Neah Yvonne Lane, 91, peacefully passed away Friday, Aug. 29, 2014 in Lake District Long Term Care.
The descendant of pioneers who traveled west on the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon to eventually settle in Lake County, Neah was born Jan. 31, 1923 to Henry and Edie Hanan in Paisley.
She completed all 12 grades at the Paisley School and had many fond memories of her years spent in the Paisley community and of the fun she had with friends and relatives. As one of nine children, things were always lively around home. And it was in Paisley where she learned to do her famous “Crane Dance” which once seen became a requested event at lively social gatherings.
It was also during her time in Paisley that she caught the eye of Bill Lane. While he was growing up in Corvallis, Bill loved ranch life and would always spend the summer months in Silver Lake working with his uncle on the Lane Ranch, which was founded by his grandfather. The romance was put on hold with the outbreak of WWII while Bill enlisted in the Navy and served aboard a ship in the South Pacific. During this time Neah, while working on an Army base in Bend, developed skills as a telephone operator, which she later put to use at the Telephone Company in Lakeview. Following the end of the war Neah and Bill were married Oct. 20, 1945 in the Lakeview Methodist Church.
Neah had great pioneer DNA. During her life with Bill, she put that to good use such as when an opportunity arose for her husband to manage a ranch in the middle of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, far removed from any town and nearby neighbors.
Neah, through her life with her husband, was also part of the last generation to experience life in the authentic old American West. They were associated with historic Lake County ranches such as the ZX and the Jones Ranch in Paisley, where Neah had enjoyed growing up. But it was when Bill Kitt hired her husband in the 1950’s to join the team at the MC Ranch in Warner Valley that the real adventure began
For recreation Neah really enjoyed her bridge groups and after the family had established a home in Lakeview she added golf.
She was devoted to her two grandchildren and thoroughly enjoyed being Nana.
In 1998 she was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Bill.
Neah is survived by daughters, Mary (Ron) Wilkie of Lakeview and Patty Tracy of Maui; grandchildren, Trent (Shara) Wilkie of Lakeview and Dr. Laneah (Jesse) Snyder of Klamath Falls; great-grandchildren, Holden and Piper Snyder and brother, Mitch Hanan.
To honor Neah’s request, no services will be held.
Contributions in memory of Neah may be made to the Lakeview Disaster Unit, PO Box 1007, Lakeview OR 97630 or Lake County Youth Mentor Program, 357 N. L St., Lakeview OR 97630 or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Desert Rose Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements