Maridee C Nye

Maridee C. Nye, 97 of Albany passed away peacefully on Tuesday.

Maridee was born March 18, 1918 to Henry C. and Mary C. (Wisner) Voss on a farm on Independence Road near Ryals Lane in the Camp Adair area. She attended a one room school in the local area thru the eighth grade, and graduated as an honor student from Corvallis High School in 1936. She then attended Oregon State College (now OSU) majoring in home-economics and also studied at the Fashion Design School in San Francisco.

In 1943, she enlisted in the SPARS, the women's branch of the U.S. Coast Guard as the first woman from Linn County and was stationed in New York City until the end of the war when she returned to the west coast and Albany.

In 1946 she met and married Kenneth W. Nye. They were blessed with two children, Mary born in 1947, and Bryant born in 1949.

In October of 1956, she returned to government work at the U.S Bureau of Mines in Albany after Ken was injured while working for the railroad as a brakeman. She worked at the Bureau thru February of 1980, when she retired and was able to direct her full attention to her first love of crafting.

While still working at the Bureau she won the "Queen of Textiles" twice.
She is best remembered for all of her craft items that she sold at local bazaars for many, many years. and for her "Nye's Needle" tags on those items; and for all of the items she entered at the Linn County Fair and all of her prize winner ribbons.

She was a member of the United Methodist Church of Albany. She also was a member of the "Friend of Mine" club for more than 60 years, and enjoyed belonging to a stitchery group for more than 15 years.

She is survived by her daughter Mary Nye French. stepdaughter J'eanette ; son Bryant and his wife Mary;their three sons Greg and wife Nani, Jeff and wife Ashley, and Andrew; also one great granddaughter Livi. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and brother Vern Voss.

At her request there will be no funeral. The family will have a celebration of Life on Sunday , April 26 at 2 p.m. at Brookdale Heritage Plaza (formerly The Villas of Albany on Davidson Street). Memorial contributions may be made to Samaritan Evergreen Hsopice or the United Methodist Church of Albany.