In Loving Memory of Purr Purr

October 2000 - April 19, 2009

Goodbye Purr-Purr

With heavy hearts; and a tear in our eyes

After all these years; we must say goodbye

Please understand; we’ve done all we could

If there was anything we could do; you know we would

I’m sitting right here; gently rub your ears

While I talk to you softly; trying to hold back the tears

The memories you gave us; we’ll never forget

Especially the ones; of the day we all met

One last hug; and one last kiss

You have no idea; how much you’ll be missed

To look into your eyes; this one last time

You tell me it’s ok; you know it’s your time

Close your eyes now; and go to sleep

We’ll pray to the Lord; your soul he’ll keep

Go in peace now; our good friend

We’ll stay right here with you; until the end

Dream of that special day and time

When we’ll meet at the Bridge; and all will be fine

We’ll run and play; side by side

With a soft warm feeling; deep down inside

Your memory will live on; in each one of us

You’ll always be number 1; to all of us

Have a safe journey; through the night

I promise when you wake; you’ll be in God’s light

So with heavy heart; and tears in our eyes

Just for now my friend; we say goodbye

 Missing My Sweet Purr Purr

I’ve been thinking about how you came into my life and know that it wasn’t a coincidence at all.  I know in my heart that God created you for me – and for some reason picked me to love and care for you, to be your MAMA.  It was a cold October morning in year 2000, and you were a cross the street, a very little bundle, few weeks young, crying and looking at my house.  I went outside, across the street and you waited for me.  Picked you up and brought you inside, thinking what to do next, because I had 3 other babies: Abbett, Fifi and Mickey.  Gave you a nice bedroom for the night, you slept well, and the next morning you went outside with the others.  It was a nice sunny day, you wondered through the neighborhood all day long; I could hear your cries from the hills and thought for sure somebody will take you.  In the evening, peace and quiet, everybody in, except you.  Didn’t hear your voice anymore, but I still got out around 9pm to see if you are not around.  To my biggest surprise, there you were, at the garage corner, waiting for me, you didn’t even have to cry anymore, you knew I will be out in the night to bring you in.  Gave you the same bedroom, and you started purring so sweet, so I named you PURR PURR.  You were accepted in the family with love by Abbett, Fifi and Mickey.  But unfortunately in 2004 we lost Abbett, and we all miss him a lot.  I hope that you are reunited with Abbett now at the Rainbow Bridge and play with other fur babies.

I look at your pictures and still can’t believe that you are gone.  How could 8 years have passed so quickly?  It is so hard to believe and my mind and heart are having a difficult time accepting that you are gone.

Purr Purr, you took my heart with you when you left me.  I love you so much and I’m glad that you don’t suffer anymore.  But, I miss you so much that some days, like today, I just cry and cry.  The house is so empty and I am so lonely without you.  Fifi and Mickey are looking for you and waiting for you to eat together.

From this day forward, I want to remember how happy you were.  I want to remember the way you nibbled at my ankles in the kitchen, waiting for some goodies.  I want to remember how you waited every morning on the left side of the bed for me to get up, and you put your paw on my food.  I want to remember you enjoying the big condo, and the highest bed, watching through the sliding door.  I want to remember how you loved Fifi, and how you liked to tease Mickey.  I want to remember you sitting under the bird feeder, waiting to catch a bird.  And how many did you bring me in the kitchen, unhurt?

You will always and forever be my sweet Purr Purr (or how I many times called you Purrpoury).  I am forever grateful and thankful that you came into my life, for your unconditional love and affection, and for being the best boy ever!  I still long to have you by my side, but I know you are with me in spirit always…

Today you are sitting on God’s lap, instead of mine!

Love you forever,

Your Mama. 

March 13, 1990 – Jan 19, 2009

Now begins the pain for those who know. We must find a way to repair our now incomplete selves. So much of our daily joy, our interactions with each other, all centered on this being who gave all her life to us. For such a huge span of time in our lives we found comfort and laughter and marvel in our Darby. There were no qualifications, no bad days. There will never be another like her, we cannot imagine it. Not the fastest, nor the strongest. Not the most agile or the best behaved. No not these things. But she was sneaky and soft and covered bones by shoveling dirt with her nose. She made sure everyone in the household praised her skill in finding buried  treasures as they were paraded around the house. She never tired of trying to fluff the blankets to be just right, but always seemed resigned that they could not become perfect. And Darby had a face more beautiful than any creature. For all our time together we enjoyed the ultimate impromptu ambassador.

Our Darby was instant celebrity and just one look touched and melted the hearts of hundreds, of many hundreds of humans. For years Darby held court in the living room claiming the best chair as throne, and she could defend that throne with just a glance. Nothing else was needed to assert her status as the one true queen of the household. In earlier times tennis balls were items of delight, but retrieving was not her game. Rather we played ‘bet you can’t catch me and get the ball back’. Short legs were no impediment to speed for Darby, and she was remarkably maneuverable. Darby always won, but usually there was just one round to the tournament, capped often by running at enormous speed in a couple of figure-eights for her victory lap. In later years the ball was abandoned, but till the end you could not take the Darby out of Darby.

