Mother of Mike & Chai

Grandmother of Jensen & David

Rachel got Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing and Sociology from the University of Michigan. She was Nursing Supervisor and US Army Officer serving in France during WWII. She married Charles Ahrenius of Seattle then moved to his hometown of Seattle, Washington.

Chuck & Rae were in the process of adopting Mike when they happily discovered Rachel was pregnant with Chai so they raised two sons close to the same age.

They lived all their married life in the same house in Woodinville, Washington where they raised their sons. Rachel was very active in her nearby Lutheran Church.

Rachel was passionate about studying Chinese culture, opera, and music. She held strong convictions and was a brilliant student and voracious reader. She was proud of her grandsons through Mike and Jeri of Friday Harbor. She hand knitted gifts for family and selected special books for all family birthdays.

Although her S.S. death record incorrectly reported she was born June 15, her birthday is DEFINITELY June 16, 1915. That's the date we celebrated with her all her life. Rachel was godmother of her great niece in Seattle.

Rachel died in a Woodinville Hospital from Emphysema and related problems. She was an archivist of the genealogical records created by her Aunt Hazel and Uncle Harley over many decades which her goddaughter is now enjoying. Without her quick action to save the genealogy records and photos from her Aunt Hazel we would have lots decades of meticulous history, photos, and family correspondence.

Notice in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer published February 7, 1997

AHRENIUS, Rachel H., 81, of Woodinville, died Feb. 1, 1997. After Rachel married she always used her married surname.