Liz VanLeeuwen

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.
Died	November 27, 2022(2022-11-27) (aged 97) Halsey, Oregon, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	George VanLeeuwen
Alma mater	Oregon State University
Profession	Farmer

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]

Early life and career

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

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

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

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.
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.