Sylvia Hanninen Carpenter Mowrey

On Oct. 21, 2019, at the age of 105, Sylvia Hanninen Carpenter Mowrey passed away at Clatsop Retirement Village, surrounded by family.

She was born on June 13, 1914, to Finnish immigrants Anton and Sophia Hanninen, in Astoria, Oregon. At the age of 3, Sylvia, her baby sister, Signa, and their parents moved to Deep River, Washington, where Anton and Sophia farmed and Anton gillnetted. Sylvia and Signa grew up learning the value of hard work by doing daily farm chores.

Sylvia attended Deep River School and Deep River Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. She graduated from Naselle High School in 1932 with honors.

Sylvia came back to Astoria, where she later married Milo Carpenter. Sylvia helped him raise his daughter, Noma. Sylvia and Milo’s daughter, Gayle, was born in 1939.

In 1943, Milo died and Sylvia went to work in a cannery, later finding work at Tongue Point Naval Air Station. It was here she met Anson (Mike) Mowrey. They married in 1946 and had two children, Ron and Marcia.

Mike and Sylvia built and operated Mike’s Auto Service in John Day, east of Astoria. They sold the business in 1967. Sylvia retired from Tongue Point in 1979, after holding positions in the campus store, accounting and the post office. Mike died in 1985.

Sylvia continued an active life with her Bunco group, volunteering at the Senior Center, Peace Lutheran Church, swimming at the Astoria Aquatic Center and participating in many family activities.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her parents; husbands Milo and Mike; sister Signa Kilponen; son-in-law Philip Courts; grandson-in-law Cliff Curtis; great-grandson Trevor Secord; and stepdaughter Noma Johnson.

She is survived by daughter Gayle Carpenter Courts of Dupont, Washington; son Ron (Kathy) Mowrey of Astoria, Oregon; and daughter Marcia Beatty Secord and her husband, Dan Secord, of Warrenton, Oregon. She is also survived by grandchildren Mike Courts (Robbie), Dina Curtis, Josh (Julia) Beatty, Matt (Shayna) Beatty, Kristen (Keith) (Koa) Rimell, Blake Mowrey, Eryn Caty, Jerry (Eva) Secord, Ben (Chrissy) Secord, Talia (Josh) Misner, Vernon Kenwisher and Lorinda (Al) Norman. She has numerous great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Sylvia epitomized the Finnish value of “sisu,” strong till the end.

A celebration of life will be held at Peace Lutheran Church on Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. with a reception following.

Memorial donations can be made to Peace Lutheran Restoration Fund or the Nordic Heritage Park.