Mamie May McCrae, an 86-year-old resident of La Grande, formerly of Wallowa, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 2, 2022, at home. A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, January 15, 2022, at Bollman Funeral Home in Enterprise at 11 am with Archie Hook officiating. Family and friends will be received one hour prior to the services.

Mamie was born to Thayer Milo and Myrtle Viola Holmes Laughlin on August 23, 1935, at their home near Kenny Lake outside of Joseph, Oregon. She was the youngest of four children.

Mamie attended schools in Mapton, Washington, and Joseph, Oregon, and she was the last student to attend the Divide School – her teacher lived with her family during the winter months. Mamie was one of six students to graduate from Lostine High School in 1953.

One year, she had to ride horses to the school on the Divide; she loved horses but didn’t really enjoy riding them! She had a lot of animals in her life that she wrote to her grandchildren about one year, in her Christmas letter. She enjoyed reading, playing the piano, making dolls from grass and weeds, riding her bicycle and playing pretend. When she was young, she ran a derrick during the summer months for her father, and she recalled him telling her, “If you never learn how to milk cows, you’ll never have to milk cows.”

She married Norman McCrae on October 9, 1953, in Asotin, Washington. Together they resided and raised their family on their ranch just outside Wallowa, Oregon. They had two sons and two daughters: Teresa Rene’ (1954), Mark Wayne, Diana May (1956) and Blake Norman (1958).

Mamie’s greatest accomplishment in her life was her devotion to her husband and family. She loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was Dad’s right-hand helper and always supported us kids with our school activities and sports. She worked for the Oregon Department of Forestry on fire lookouts for three summers and loved her time there.

Mom enjoyed gardening, canning, reading, shopping for fabric, sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, bird watching, painting, and traveling with Dad for 30 years to Arizona and Mexico for winters, and she loved her computer, which was self-taught, and her cell phone. Her very favorite food was “chocolate.” Her favorite colors were pink, purple and red.

Mom will be greatly missed by those of us left behind, namely: her children, Teresa (Bob) Kelly of La Grande, OR, Mark (Dena) McCrae of La Grande, OR, Diana (John) Wheeler of Rupert, ID, and Blake (Marcia) McCrae of La Grande, OR; her sister, Doreen Wortman of Wallowa and brother, Asa Laughlin of Prineville; her grandchildren, Shonda (Toney) Breier, Gabriel (Paty) Kelly, Jossie Kelly (Travis Stitzel), Trampas McCrae, Logan (Mary Alice) McCrae, Taya (Marc) Much, Tyler (Andrea) Wheeler, Jake (Janni) Wheeler, Jaren (Amber) Wheeler, Andrew Wheeler, Tadd (Tina) McCrae, Amanda McCrae (Billy) McCallister, Goldie McCrae, and Cody (Kendra) McCrae; 23 great-grandchildren with two more on the way; and sisters-and brothers-in-law, Mary and Thorval Burrows, Dallas and Carol McCrae, Nance Stephens,and all her special nieces and nephews.

Mamie was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Norman; parents, Thayer and Myrtle Laughlin; parents-in-law, Marion and Nancy McCrae; great-granddaughter Aurora Much; brother and sister-in-law, Joy (Liz) Laughlin; sister and brothers-in-law, Bethel (Merton) Wade; Jimmy (Margaret) McCrae; and brothers-in-law, Ersel Wortman and Alonso Stephens.

The family expresses their sincere appreciation to Dr. Adcox, Fresenius Dialysis Center and Heart ‘n Home Hospice staff for the compassionate care that was given.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to Heart ‘n Home Hospice, 2104 Cove Avenue #A, La Grande, OR 97850 or Fresenius Dialysis Center, 10601 Walton Road, La Grande, OR 97850.