Donald "Don" Schlichting Wachlin

Donald Schlichting Wachlin was born on August 12, 1948 to Donald Frank Wachlin and Anita Viola Schlichting Wachlin in Newberg, Oregon. He died at the age of sixty-three on the morning of December 30, 2011, also in Newberg. He attended parochial school at St. Paul Lutheran and graduated from the Sherwood school system. Don then went to George Fox College where he met his future wife, Margaret Palm. They were married on June 15, 1969 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sherwood. They went on to work the land of his family’s dairy farm where he and Margaret lived their whole married life with daughter Mary, who was born on January 21, 1979. In 1985 they established their new enterprise Gramma’s Place, which would blossom into the well known and loved community farm fresh produce market, Gramma’s Place at Schlichting Century Farms. With their daughter Mary, they were the fourth and fifth generations of Schlichtings to work this acreage. He was a faithful, God-fearing member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, holding many positions over the years, including Sunday School Superintendent, serving on the preschool board, and was currently an elder and the cemetery sexton. Aside from his church activities, he was also an active member of the TriCounty Farm Fresh Guide Board and Pacific Northwest Direct Farm Marketing Board. He and Margaret enjoyed putting together the annual Oregon farm market tours for the latter. He was a master networker and organizer, contributing to both groups for over twenty years. Amidst it all, he found time to fit ten years (1973-1983) to serve as a volunteer firefighter for Midway Fire District. Don was a devoted family man and was lovingly called “Uncle Don” by friends and family alike. He loved his grand-nephews as his own grandchildren and treated all of his many nieces and nephews as if they were his own. He was a loving husband and father, devoted to the end. Don was also, quite notably, one of the final integral puzzle pieces of Sherwood’s waning agricultural foundation. An era passes with him and he will be deeply and dearly missed by all whose lives he touched. Uncle Don is survived by: his wife Margaret Loretta Palm Wachlin; his daughter Mary Elizabeth Wachlin Otte; brother, Alan; and three sisters, Judy, Nina and Kelly. He was preceded in death by his sister Kim, his brother Jon, and his parents Donald and Anita. Viewings will be held at Attrell’s Sherwood Funeral Chapel on Wednesday, January 4, from noon to 5 pm and Thursday, January 5, from 10am to 5pm. The funeral will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sherwood, Oregon on Friday, January 6, 2012 at 10am, interment to follow. In lieu of flowers the family would prefer a donation to be made in Donald’s name to the St. Paul Lutheran Church Cemetery Fund. Arrangements are in the care of Attrell’s Sherwood Funeral Chapel.

Donald "Don" Schlichting Wachlin

August 12, 1948 - December 30, 2011