Beverly Cleary honored with U.S. Senate resolution Updated 7:51 AM; Facebook Share Beverly Cleary’s “lifelong commitment ... to brightening the lives of children” and “outstanding contributions” to children’s literature are now a matter of federal record. The Oregon-born author, who died in March at age 104, has been honored with a U.S. Senate resolution submitted by the senators representing her home state, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Senate Resolution 178 summarizes Cleary’s life: her birth in McMinnville, her education at Portland’s Grant High School, her hugely popular books set on Northeast Portland’s Klickitat Street, her numerous literary awards, and her status as “one of the most significant and successful authors of the 20th century.”