Eileen Dorothy (Salmon) Leback

Eileen Dorothy (Salmon) Leback, formerly of Astoria, passed away peacefully on Jan. 19 in Mount Vernon, Washington, at the age of 93.

She was born on Aug. 24, 1930, the youngest of nine children born to Charles Henry and Kate Helen (Kinnunen) Salmon.  Her older sisters helped raise her, as they grew up on the small family farm in the tidelands around Marshland.

She loved to tell stories of life on the farm, including the one where her brother fell out of the third floor bedroom opening in the farmhouse because there was no window, but landed unhurt in a pile of mud.

Her parents spoke only Finnish, and all their children spoke it as well.  Sometimes Eileen would begin a story in English, then deliver the punchline in Finnish so it stayed an inside joke just among her siblings.

She attended grade school and high school in Westport, and returned for many of the Westport school reunions. After high school, she briefly attended Linfield University before returning to Astoria to begin work as a receptionist and Finnish translator at the Astoria Clinic.

It was during this time her friend, Roberta Leback, introduced Eileen to her brother, Charles Richard (Dick) Leback. They were married on Oct. 28, 1950, in Astoria, and shortly afterwards moved to their home of nearly 70 years on Youngs River Road.

Eileen was a homemaker, gardener, knitter, braided and hooked rug maker and seamstress.  She made Becky’s wedding dress using the lace from her own wedding dress.  She canned tuna, fruits and vegetables, salted fish, and baked wonderful pies, cardamom breads, cinnamon rolls and cookies.

She was also a Cub Scout den mother, election board worker, altar guild member at Trinity Lutheran and Peace Lutheran churches, board member at the Astoria YMCA and a member of Alpha Iota sorority.

She liked family activities like camping, usually no further from home than the Nehalem River or Long Beach, Washington.  She avoided surf digging, but could easily scrounge up a limit of razor clams in the dry sand.

One autumn, she and Dick hiked with some friends and pack horses into a deer camp in the Steens Mountains. There is a picture of her in woolen trousers and sweater, holding a 30-30 rifle and posing with a killed deer.  It was always a fun topic of discussion as to who actually shot that deer.

She enjoyed traveling, including several trips to Finland to visit both her mother’s and father’s relatives, and solo adventures to Ireland and Italy.  She and Dick took cruises through the Panama Canal, Alaska and along the coast of Norway.

After Dick’s retirement, they spent part of their winters in Quartzsite, Tucson and Yuma, Arizona in their fifth-wheel trailer.  After Dick’s passing in 1999, Eileen remained in their home for almost 20 years.  Her family is very grateful for the support she received during those years from Dick and Diane Mathews and Brian and Stacy Mathews, her next-door neighbors.

Eileen eventually moved to Courtyard Fountains in Gresham, and later to Ashley Gardens memory care facility in Mount Vernon, Washington.

Eileen is survived by her four children and their spouses, Rick (Lori) Leback, Rod (Christine) Leback, Becky (DeVere) Bunke and Brent (Elaine) Leback; nine grandchildren, Katie (Thor) Yarbrough, Scott (Meredith) Leback, Brittni Knoodle, Elliott (Aleesha Nedd) Leback, Brian (Lauren) Bunke, Blair (Rachel) Bunke, Aneta (Urban Faubion) Bunke, Alden Leback and Ella Leback; and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Frank Wright; close friend, Bill Herzog; numerous nieces and nephews; and her cat, Sandy.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dick; and eight siblings, Lucille Larson, Raymond Salmon, twins, Richard Salmon and Nancy Pedersen, Bernard Salmon, Bernice Fox, Willard Salmon and Katherine Wright.
A private burial service will be held for the family.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Peace First Lutheran Church, 725 33rd St. A reception will follow at the church.

Memorial donations in Eileen’s name may be made to Friends of Suomi Hall, P.O. Box 146, Astoria, OR., 97103 or Peace First Lutheran Church, 725 33rd St., Astoria, OR., 97103.