Grief ripples across Oregon City and beyond after store manager is killed

Published 4:04 pm Wednesday, November 15, 2023

1. GoFundMe campaign for the children of murder victim Anna Wessel

Anna Wessel’s death is “kind of like dropping a bomb, with the ripples of her loss spreading across the Oregon City community and across the country,” according to her brother-in-law Paul Winward.

Wessel, 37, was shot to death by her husband on Nov. 13, police say. Her influence was felt by hundreds of people as a longtime manager of Geeks & Games, a store in Oregon City that seeks to provide an inclusive space for purchasing and playing a variety of game types.

On the evening before her death, Wessel organized a pre-release tournament for a card-collecting game. It was among the countless tournaments she organized over the years as manager of the game store, which allows anyone in the community to play for free and make purchases if they choose.

“It has been a shock to all of us, and we will miss her dearly,” wrote store co-owner La Donna Cox.

When the store manager position opened up, Wessel was initially ambivalent about applying, her brother-in-law said.

“She wasn’t too sure about going back to work, but she was excited that it was a local game store,” Winward said.

Wessel’s style in running the store was unique from the beginning. Instead of submitting a traditional resume, Wessel applied for the position using a “character sheet” with her vital stats in the style of Dungeons & Dragons or another role-playing game.

Wessel’s sudden loss has reverberated beyond Oregon City’s large gaming community. Oregon City police arrested Wessel’s husband on accusations of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.

Winward said that Wessel’s four children were at school when she died and were picked up from school to live with their aunt and uncle. Winward asked that citizens withhold their judgement about what led to Wessel’s death and ignore rumors that are spreading around the community about the state of her marriage.

“We don’t know what people were going through, and we just want the community to extend their love and support,” Winward said. “We don’t know the full extent of the challenges that the family was facing.”

Wessel’s husband was lodged in Clackamas County Jail without bail. State prosecutors say that his crimes constitute alleged domestic violence.

Winward said that Wessel’s husband has signed over custody of the four children to Wessel’s sister Janet Wilcox Fish and Fish’s husband Kendall in Longview, Washington. Beyond saying that the children are between the ages of 10-16, Winward requested that the community respect their privacy and not share their full names publicly.

“Anna’s death is a heavy burden on everyone, but there has been a lot of prayers and love,” Winward said. “We know it’s been a loss to the whole community, and we really appreciate all of the community support for her family at this time.”

Family members and the owners of Geeks & Games are encouraging community members to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign to support Wessel’s sister in the extra expenses of suddenly having to care for four additional children. Winward said that Janet and Kendall Fish already have children and are welcoming their nieces and nephews into their home.

GoFundMe campaign for the children of murder victim Anna Wessel

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-wessel-children-after-their-loss

“Anna was a loving, dedicated mother,” Winward said. “She was very selfless and caring. She had such a big heart, a passion for music and will be remembered for her wonderful stories and humor.”

Wessel went to high school in Glendale, Arizona. Earning a scholarship for her talent playing the bassoon, she then attended Brigham Young University from 2004-08 in Idaho, where she met her future husband.

Wessel soon moved to Beavercreek, located just outside of Oregon City in unincorporated Clackamas County, where she lived for many years. In April, the family purchased a home in Oregon City.

Wessel attended a large family reunion in Utah in 2021 where she told several stories, as usual, to a rapt audience.

In one of her classic stories, she took her kids to the beach. Following a two-hour drive and just after getting everything ready on the beach, there was a massive sneaker wave that washed away all their towels, chairs, extra clothing and picnic lunch.

Wessel had a way of telling the story that perfectly balanced her relief at saving her children with the family’s general disappointment in seeing their beach trip being literally washed away by the ocean. Wessel expressed relief that none of her children were hurt, but she also took the time to describe desperately trying to rescue tattered beach furniture and the looks on her children’s faces when they were forced to head right back home after losing all their supplies for the trip.

“That was something that was traumatic at the time, but after the fact, she had us all laughing so hard,” Winward said.