Doreen Lee

Doreen Ann (Clark) Lee, of Jamestown and Fargo, has died. Doreen, known to her family and friends as "Deany" was born at Trinity Hospital in Jamestown in 1937 to Mrs. Lorena Clark and Clarence L. (Roy) Clark. They farmed at Edmunds, ND.

As a child on the farm, Doreen attended rural schools in Vashti, ND, and Edmunds. She was a member of a local 4-H club and raised sheep. At an early age, she showed interest in textiles and sewing, an interest which later in life would make her well-known nationwide. Doreen and her family moved to Jamestown in 1950, and she attended Jamestown High School.

Doreen was married in 1952 to Myron Tarbell of Jamestown. Mr. Tarbell was in the U.S. Army, and they lived in Kansas, Hawaii, and Texas. The Tarbells had three children, Karen in 1954 and James in 1957, both now deceased, and a daughter, Debra, who was born in 1961 and now resides in Oregon. The Tarbells were divorced in 1964.

Doreen was married to James Lee in Jamestown in 1971, and they were happy together until his death in 2011. During their marriage, Mr. Lee was a mail carrier in Jamestown and West Fargo until his retirement, while Doreen began a career in sewing that would bring her recognition in this region and throughout the nation. Her most important accomplishment was to produce heirloom Teddy bears, simple stuffed bears covered with fabrics supplied by her customers. These fabrics came from precious items of clothing that were extremely significant to her customers - wedding dresses, military uniforms, graduation suits, sports uniforms, baby blankets, and much more. Soon, word of Doreen's prowess with a needle and her empathetical treatment of peoples' memories spread nationwide, and orders poured in. She handled each one personally and stitched each bear by hand. Many famous personages wrote her with requests and orders. She won many awards at fairs, too, for her expert sewing.

Unfortunately, age and infirmity halted her career in heirloom bears, but there is no doubt that many a household not only in the Fargo region but in other states to this day looks upon Deany's bears seated on the sofa or ensconced on the bed pillow with a touch of melancholy and a lot of gratitude and love.