Alana Cheryl Probst

Alana Cheryl Probst: August 22, 1947 – April 5, 2025

ST. HELENS- Alana Cheryl Probst was born to Voris and Mildred Probst on August 22, 1947 in Clackamas County, Oregon. A few years later along came her brother, Brad Probst. The family lived in the Benton County and Columbia County areas of Oregon for most of Alana’s life. Alana is survived by brother, Brad, niece, Ashley and Ashley’s daughter, Eva Grace. Alana passed on April 5, 2025 in Sacred Heart Hospital, Springfield.

Alana attended the U of O in Eugene and had a long and active life in environmental and community-based action work which has affected the lives of Oregonians and others throughout the world. Her achievements will continue to affect them into the future. We owe a debt of gratitude to her and her family for their dedication to family, community and fun. Those were the passions that Alana lived by all her life.

One of Alana’s recent contributions to our local community fun was in St Helens, Oregon where she and two friends started the celebration Cinco De Mayo through the St Frederic Catholic church community. From 2007-2011 Cinco De Mayo events were held in Buccini Hall which was lively with authentic Mexican food, dancing, jalapeno-eating contests, plant sales, free rides for children in a goat-drawn cart, free horse rides and blessings of all by Father Frank Knusel of Scappoose. Father Frank blessed every turkey, chicken, goat, plant, horse and living thing and person that wanted or needed a blessing.

While living in Columbia City, Oregon she and her family put together the loveliest development of real property that exists in Columbia County, and perhaps in the entire world. She and Voris and Mildred and Brad have made the top of the Columbia City hill area a showplace of how development should happen. They put in a street, Miloris Way, and a community water system and residential lots that take advantage of views of the Columbia River and the mountains in the distance.

Alana worked in San Francisco, Eugene, Willapa Bay, Columbia City, Eastern Europe and retired in Lane County. Her employers included The Ecotrust, NEDCO, and many others. Alana was fun loving and clever and always interested in community fun, too. In 1983 while Alana was living in Eugene, Oregon she thought up a festival of sorts called the “S.L.U.G.fest” which has a Queen who “rains” over the festivities. She went to the Eugene City Council to be sure the name was used. This festival is still alive and well and going strong

Alana worked hard in the civil and womens’ rights movements and was a good friend of Jane Jacobs who wrote books about urban development. Jacobs praised Alana’s work in Eugene and Oregon in her book, Systems of Survival.

In the 1990s Alana took jobs involving development in Europe, especially behind the Iron Curtain into Czeckoslovakia and Russia to carry a message of hope to persons who needed to find their way developing local economies. She also travelled to Africa with others involved in the movements she worked in during her life.

She was also praised and quoted in April 1997 in an article in Schumaker Economics newsletter, and in Fall 1984 Vol 6, No. 3 of the Clinton Street Quarterly, which stated in part: ” Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO), has taken a skeleton budget of $35,000 and parlayed it into the creation of $1,735,000 in local business in one year’s time. That is money that previously was exported out of state to buy the self-same goods, and represents, with the savings realized by avoiding shipping and other costs, a 5300% return on the initial investment in Buy Oregon.”

Alana spent her life trying to make everyone’s life fun, prosperous and benefit local economic development. Thank you, Laura Englund, Alana’s caregiver and friend who along with the dog, Ricardo, comforted Alana in her last days,

Memorial events will be held for Alana at 11 a.m. Wednesday. May 7, 2025 at St Frederic Church, 175 S. 13th St, St Helens, reception follows at The St Helens Elks Lodge #1999, at 35O Belton Rd., St Helens, Oregon 97051.