Irene

Irene Fox was born in Eugene, Oregon on March 19, 1916 at vicinity called “Fox Hollow”. Irene was the 8th of 9 children born to James Richard and Dora Jane Green/Fox. Soon thereafter the family moved to Coburg Oregon where Irene’s little brother Bob was born. After Bob was born the family moved to Brownsville Oregon for a short time and then to Sever Oregon for a short time. Finally, the family settled in the Crawfordsville and Brownsville areas for the period when Irene was in the 1st grade through her junior year of high school.

Irene met Carl Newport sometime during her junior year of high school. He played on the Tangent, Oregon baseball team who would often compete against the Brownsville team. Irene and a girl friend were sitting in the bleachers during a game cheering for their Brownsville team. After making derogatory baseball comments against Carl, his parents who were sitting in front of Irene and her friend turned to Irene and announced that they were his parents. Irene was embarrassed. After this ballgame Carl’s parents told him that they had just met Carl’s future wife. The two met through a mutual friend named Betty. Carl and Irene began dating shortly thereafter.

After Irene’s junior year of high school, the family moved to Long Beach California. Irene finished her senior year at Long Beach Wilson High School. Carl and Irene corresponded and their romance blossomed.

During Irene’s senior year of high school, the infamous 1933 Long Beach California earthquake occurred. Irene tells of riding in a city bus while the earthquake occurred and she recalls observing a frightened man running out of his home buck naked. Once outside he realized that the world was watching and she recalls him running back into the shaking house and quickly returning wearing only his hat.

Irene’s high school was damaged and considered unsafe for students. Irene and her classmates finished their senior year in tent like structures on the school’s grounds. After her senior year Irene enrolled at a local bible college. Carl and Irene continued their correspondence despite their distance. Carl proposed marriage by mail. Toward the end of the summer of 1934 Carl drove to Long Beach California, picked up Irene and took her back to Oregon. They stopped half way in Redding California to stay with Carl’s uncle. Upon arriving home, they were married in the beautiful garden of Carl’s parent’s home in Tangent on September 2, 1934.

Irene and Carl lived in Albany for a short time while Carl worked at a poultry processing plant. Shortly thereafter they moved to Tangent into a small home North of Tangent. Eventually they moved into the two-story house with a basement in Tangent purchased by Carl’s parents where many Fox Family reunions were held from 1935 to 1983. Carl was a farmer, a poultry hatchery man, and later on a field man for the local farmer’s cooperative. Irene was a homemaker, piano teacher and church organist.

While living in the Tangent home Carl and Irene had four children. Donna Carlene; born August 19, 1936. Milton LeRoy; born April 9, 1939. Gloria Irene; born October 27, 1943 and Robin Wayne; born August 3, 1954. All of the children were born in Albany General Hospital; raised in Tangent; attended the local elementary school and transferred to Albany for the upper grades. Growing up in rural Tangent was a very protected and traditional environment. Carl’s parents lived a half block North and across the street. Irene’s parents lived next door to the South. The family attended church every Sunday at the Albany Christian Church. The Tangent home was sold in 1985 and Carl and Irene moved to Redmond Oregon. Carl being an avid fisherman was in heaven after settling into their new retirement home. Irene began as a substitute playing organ for the Powell Butte Christian Church. It wasn’t long before she was the full-time organist.

In the late 1940’s Irene started playing the organ for their Albany church and continued being a church organist until one month before her death January 18, 2008. Irene played church organ a total of 60 years. Carl Newport died August 7, 2002. Carl and Irene Newport are buried side by side in the Union Cemetery at Crawfordsville, Oregon.

Carlene age 72 and husband Bill Sim age 76 live in Sherwood Oregon. Carlene and Bill are both retired from farming in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and later a pay phone business in the Portland Oregon area. Carlene retired from an Engineering Firm CH2M Hill after working sixteen years. She has not retired however, from her fun job of being a Mary Kay Cosmetics Consultant since 1983. They are active in church and bible study. Carlene enjoys singing in a trio with her sister Gloria and cousin Nadalee. They have three children Roslyn, Tim and Nancy. Roslyn and Greg Marchak have four children, Monica, Amanda, and twins Jane and William. Tim and Amy Sim have two boys Brennan and Garrett. Nancy and Bob Schmitz have four children, Trevor, Hannah, Cameron, and Matthew.

LeRoy (age 70) and his wife Judy (69) were married in 1964. Judy was professional fashion model and LeRoy was a full-time ski instructor. They are now retired and live in the same Redmond Oregon house that Carl and Irene purchased in 1985. LeRoy is a retired accountant and school district business manager. LeRoy now performs in a Bluegrass band with his 5-string banjo and teaches banjo lessons from home. LeRoy and Judy are both active in their church and often perform singing and playing in nursing homes together. They have four children Molly, Amy, Peter and Katherine. There are now 5 grandchildren; Quinn, Fiona, Ella, Kaden and Lukas. You can view LeRoy’s Bluegrass Band website at www.leroynewportsband.com. LeRoy has six CD’s some of which he sells at gigs and online.

Gloria age 65 and her husband Berk age 64 are semi-retired and live in Newberg, Oregon these past 6 years. They were married September 8, 2002. Gloria has three music websites-the most active The MusicWheel.com. Gloria, Carlene and cousin Nadalee perform as the Willamette Valley Trio singing at civic events and nursing homes. Gloria also performs with “Faith and Glory”-guitar and mandolin singing duo. Berk works as a science consultant for the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) coordinating an education outreach program called TIES for middle school instructors to learn more about Bio-medical research. Berk also serves as assistant district commissioner for the Boy Scouts; and Education Chair at the Tualitin River National Wildlife Refuge. Combined, Berk and Gloria have six children Adrian, Robert Ole, Leo Niels, and Eric and nine grandchildren; Kerry, Kyall, Rachael, Kristian, Austin, Aidan, Christopher, Ashleigh, & Clair. 

Robin age 54 is single. Lives in Redmond in a fifth wheel RV on LeRoy and Judy’s property. Robin’s son, Shane Christian Newport age 31 lives in Gillette Wyoming and works in the coal industry driving trucks, heavy equipment and welding. Shane is single but has two boys Cole age 5 and Cody age 3. Robbie Wayne is 29 years old, and lives in Portland. Robbie is single and works as an Oregonian newspaper delivery person and attends college. Robin and the boys are all musicians and skiers. Robin is in a re-training program to learn truck driving. Robin has worked in the wood products industry for most of his career and is seeking a new industry that is not so vulnerable to the economy swings. Robin also has an interest in a Madras area 43-acre farm waiting for a sale.