Obituary for Meloney Rose Hause
Meloney Rose Hause, age 60, passed away in her hometown, Aberdeen, Washington on April 1, 2023.
Meloney was a fiercely independent, caring, and adventurous person. Her life revolved around family, friends, and her many (many) communities. She was an accomplished fisherwoman, hunter, diver, and shellfish harvester; she was always sharing indigenous foods like elk, fish, clams, and geoduck with her family and friends. She loved the outdoors and explored the world through travel to amazing places.
Born in Aberdeen on January 8, 1963, to “Jerry” Gerald S. Hause, and Lucille Cecelia (Martin) Hause, Meloney spent a majority of her early life in Taholah. She grew up as a child on the Quinault Indian Nation Reservation where she loved to watch canoe races, fish, dig clams, enjoy the Chief Taholah Days celebration, and hang out with her friends. She attended Taholah, Lake Quinault, and North Beach schools, where she participated in volleyball, basketball, and various other clubs and activities, earning the nickname “Spike”. She graduated from North Beach High School in 1981 and went on to attend Grays Harbor College, where she received her associate in science degree in fisheries and wildlife; later, she attended Cal Poly Humboldt and The Evergreen State College, again studying fisheries science and this time earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American studies.
Meloney was a Squaxin Island tribal citizen and of Quinault and German descent. She enjoyed visiting with her relatives and many friends on the reservation, always in attendance at family functions. She loved cheering on her nephews and nieces while they were playing sports, often traveling quite far to watch them. Meloney was a lifelong learner and attended many courses, seminars, and meetings, including tribal education and membership meetings, Landmark Education courses, and drug and alcohol recovery support meetings. She was passionate about her sobriety and inspired many others to follow in those footsteps. Meloney was sure to voice her opinion when a policy or political dispute arose. She was not shy about sharing her thoughts or her feelings, which was a blessing for everyone around her.
Influenced by elders Nellie Ramirez and Vi Hilbert, Meloney was passionate about reviving her Tribe’s Lushootseed Language. Meloney had a bigger-than-life personality and an even bigger heart. It is only fitting that she received the name x̌ayəbalus, meaning “Laughing Eyes.”
Meloney was very spiritual, and she shared this with her girlfriends by providing assigned meditation reading when they traveled. She loved music. In her younger years you could hear the music blare with her favorites, Def Leppard, The Rolling Stones, and Journey; her head nodding to the beat as she drove along. Concerts were a must with her friends; they would patiently wait for Meloney to purchase a CD at every concert she attended.
Meloney’s work history reflects her independent nature. Never one for a conventional 9-5 job, she started out in the fisheries division working on salmon populations, and eventually she became a certified diver and harvested geoduck. Meloney also owned seasonal fireworks stand, “Beach Party Fireworks.” She worked for J&L Shake/Logging and was a student teacher in Nisqually for the Evergreen Reservation-Based program. Her volunteer work centered on the Squaxin canoe family journeys, the Allottees’ Association of Affiliated Tribes of the Quinault Reservation, and service on the Little Creek Oversight Board, but she had a great deal of other volunteer work as well.
Meloney is survived by her brothers Donald Joe Washburn Jr. of Hoquiam; Gary Hause of Kelso; Jerry Hause of Longview; Michael Hause of Kelso; Donald Reynolds of Grants Pass; her sisters Marilyn McFadden of Shelton and Sally Byrd of Vancouver, Washington; and her aunt, Lila Jacobs of Shelton, as well as numerous beloved nieces and nephews.
Meloney was preceded in death by her father, Gerald Hause; mother, Lucille Hause; brothers Shayne Hause, and Douglas Washburn; and sisters Charlene Capoeman, Suzy Reynolds, and Jessica Osbourne.
It was her request to not have a funeral service, rather to have a life celebration dinner to be held at the Taholah Community Center on Friday, April 14, 2023, at noon. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, Washington.
Meloney was a fiercely independent, caring, and adventurous person. Her life revolved around family, friends, and her many (many) communities. She was an accomplished fisherwoman, hunter, diver, and shellfish harvester; she was always sharing indigenous foods like elk, fish, clams, and geoduck with her family and friends. She loved the outdoors and explored the world through travel to amazing places.
Born in Aberdeen on January 8, 1963, to “Jerry” Gerald S. Hause, and Lucille Cecelia (Martin) Hause, Meloney spent a majority of her early life in Taholah. She grew up as a child on the Quinault Indian Nation Reservation where she loved to watch canoe races, fish, dig clams, enjoy the Chief Taholah Days celebration, and hang out with her friends. She attended Taholah, Lake Quinault, and North Beach schools, where she participated in volleyball, basketball, and various other clubs and activities, earning the nickname “Spike”. She graduated from North Beach High School in 1981 and went on to attend Grays Harbor College, where she received her associate in science degree in fisheries and wildlife; later, she attended Cal Poly Humboldt and The Evergreen State College, again studying fisheries science and this time earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American studies.
Meloney was a Squaxin Island tribal citizen and of Quinault and German descent. She enjoyed visiting with her relatives and many friends on the reservation, always in attendance at family functions. She loved cheering on her nephews and nieces while they were playing sports, often traveling quite far to watch them. Meloney was a lifelong learner and attended many courses, seminars, and meetings, including tribal education and membership meetings, Landmark Education courses, and drug and alcohol recovery support meetings. She was passionate about her sobriety and inspired many others to follow in those footsteps. Meloney was sure to voice her opinion when a policy or political dispute arose. She was not shy about sharing her thoughts or her feelings, which was a blessing for everyone around her.
Influenced by elders Nellie Ramirez and Vi Hilbert, Meloney was passionate about reviving her Tribe’s Lushootseed Language. Meloney had a bigger-than-life personality and an even bigger heart. It is only fitting that she received the name x̌ayəbalus, meaning “Laughing Eyes.”
Meloney was very spiritual, and she shared this with her girlfriends by providing assigned meditation reading when they traveled. She loved music. In her younger years you could hear the music blare with her favorites, Def Leppard, The Rolling Stones, and Journey; her head nodding to the beat as she drove along. Concerts were a must with her friends; they would patiently wait for Meloney to purchase a CD at every concert she attended.
Meloney’s work history reflects her independent nature. Never one for a conventional 9-5 job, she started out in the fisheries division working on salmon populations, and eventually she became a certified diver and harvested geoduck. Meloney also owned seasonal fireworks stand, “Beach Party Fireworks.” She worked for J&L Shake/Logging and was a student teacher in Nisqually for the Evergreen Reservation-Based program. Her volunteer work centered on the Squaxin canoe family journeys, the Allottees’ Association of Affiliated Tribes of the Quinault Reservation, and service on the Little Creek Oversight Board, but she had a great deal of other volunteer work as well.
Meloney is survived by her brothers Donald Joe Washburn Jr. of Hoquiam; Gary Hause of Kelso; Jerry Hause of Longview; Michael Hause of Kelso; Donald Reynolds of Grants Pass; her sisters Marilyn McFadden of Shelton and Sally Byrd of Vancouver, Washington; and her aunt, Lila Jacobs of Shelton, as well as numerous beloved nieces and nephews.
Meloney was preceded in death by her father, Gerald Hause; mother, Lucille Hause; brothers Shayne Hause, and Douglas Washburn; and sisters Charlene Capoeman, Suzy Reynolds, and Jessica Osbourne.
It was her request to not have a funeral service, rather to have a life celebration dinner to be held at the Taholah Community Center on Friday, April 14, 2023, at noon. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, Washington.