Obituary of Neils Antone Poulson

Neils Antone Poulson died February 6 at age 81 after several years of declining health. He was born June 6, 1930, in Lebanon, Oregon, the first child and oldest of twins born to Antone and Vanza Poulson. He had three sisters, his twin sister, Dortha, and younger sisters, Fairy and Lavonne. The family moved to Molalla in the mid 1930's where he began elementary school. His idea of going to school was to go in the front door and out the back. He would go to the rodeo grounds and watch the cowboys work with the horses instead. This interest in cowboys stuck with him all his life. He even had his own cowboy nickname, "Tex". He did go to school though, attending Oregon City Jr. High and Senior High Schools. He had an interest in architecture and attended Architectural Drawing/Drafting classes at the Oregon City Court House. He met Hazel Clapp during the summer of 1949 and they were married one year later. They lived in the Beavercreek area where he worked as a logger. A few years later, he decided to become a carpenter and entered into a two-year apprenticeship. He was a carpenter the rest of his life. He worked on the construction of Thora B. Gardiner Jr. High in Oregon City, the Morrison Bridge in Portland, the Faraday Dam on the Clackamas River and the Astoria Bridge across the Columbia River. He also started his own business, NP Construction, which he ran from about 1960-1972. His last job was working for the Timber Lake Job Corps at Ripplebrook Ranger Station. He was there from 1970-1992, retiring after a back injury from a fall on the job caused permanent damage and pain he lived with for the rest of his life. Neils was a true native Oregonian and loved the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, archery, camping, clam digging and playing horseshoes, especially with family. He also loved to come home at night after a long, hard day at work and sit in front of the television and watch Westerns, Star Trek and Portland Wrestling. He enjoyed reading books by Louis L'Amour and Gene Roddenberry and had an extensive collection. He would say of himself that he was a "Jack of All Trades and Master of None", but he knew how to fix just about anything. He was always willing to fix whatever was broken when called upon and that happened often. He was a hard-working man but he loved to tease and have fun with anyone. He was always thinking of things to say to make people smile or brighten their day. Whenever you left his home after a visit he was known to have a saying, "See you later, alligator" and those who knew the drill would say "After while, crocodile" in response. He was a dear and strong presence in the lives of his family members and will be greatly missed. In addition to his wife of 61 years, Hazel, he is survived by: daughters, Marilyn (Larry) Snider, Elaine (Steve) Hale, and Debbie (Mike) House; sons, Lyle, Tony (Kitty) and Jay Poulson; sister, Dortha; 20 grandchildren and 33 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by sisters, Lavonne and Fairy; daughters, Carole (Schneider) and Donna; son-in-law, Gene Schneider; grandchildren, Mark Schneider and Amanda Hale; and great granddaughter, Isabella Davis. A private family memorial will be held at the Portland Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on February 18. Burial will be at a later date in Mt. View Cemetery in Oregon City. Online condolences may be sent to www.anewtradition.com. Arrangements: Crown Memorial Center - Milwaukie.