Clare Henkes

CLARE (GORSEK) HENKES 1933 – 2016
CELEBRATION OF LIFE
Selected Excerpts
Clare (Gorsek) Henkes was born in 1933, in Spokane, Washington, to Jacob Gorsek and Theresa (Skafer) Gorsek-early 1900s immigrants from Austria-Slovenia. She was sixth of seven children.
Her father was a multi-talented individual, who explored various avenues in life. In Austria-Slovenia, he was one of 14 children, and son of a carpenter. But he went to Vienna, to apprentice in ceramics / pottery. While there, he would sit in Stadtpark (city park), listening to the orchestra practice, and taught himself violin. Later, he learned guitar. Decades later, he taught himself piano. After Ellis Island, he worked his way by rail, across northern U.S., looking for the perfect clay soil. Then he went back to Slovenia, to find a wife, marry her there-and bring her back to America, to raise an American family.
They settled near Spokane, Washington where he established his ceramics shop. Then the family moved to property in Hazeldell, Washington. And in 1940s, moved to Milwaukie, Oregon. He continued ceramics for a while, then invested in real estate, rental houses, some commercial real estate, panned for gold in southern Oregon and northern California, etc. And went back and forth between Slovenia and America. His constant goal was to leave a legacy for his children and grandchildren.
Clare (Gorsek) Henkes was a highly talented individual, with great interest in multiple subjects. She signed up for all kinds of classes in high school, including theater and singing. She was a perfectionist sewer, who made her own clothes-and later her young children's clothes-and complex coats for her husband. She was creative and artistic-and could quickly draw faces and fashion clothing outlines. She enjoyed "following" major fashion designers and their styles, in the news.
In 1950, Clare (Gorsek) Henkes and Mervyn Henkes, were married at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Milwaukie, Oregon. Together, they raised six biological children.
She enjoyed being a wife, and a mother, and a home maker. Those are the roles she wanted. Cooking, canning, freezing and preserving food was important to her. Bartlett pears, Bing cherries, apples, prunes, and berries (wild blackberries, boysenberries and raspberries), filberts and walnuts, and family-caught fish / seafood, etc., provided raw materials for family meals and desserts.
Gardening was a life-long interest of hers-edibles (brussels sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.)-and ornamentals: rhododendrons, potentilla, azaleas, iris, carnations, and especially roses. She knew, and could immediately pronounce, the scientific names of various plants.
She enjoyed listening to, and singing popular music-and also sang (Latin + English) in the church choir. She enjoyed singing around the house-and watching the popular singers on TV-like Perry Como, Dean Martin, Patti Page, Doris Day, etc.
But mostly, she enjoyed spending time with family-and in her yard and her garden areas.
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PHOTO CAPTIONS:
Photo 1 caption: [Clare (Gorsek) Henkes at daughter's wedding.]
GENEALOGY:
PATERNAL GENEALOGY (GORSEK + WASCH)
MATERNAL GENEALOGY (SKAFER + ZUPANC)
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