Madeline Rae (Schilling) Kalhar

Who could have known that the little daughter of Victor Fletcher and Frances May Schilling, who left her first foot print at St. Joseph's Hospital in Vancouver, was destined to become a remarkable woman, Madeline Rae Schilling Kalhar. In a family of 10, Victor, Donna, Cheryl (who died in childbirth), Irene, Madeline, Charla, Merritt, Janice, William and Donald, she took her place as the fifth child, and soon became a little mother to her younger siblings. Mr. Schilling, who worked for years in agriculture and as a dump truck driver for Portland Sand and Gravel Company, set the pattern for the whole family of a strong work ethic and pulling together for the good of all.

Madeline, by nature artistic and creative, assimilated the principles instilled by her family from an early age and began to exhibit the serious characteristics of being a high achiever, an extraordinary organizer, one who sets goals for herself and achieves them, and a person with a professional attitude. She graduated from Sandy High School in 1960 and subsequently enrolled in beauty school and, later, nurse's training. Because of her intrinsic interest in caring about and for other people, she became an early administrator of the Planned Parenthood Program at the Emanuel Hospital site.

When she married and had one son, Morgan Guy Kalhar, she managed to balance her strong commitment to her son with a variety of administrative and public relations positions which allowed her time to devote to him. In the 1980's she received her Oregon State Realtor's License and, for each client, took it as a personal challenge to bring an appropriate home and home buyer together. Her nurturing instinct took over once again when her own stepfather and mother needed personal attention toward the end of their lives, and for years she devoted herself to their needs.

In these latter years Madeline has given herself to a new opportunity. She formed a team with Morgan in his home to achieve her ultimate goal of helping raise her five grandchildren, Joshua Guy Kalhar, Patrick James Kalhar, William Glen Kalhar, Jamin Logan Short and Tylor James Green, all of whom are now fine young men.

It was there, surrounded by the love of all six of them, that she spent her final days and brief terminal illness. The love and peace present enveloped not only that special family, but all who visited or ministered to her, whether hospice, friends, or family.

Always loyal to those she loved, Madeline will continually be missed by her son and grandsons, all her remaining siblings (Victor, Donna and Cheryl having previously passed), their spouses, nephews, nieces and dear friends. As have a number of close family members, she chose The Riverview Abbey as her final earthly resting place. May great peace be brought to us through her memory, as well as motivation for each of us to have a living relationship with her Savior and invest our life for eternal purposes as she did.
 

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