Even as she endured the indignities of multiple surgeries our precious “baby girl” remained true to her gentle and so rich personality. We could not do enough for her and I surely hope that during her life she understood how much she meant to us.

Love, Randy (dad), Nancy (mom), and brothers, Aaron & Nathan

12/02/2007 to 11/04/2008

Time
Time is too slow for those who wait
Too swift for those who fear
Too long for those who grieve
Too short for those who rejoice
But, for those who love –
Time is eternity

We Will Miss you…

Born in Estacada, OR on Dec. 10, 1996
Departed on Jun. 19, 2008 and resided in Portland, OR. 

JB was born in Estacada, Oregon on December 10, 1996. We chose JB over her puppy siblings because she was the toughest puppy of the litter while playing tug-of-war. She wasn’t the biggest, but she was the strongest.

The full name of JB is Julia Brunette, Christel’s great-grandmothers name. We thought we might name our puppy Reagan, and choose a male, but when we saw the size and ferociousness of JB’s sire we promptly choose a female puppy.

We picked up JB in Estacada when she was twelve weeks old and brought her to our newly purchased home in the Westmoreland district of Portland, Oregon. The house and the puppy were a lot of work in the early years. JB would love to go for a walk in the late evening hours to expend the puppy energy. While doing so she would love to play fetch, or better said keep-away, with the neighbors’ newspapers (they were made from trees and looked liked sticks, and they were in the box I came home in). The area turned out to be the perfect place to raise a “family dog” as there were many trails, parks, rivers, lakes (stocked with ducks to chase) nearby.

JB started out as the only child in the family. After a few years she was nudged out by Tristan, Trafford, and finally Blythe. She knew the new pecking order and was fine with it, as long as there were plenty of tennis balls to chase, mysterious food falling from highchairs, tables, and unsuspecting small children trying to eat hot dogs. Other than the single instance JB never snapped at a child (when Tristan was under a year old), she would put up with all sorts of tail pulling, ear twisting, and even the occasional child rodeo.

JB was not just a stay-at-home dog; she was a professional dog, walking to Michael’s office in Sellwood, waiting all day for the short walk home and possible fallen goodies on the sidewalks in Westmoreland.

JB was an athlete, climbing up to Mt. Hood’s Palmer Glacier from Timberline Lodge many times and chasing Michael down while he skied or snowboarded - two and a half hours up and fifteen minutes down. JB also climbed to the summit of Mt. Adams, over twelve thousand feet. The volcanic rock almost ruined her paws on the way down.

JB came from a strong bloodline of water retrievers, and it showed. When she was just a three months old, she chased a duck right into the lake at Westmoreland Park. She ran the first few feet and then promptly went straight under water. Frantically paddling with her front paws she pulled herself out and shook off. It was another week or two before she would get back in the water; it took Michael getting in the water, and Christel going to the other side of the river and calling her name, before she would swim again. Once she did, she was off for good.

She spent many mornings, days, and evenings fetching sticks, balls, and just about anything else in the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Trillium, Frog and Collins Lakes, and the Pacific Ocean. She was most at home when in the water.

JB was a dry land dog, too. She spent many hours on trails running with Christel and Michael. It was a bit tiring when Christel would run in the morning and Michael in the evening of the same day. She put in many extra miles whenever Christel would train for a road race or triathlon.

In her later years JB mellowed and became smarter about her jaunts in the Eastmoreland district. Frequently Christel would get a call from the owner of the Eastmoreland Market, a few blocks away, stating JB was sitting at the front door waiting for dog biscuits. She also spent a long hours waiting for the kids to finish the school day at Holy Family.

JB was a great family dog that loved people and her family to her fullest ability. Her memories are strong with many people in and around Portland, from the mountains, through the city, to the coast.

”Kaline” Schoenfeldt
1995 - 2006

A Faithful Dog Will Play With You
And Laugh With You or Cry
He’ll Gladly Starve to Stay With You
Nor Ever Reason Why,
And When You’re Feeling Out of Sorts
Somehow He’ll Understand
He’ll Watch You With His Shining Eyes
And Try to Lick Your Hand.
His blind, Implicit Faith In You
Is Matched By His Great LOVE
The Kind That All of Us Should Have
In The Master, Up Above.
When Everything Is Said And Done
I Guess This Isn’t Odd
For When You Spell “Dog” Backwards
You Get The Name of God.

