Glennis Willene "Billie" Itzen

Glennis Willene “Billie” Itzen, 83, of Astoria, died Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in Astoria. She was born Aug. 15, 1927, in Osceola, Iowa, to Herman Guy and Nora Markell Leeps Robins. Her childhood was spent living on the family farm in Osceola. On April 1, 1946, she married Darrell “Butch” Carper. They later divorced. The couple moved to Oregon in 1948. She stayed at home raising her children, and was a homemaker. On Nov. 24, 1976, she married Gene Itzen. He survives, residing at the family home. Mrs. Itzen was employed at Morgan’s Steak House and the Fiesta Club as a waitress. She then enrolled in Clatsop Community College to obtain a secretarial degree. She was later employed at the college as the veterans officer. In 1983, she received her master of passenger carrying vessel license, one of the first women on the West Coast to obtain that license. She and her husband worked on the charter boat Shamrock from 1974 to 1989. While working on the Shamrock, she held the position of captain. In addition to her husband, she is survived by five daughters and four sons-in-law, Kathy and Mike Bissell of Miles City, Mont., Deborah and Brian Lukoszyk of Astoria, Loris and Joe Cook of Ilwaco, Wash., Markell Chandler of Libby, Mont., and Lynda and Jim Wilson of Sequim, Wash.; a son, Dana Carper of Longview, Wash.; three sisters, Dorothy Propst of Red Wing, Minn., Ann Companion of Forest Lake, Minn., and Jeannie McNabb of Scappoose; a stepmother-in-law, Marian Itzen of South Haven, Mich.; a brother-in-law, Danny Itzen of South Haven; 17 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Annis Jo Carper; and a granddaughter, Hannah Chandler. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Feb. 8, with a funeral at 1 p.m., at Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary. A graveside service with vault interment will follow at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton, after which a reception will be held at the family home at 196 W. Franklin Ave. Memorial contributions may be given to the Wildlife Center of the North Coast, in care of Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary, 1165 Franklin Ave., Astoria, OR 97103.