Elizabeth Mae McLenon

Elizabeth Mae (Juhnke) McLenon, 90, passed away December 20, 2015. She was born on July 24, 1925 in Wasco, Oregon, being the first born child of Arthur and Helen (Striker) Juhnke. She was the wife of the late Wendell F. (Dink) McLenon who preceded her in death in 2005. They were married 59 years before his passing. They had one daughter, Linda Young (Glen) and one grandson, Bryan P. Young (Vickie), who all reside in Tallahassee, Florida. Due to the death of her mother when she was only three years old, her maternal grandparents, Tom and Bessie Striker raised her and her younger sister Shirley on the Striker ranch near Rufus, Oregon and in the family home in Wasco, Oregon. She attended Rufus grade school and graduated from Wasco High in 1943. She went on to college for a few semesters and pledged to Beta Sigma Phi sorority, before leaving with her sister Shirley to become civil secretaries for the United States Armed Services in Ordinance, Oregon and then Santa Ana, California. She met the love of her life, Dink McLenon in 1945 and they were married at the Striker home in Wasco, Oregon on May 19, 1946. They honeymooned across the country on a train to Florida and spent a brief time on Fort Ogden, Florida, then moved to Naples, Florida where they lived for close to 55 years. She was hired as a Deputy Town Clerk in 1947 and worked for the city until 1959. In 1953 she was crowned one of the first Swamp Buggy Queens. In 1959, she and Betty Thurner opened Betty's Inc. (a sportswear shop on 5th Avenue North), operating the store for 11 years. Also in 1959 at the request of the City Council, Betty was asked to design an emblem for the City of Naples, which was adopted as the Official Insignia and was used for close to 40 years. In 2000, Betty and Dink moved to Lorida, Florida to live and fish on Lake Istapoga. When Betty retired she became an accomplished artist who enjoyed painting beautiful flowers and birds, native to the state of Florida. A private service will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Good Shepherd Hospice in Sebring, Florida, or to your favorite charity.

Elizabeth Mae McLenon

July 24, 1925 - December 20, 2015