Zella Mae Twidwell Conner, 91, died July 3, 2008, at Corvallis Manor in Corvallis, Ore. She was born May 2, 1917 at the family home in La Grande, the fourth of 11 children, to James Edgar Twidwell and Sophia Lucille Hoak. She graduated from La Grande High School in 1934 and Eastern Oregon Normal School (EOU) in 1936 with a certificate of teaching. In 1964, she graduated from Eastern Oregon College with a bachelor of arts education.

She began a lifetime career of teaching at Lower Powwatka school in Wallowa County in September 1936. Over the years, she taught at Lower Powwatka, Starkey Lumber Camp (in a railroad box car), Wolfe Creek, Nyssa, Lostine, Wallowa, and finished her career as the Elementary Librarian in Enterprise. She met husband-to-be Donald R. Conner in 1936 when he was visiting cousins at Powwatka.

Don and Zella were married May 28, 1942 in Nyssa, Ore. They resided all of their lives in Wallowa until ill health had them relocate to Corvallis to be near their daughter, Maridee.

Zella helped Don when needed with their Don’s Food Store in Wallowa. She was also was active in many service organizations throughout her life, was a charter member of the Wallowa Junior Woman’s Club, helped with the well-baby clinic during W.W.II, was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader, a 4-H leader, a Rainbow Mom, Worthy Matron of Eastern Stars, a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, the Cowbells, on the Wallowa Public Library Board, a member of the Retired Teachers of Wallowa County, the Ladies Birthday Club, and the Wallowa Lake Yacht Club.

Zella enjoyed knitting, sewing, tole painting, gardening, and fishing. She loved to spend weekends at the cabin and fishing on Wallowa Lake. She learned to quilt later in life and made three log cabin quilts for her grandchildren.

In 1981, she won the Oregon Chicken Cooking Contest with her recipe for micorwave chicken.

Zella was preceded in death by her husband, Don, in 2002, one month short of their 60th anniversary; her parents; siblings Naomi Perry, Elva Quinland, Arlo Twidwell, Jim Twidwell, Wilfred Twidwell (W. W. II), Gerald Twidwell, and two infant brothers.

She is survived by her daughter, Maridee, and husband Richard Symons of Philomath, Ore.; granddaughter Cristie Quiner; great-granddaughters, Kyndra and Athalia; granddaughter Carolyn Symons; grandson Robert of Ft. Worth, Texas; brother Marvin Twidwell, of La Grande; and sister Dee Kennedy of Anchorage, Alaska.

A memorial will be held Aug. 9, 2008 at the Wallowa Senior Center Wallowa. Memorial contributions may be made to Wallowa Public Library or Wallowa History Center or Wallowa Senior Center or Benton Hospice Service or a charity of ones choice. Online condolences may be directed to www.mchenryfuneralhome.com.