Sweet Home Funeral Chapel
  (formerly Workman & Steckly)
  1443 Long Street
  Sweet Home, Oregon 97386
  (541) 367-2891
  (541) 367-4095 Fax
  E-mail: Mac Olsen, Funeral Director

  Visa and MasterCard Accepted

Anne passed away at the age of 82 on December 19, 2006 at the Mennonite Home in Albany, Oregon where she had been tenderly cared for the past seven years. Her sense of humor, quick wit and spirit had endeared her to her care givers who treated her as they would their own family members.

Anne was born in New York City on November 28, 1924 to Margaret and James Darcy, who had both immigrated to America from Ireland via the famous Ellis Island Terminal. They had a son, James, who was four years younger than Anne.

Both of Anne's parents died at an early age, leaving her to move in with her aunt Anney at the age of 15. Her beloved brother James was placed in foster care and moved from home to home. In order to help him and be able to pay for transportation to visit him on weekends, Anne began working as a nanny.

Gradually she progressed from one office job to another until landing a prized position at the famous Gossand Foundations Company. Until then she hadn't been able to reveal her actual age.

When Anne turned 20, she met and fell for her future husband, Gerald Dean Severns, who was in the U.S. Navy and on leave in New York City when they met. They were married on June 3, 1947 and moved "out west." Her relatives in New York thought the west was still an unsettled wilderness inhabited only by cowboys and Indians.

Anne soon had three children, Gerry, Brian and Greg. From that point on her sons were at the center of her life even though she almost always worked outside the home while her boys were in school.

The Severns family moved to Sweet Home, Oregon in 1956 and Anne was soon involved in a variety of civic, church and school related activities. She was president of the PTA and a den mother for the Cub Scouts of America. She sang in the St. Helen's Choir and also performed for many years in the "Chips and Splinters" variety show, which was part of the annual Sportsman's Holiday event. While in Sweet Home, Anne became aquainted with many of the area's women while working at Juverns Ladies Apparel.

In 1967 Anne moved with her husband, Gerald, to Medford, Oregon where she continued working retail sales at J.C. Penney. A few years later she moved to Portland and began looking for a more full time diversion, since the last of her sons had left the nest. She studied for her real estate license and was soon working from Bucher Real Estate Company; first as an agent, then later as a broker. She was very successful until being slowed down and eventually sidelined by some very unfortunate accidents.

Anne loved the sun and her five grandchildren spent many summer days with her at her swimming pool. In her later years, she devoted many hours to her grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She was able to vacation in Palm Springs and traveled to Hawaii twice.

Before going to the Mennonite Home in Albany, Anne moved back to Sweet Home and lived briefly at Wiley Creek Community, but another accident and a broken bone made independent living too difficult.

Anne is survived by her beloved sons, Gerry and Greg of Sweet Home and Brian of Portland, Oregon, as well as her brother, James Darcy of Long Island, New York. She also leaves five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to the Mennonite Home in Albany, Oregon or Wiley Creek Community in Sweet Home.

The Funeral Mass will be at 1:00 pm Saturday at St. Helen's Catholic Church. The burial will follow at Lewis Cemetery. Workman & Steckly Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.