Pauline E. Nygaard

Pauline Elizabeth Nygaard passed away peacefully July 12, 2019 at the age of 93. She spent her final days surrounded by loving family at her Brookdale Newberg cottage. Pauline was the eldest of two children born to John and Jennie Elizabeth (Johnson) Hewitt. She was born April 1, 1926, in Butte, Montana, in the same room where her father had been born. Pauline was baptized and confirmed Episcopalian. As a child she spent time at her parent’s summer home, “the ranch”, outside of Butte but preferred being in “the city”. In first grade at McKinley Elementary School, she made a life-long friend, Muriel (Gregg) Tuttle, and they kept in touch annually by exchanging Christmas presents and birthday cards. After Pauline graduated from Butte High School, she married George Mark Cavin while he was in the Navy; they had a daughter, Catherine (Cathi) Elizabeth. Following their divorce, she worked as a bookkeeper at Sears Roebuck and at St. James Community Hospital. A coworker introduced her at a picnic to her husband of 62 years, Harold Nygaard. Harold, who was born in Norway, immigrated to Seattle in 1947 at the age of 18 and came to Butte following his discharge from the Army to start an accordion studio with a friend. Pauline and Harold were married in 1957. Following the birth of their son, Harold Kenneth (Ken) Nygaard, Pauline remained at home to care for her children. The family then moved to Seattle, Washington in 1960 where Harold made a living as a commercial halibut fisherman, accordion teacher and musician. Pauline had a friend from Butte in Seattle, Mickie Andres, who “got me through the transition from sunny, big sky Montana to often gray and rainy Seattle as well as other life challenges.” In 1985, Pauline’s widowed mother, Jennie, moved to Seattle to live in an apartment Harold made for her in the basement of their new home he built. Jennie lived with them for 12 years before moving to Oregon to be closer to her granddaughter, Cathi and her family. Pauline and Harold enjoyed monthly trips to Oregon to visit them and were often joined by Pauline’s brother John and his wife, Jean, from Houston, Texas. Pauline’s home was “her castle”, and she took great care of her possessions as well as her appearance. She made weekly trips to her hairdresser. She liked to wash clothes and hang them outside to dry, could iron like none other (even bedsheets) and was fondly called the “stain master” by her daughter and granddaughter Jennifer. Due to her incredible memory, the family relied on Pauline to be their historian and record keeper. Greeting cards were very important to Pauline. She enjoyed receiving and buying them and would search for just the right one, compose a special handwritten message and look for a special postage stamp for the envelope. Pauline wasn’t one to throw things away, especially items that could be used again or given away—boxes, wrapping paper, ribbons, clothing. Before giving her children’s clothes they had outgrown to a local family, she took the time to make them look like new again and wrapped them in a tissue-lined pretty box. While family was always Pauline’s focus, shopping was her form of fun. She could spend hours at the mall looking for bargains and exhausted her daughter and granddaughters trying to keep up with her. The day after Christmas at Washington Square was one of her favorites as she could ride to work with her son-in-law when the mall opened and shop until closing. Pauline also enjoyed flowers, reading newspapers and magazines, watching T.V. —the Seattle Mariners baseball team, “Dancing with the Stars”, “The Good Doctor”; making cookies and did embroidery work. She liked hearing about Queen Elizabeth, a woman her same age, and often was told that they resembled each other. After much coaxing by her Oregon family, in 2017 Pauline and Harold sold their home in Seattle and moved to Newberg. Although she liked being close to family, especially times with great-granddaughters Charlotte Elizabeth (age 5) and Clara Ruth (age 3) and appreciated having wonderful healthcare providers nearby, she deeply missed the life she once had in Seattle, especially Harold’s cooking. Pauline is survived by her husband Harold Nygaard (Newberg), daughter Cathi (Jack) Reardon of Newberg, son Ken Nygaard (Butte, MT); grandchildren: Justin McLean (Tigard, OR), Jennifer Elizabeth (Matt) Domes of Newberg, Alexandra (Mark, Zoey-age 2) Jemmings and Samantha Nygaard (Butte, MT); step-grandchildren: Rhonda (Tim) Quayle (Port Ludlow, WA), John Reardon (Seattle, WA), Brad (Toni) Reardon (Boise, ID); 10 great/step-great grandchildren and two great, great step-granddaughters. Preceding Pauline in passing was her brother, John Hewitt. A graveside service will be held in Butte, MT. In memory of Pauline the family suggests donations to the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) in your community, “Light our Lady” at www.ourladyoftherockies.net, or take the time to send a greeting card to someone with a hand-written message. Through this site, we invite you to share you thoughts and fond memories with her family.

Pauline E. Nygaard

April 1, 1926 - July 12, 2019