Elizabeth Susan Nelson VanLeeuwen (née Nelson; November 5, 1925 – November 27, 2022) was an American politician who was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives.[1]

Liz VanLeeuwen
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 37th district
In office
1981–1999
Personal details
Born(1925-11-05)November 5, 1925
Lakeview, Oregon, U.S.
DiedNovember 27, 2022(2022-11-27) (aged 97)
Halsey, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseGeorge VanLeeuwen
Alma materOregon State University
ProfessionFarmer

Early life and career

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VanLeeuwen was born in Lakeview, Oregon, where she lived until attending Oregon State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Home Making Education and a minor in English in 1947.[2] She married George VanLeeuwen on June 15, 1947, and was a farmer.[3] She also was a news reporter and journalist for a newspaper in Brownsville, Oregon, from 1949 to 1970.[4][5] She was a school teacher at Monroe High School, a substitute teacher and an adult educator in the 1950s and 1960s. She had a weekly farm report radio program on KWIL in the 1970s.

VanLeeuwen was a founding member of Oregon Women for Agriculture and a member of the Oregon Farm Bureau Women's Committee and Legislative Committee before being elected to the Oregon House of Representatives.

Political career

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VanLeeuwen served as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from 1981 to 1999.

In 1999, she was elected to the Linn County Soil and Water Conservation board and held a position there.

In 2002, VanLeeuwen ran for Oregon's 4th congressional district against Peter DeFazio (D). She lost 64% to 34%.

Personal life and death

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VanLeeuwen and her husband George lived in Halsey, Oregon, and had four children. She died there on November 27, 2022, at the age of 97.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Alphabetical List of Oregon's representatives" (PDF). state.or.us. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "Vote Smart Liz VanLeeuwen Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  3. ^ Marquis Who's Who (1991). "Liz Susan VanLeeuwen (Elizabeth VanLeeuwen)". Who's Who of American Women, 1991-1992 (17th ed.). Chicago. p. 1027. ISBN 978-0-8379-0417-7. OCLC 23186551. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via WorldCat.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Oregon Blue Book. 1987. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  5. ^ "Biographical Note: - Liz VanLeeuwen Spotted Owl Collection, 1973-2004 - Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries". Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  6. ^ "Elizabeth VanLeeuwen". Legacy. November 30, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.