You Will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
We Love You and Miss You!
Daddy, Mommy and Brother Simba

Born on Oct. 3, 1993
Departed on Jun. 25, 2004

Stimpy was picked from a pet store in Spearfish, SD when I was fresh out of college. For the next decade, Stimpy would follow me in my adventures from South Dakota to Portland, Oregon.

Stimpy was a cat’s cat. He was a master stalker of prey..even though he was an indoor kitty and his prey consisted of feathers and shaker toys. Stimpy eventually convinced me that he truly wanted to be an outdoor kitty to stalk bigger game.

Some of Stimpy’s favorite things were playing fetch with his mouse toy, eating grass, playing ‘tent’ under a blanket, newspaper, box, blueprints, and dinner time (breakfast, lunch, and snack time as well.)

I miss Stimpy’s warm body curled up in a ball, keeping me warm on a cold night. I miss his soothing purr. I miss the ‘thump’ on the kitchen floor at night after searching for food on the countertop and his whiskers tickling my face until I awake in the early mornings to feed him.

More than just a simple pet, Stimpy reminded us of patience, responsibility, sorrow, happiness, laughter, empathy, and unconditional love.

Stimpy was loved by all and will be in our hearts forever.

Take care, Stimpy…until we meet again

These words are from my heart.

”Sadly on December 23, 2003 our loving companions passed away in a house fire. They lived together, played together, fought together, and died together. We will miss them forever, but will one day see them again. Mascot, Marmalade, Murphy,Merlin, Missy and the birds. I loved you very much and will miss you just as much. I will always feel your presence and know you are at peace and all together. I will see you again..

Trish

Mascot - aka Spaz - you were my first dog that was really mine. Sometimes you weren’t the best dog when you chewed a shoe or chased a cat, but I loved you sooooo much. I’ll always remember how you would sneak into my room at night and snuggle under my covers, even though you knew you weren’t allowed. And how you would stare at me from across the room for no reason. Life just won’t be the same without you.

Marmalade - aka Tank - goodbye my Herford. You’ll be missed so much! I remember the day I got you from the Humane Society; you were so tiny! We fixed that, huh? You slept so much on the back of my couch you made a permanent groove in the pillows. I know you’ll be happy to see Lilly in kitty heaven. You were a great help to her. And how can I forget how much you loved to hide in the bamboo, but I’ll never figure out how you fit through the fence to make it over to Bobbi’s yard. You were just a great mellow-yellow cat. I love you.

Murphy - my (muffin) baby blue eyes! You were so handsome. Everyone thought so. I wish you could have known how hard I fought to save you from the crazy guy next door. Those were some tough times. As you grew up you became my “bathroom kitty.” That’s where you loved to lay. No one had any privacy with you, but you were just too cute to get mad at. I remember when Mascot always liked to pick on you and you would just roll over on your back and grab him with all of your paws in a headlock. I’ll never forget how many times I almost stepped on you because you stopped and dropped right in front of me. Then you’d look up at me with your big blue eyes. I could never be mad at you. I think I’ll miss you the most.

Merlin - hey mer-man. You were my mysterious wild cat. I named you Merlin because it was magic when I found you at that campground on Mother’s Day. The park rangers had been trying to catch you for days with no luck. I caught you with a bowl of milk that’s all. When we moved to the new house you loved to check the perimeter of the house, and whenever Matilda caught a bird you always claimed it as your own. You only wanted loves when YOU wanted them. Only on your time is when you came around, but I always knew when you were in my room because there were muddy paw prints on my covers from you always being outside. If you had a theme song, it would be “I Love You Truly.” When you howled that’s what you sounded like you were singing. That’s what I’ll miss the most. I love you.

Missy - my oldest cat. I’m not sure of your age, but it has to be old because you barely had any teeth, but that’s okay because I loved you the same. You loved to be lazy and sleep on my mom’s bed all day with Mascot. You always picked the worst times to take a bath, whether it be a 3 a.m. or in the middle of a movie, but you were very beautiful. I’ll miss the way that you would get a sudden burst of energy and skid across the kitchen floor and land in the laundry room or the dining room. I think that my mom will miss you even more than you could imagine. You will be missed dearly.

Naya - goodbye Nay-Pie. It seems that I just got you back from when you flew outside. Now you’re truly free. I don’t even think you knew you were a bird. You wanted any thing I had like food and pop and even when I took a shower you had to be right there with Murphy in the bathroom. Even though you were so loud, I still loved you. And even though you sometimes dive-bombed the cats, I still loved you and now that you’re gone, I STILL love you.

2 Parakeets - well, we rescued you, along with the other parakeets, but they got new homes and we decided to keep you two together. You were beautiful when you talked. You sounded so pretty. I’m sorry we never named you, but I don’t think that you two minded. You two just did your own parakeet thing. I’m glad that you two were together when you passed. I’ll miss your songs.

Born on Jul. 13, 1992 - Departed on Oct. 7, 2003 

Faust was the gentlest soul and was a friend to everyone. From Ohio to Michigan, Tennessee to Oregon he charmed his way into our hearts. We will miss hearing him snore at night, touching his soft fur and smelling his bad breath. From his howling at sirens to snuggling at night or by the fire, he brought humor and comfort. Faust’s living presence will be missed but he will be remembered in our memories but mostly our hearts.

Faust lived like a King his whole life and on his birthday’s got a big steak. Keeping with this treat, his last week he dined on ribeyes & t-bones.

We’ll see this sweet little man again.

Love doesn’t need a body to sustain.

Alisa and Angela

Born: Around February 1990
Adopted: February 21, 1991
Died: June 4, 2003

Losing a loved one is never easy. On June 4th, 2003, I lost my dog, Hannah. She was my best friend, my roommate, my only “child.” I always knew she was a big part of my life, but I didn’t realize how big, until she was gone. I have never before experienced such a devastating loss . . .

Before Hannah came into my life, I never really thought I’d be a ”dog person,” but I have become one and am proud of it. It’s true what they say about dogs–they are loving, trusting, and pure in their feelings, and not afraid to show them, and Hannah showed her feelings in a very quiet and dignified way. I will miss many things about her: her enthusiasm for walks, her soft, comforting snoring at night, her lying on her favorite spot on the floor in front of the kitchen sink, and perhaps most, her always being there when I got home, and greeting me with a ”It’s so wonderful to have you home again” look and wag of the tail.

When I first decided to get a dog from a shelter, I thought I would be giving a neglected being a second chance at life. Little did I realize that that’s what Hannah would be giving me. Hannah changed who I was, and changed me for the better. Her encouragement for walks gave me an appreciation for nature and an incentive to exercise. Her love of routine gave my often unorganized life some structure and balance. Her gentleness and friendliness toward strangers-whether canine or human-helped me see the world through kinder eyes. Her simple presence, as a being I was now responsible for, gave my life added purpose. But most of all, her ever-present love and gratitude and acceptance of me-from her wagging tail in the morning to her contented sigh at night-gave me a joy like no other.

I still think of Hannah every day and perhaps I always will. But finally, the heartbreaking memories of her illness and death are slowly beginning to fade and the pleasant ones of our happy times together are growing a little stronger. Hannah was and will always remain one of the best parts of my life.

Thanks for sharing your life with me, girl . . .

~Donna

Beloved Kitty Companion and Friend
Spring, 1988 to April 13, 2003

When we first met in September 1989 in Omak, Washington; you were just that grey kitty who belongs to the down stairs neighbor. I started leaving a bowl of dry cat food out for you because she never seemed to feed you or let you in the house. Then they took her away to a mental hospital and made no provisions for your care. So I started trying to make friends with you with only marginal success. There were already 4 cats in that little apartment, 2 of mine and 2 visiting with my parents for the winter. You managed to make friends with all of them eventually. And then came the November 1989 snowstorm. You stood on the roof of the carport next door, looking down over my café curtains and meowing loud enough to be heard over the storm. You demanded a warm dry place to sleep! I let you in the house and that started our path as friends. When I look back, it is hard to believe that it took me almost a year to get you to sleep inside, to trust me, to go for your first vet check-up. But a November snowstorm started your trust in me. When we finally got to the vet for that checkup, he wanted to know your name. Since you had always come when called “Grey Kitty”, I decided to call you Mr. Grey, even though you are really a brown mackerel tabby. You deserved a formal name to go with your very dignified persona.

After about 18 months, the next job transfer came. What a dilemma! Should I try to move this almost-mine cat? Would you accept transplanting to another place? Would you accept the only place I could find to live that had no place for you to go outdoors? What to do? In the end, I just couldn’t leave you behind! So off we went for the first of 12 moves in the next 12 years. You saw Washington, Nevada, California, and Oregon. You have always been a trooper and whenever I started packing boxes, you had to be in the middle of the process. It was like you were saying “Don’t forget to take me with you”!

The joy of the last two years living in Beaverton with you has been great. There were trees outside every window, which meant birds and squirrels to watch. I am glad that we often took time to just go outside and walk in the yard together. You never lost that urge to be an outside kitty and would beg for the window to be opened so you could smell fresh air. I am grateful that we took time for a final walk two days ago. You had just had a cortisone shot and were feeling pretty good. We spent that time together enjoying a warm spring evening, smelling flowers, you eating grass, exploring the yard, and me talking to the neighbor. I will carry that memory of you with me always.

I will always remember your wonderful sweet personality and loud motor! Your purr was the best soother on stressful days and your husky voice demanding food woke me up like clockwork every morning. You are at peace now, and waiting for me to come so we can complete the journey over the Rainbow Bridge. I will see you again and keep you in my heart until we can be together. I love you, Mr. Grey! Be safe and be happy until we are together forever!