lincoln City, Ore.; step-children Tim and Tawna Meldrum, whom she thought of as her own children; five grandchildren, nine great grandchildren; sisters, Pat Hallett of Nashua, Barb LaRoque and her husband, Brian, of Roundup, and Charlotte Arneson and her husband, Mark, of Glasgow; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.