Margaret Louise Vernstrom

Margaret Louise Vernstrom, 93, of Seaside, died Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, in Seaside.

She was born Nov. 23, 1918, in Portland, to Clara and Michael Finnegan.

Raised in Portland, she graduated from Washington High School in 1936.

She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon in 1940.

In November 1944, she married Walter Vernstrom of Portland in New York City. He preceded her in death in 2001.

Mrs. Vernstrom worked for the Astorian Budget, the Salem Capital Journal, the Bedell Company and United Airlines in Portland. While in New York, she was employed by NBC and the Army Transportation Corp. When World War II ended, she and her husband returned to Portland, where she later worked as an assistant librarian at Wilson High School. In 1975, the couple moved to Surf Pines, and she worked for the Astoria School District.

She was a member of Chi Omega sorority and Gamma Alpha Chi, a national women’s advertising honorary. As a member of the Providence Seaside Hospital Auxiliary, she served 1,000 hours as a volunteer for the Red Cross Bloodmobile. She also did volunteer work as a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Seaside.

Family members said her favorite activities were playing bridge with friends, reading, needlepoint and spending time with her family.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Michael Riley of Surf Pines; a son and daughter-in-law, Robert Vernstrom and Pom Vattasingh of Menlo Park, Calif.; two grandsons, Dylan Riley and his wife, Allegra, of Palo Alto, Calif., and Kai Vernstrom of New York City; and a great-grandchild, Tyler Riley of Palo Alto.

At Mrs. Vernstrom’s request, a memorial for family only will be held at a later date.