Rusty Agnes Avelene Dionne

Agnes “Rusty” Avelene Dionne was born on March 30, 1922 in Portsmouth, Ohio to Curtis and Anna Mae (Newman) Swords. Growing up in Ohio, Rusty would help her father cut and split railroad ties and always loved the outdoors. During WWII she would move to Oregon and work at the Portland Shipyard as a welder, a job she would say was only tough when she was hanging off the side of the ship as she didn’t like the idea of being over water. It was during this time she would meet her then husband, Clarence and they would be blessed with two sons, Ken and Randall. Eventually, Rusty and her husband would divorce but throughout her life, she remained an incredibly hard worker and provided for her sons. While Ken was growing up, his mother would play classic country such as Marty Robbins and Gene Watson. Her love of music would pass down to Ken as he learned the guitar.Besides, working as a mom, Rusty would work for JPL and eventually retired from Bendix. After her retirement in 1987 she decided to move to Oregon and live on her son Ken’s ranch. At 65 years of age, Rusty learned how to tag cattle and handle the calves. Not many could keep up with her; she was feisty and full of energy. She loved the ranch as she could feed her hummingbirds and all the animals the ranch offered. Rusty also became a member of Brownsville Christian Church where she would attend faithfully. She would join her son Ken on Wednesdays for Bible study. She loved hearing God’s word and shared her faith in Jesus through the poem she wrote in 1981,“Footprints In the Sand" which has brought comfort to thousands over the years. Rusty was also a loving grandmother, she loved to make her grandchildren eggs (poached or scrambled) with toast and sausage links. No one made breakfast like “Mamo” as they affectionately referred to her. Her famous line to anyone in the family would often be “Are you hungry?” as she never wanted someone to be without. When it came to her grandchildren, Mamo would ask “When are the kids coming?” because she adored their visits. Most recently Rusty had the honor of celebrating her 97th birthday with her family at her church, it was a big day to celebrate 97 amazing years she had on this Earth. Today, Rusty is remembered for her love of nature, animals, her family and God. She passed away peacefully on December 18, 2019, in Sweet Home, Oregon. She was preceded in death by her son, Randall and is survived by her son, Ken (Carol) Dionne; daughter in law, Melinda Dionne; siblings, Katie Osman and Ilene Burton; 7 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 2 pm at the Brownsville Christian Church.