Wednesday, September 7, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
21
Obituaries
Gilbert F. Staender
Don Frederick Grabe
February 25, 1930 —August 27, 2016
October 19, 1925 — July 26, 2016
Gil Staender, longtime
resident of Camp Sherman
and the Sisters area, passed
away at Hospice House on
August 27.
Gil was born February
25, 1930, in Chicago,
Illinois. He was a first-
generation American. His
parents emigrated from
Germany and became U.S.
citizens. When his parents
divorced, he returned to
Germany with his mother.
She died when he was 6,
and he spent several years in
an orphanage. While in the
orphanage, he was issued a
set of silverware, which the
children used at each meal.
He carried that set of silver-
ware his whole life.
In 1940, during World
War II, Gil’s uncle put him
on a ship from Germany to
the U.S., to be reunited with
his father. Gil turned 10
while on the ship. When he
reached the U.S., he couldn’t
find his passport, and they
wouldn’t let him off the ship
without it. He recalled lean-
ing over the railing to speak
to his father, waiting for him
on the dock. His father told
him to look in his lederho-
sen, and there, he found his
passport in his pocket.
Gil remained fluent in
German and English.
Gil’s father remarried,
and the family moved to
the Portland area, where
Gil grew up. He became
a guide on Mt. Hood, and
summited more than 50
times. He was active in
the Mazamas, the Nature
Conservancy, the Audubon
Society, Greenpeace, Utah
Wi l d e r n e s s C o a l i t i o n ,
and other Conservation
Societies.
He was a photographer,
and conservationist. He and
his wife, Vivian Staender,
spent a year in the Arctic,
in the wilds of the Brooks
Range of Alaska in 1965.
They authored several
books about the experience.
They sold their house in
Lake Oswego and moved to
Sisters in the 1960s, where
they purchased a section of
land North of town. They
built a stone house “off the
grid,” before being off the
grid was popular, and named
the place “Wildhaven,”
which has been donated to
the Nature Conservancy. Gil
taught school in Sisters, and
the couple helped legislate
for the very first bottle bill
in the U.S., passed in 1971.
He donated several pieces of
art to the Sisters Library.
Gil moved back to the
Portland area and worked for
REI. He loved art, music and
the outdoors, and to travel.
When he retired, he traveled
in his motorhome with his
beloved dogs. He purchased
a home in Camp Sherman,
where he spent his summers.
He was a fabulous cook, his
specialty was homemade
carrot cake. He loved to tell
stories, go dancing, walk his
dog, spend time with friends,
and travel.
He will be greatly missed.
enjoyed teaching farmers
and university personnel
about agricultural tech-
niques in developing coun-
tries such as Taiwan, India,
Columbia, Mexico, and
Guatemala.
He was an active mem-
ber of Shepherd of the
Hills Lutheran Church in
Sisters.
He enjoyed photography,
walks in nature, and hobbies
such as gardening, reading,
driving a tractor, and helping
Lorna with the horses.
He is survived by his
wife, Lorna Grabe; sons Ted
and Tim; daughter Ann; and
several grandchildren.
Memorial contributions
can be made to Deschutes
Land Trust.
habitation for the U.S. Forest
Service. She also worked as
a lookout on fire towers and
was a volunteer for Habitat
for Humanity as well as
singing in her church choir.
She studied genealogy and
was proud of her Scottish
heritage.
A memorial for Susan
G. Sprang will be held
T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r
29, at 1 p.m. at Sisters
Episcopal Church of the
Transfiguration. Reception
following in the church hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations
are suggested for Sisters
Habitat for Humanity or
Hospice of Sisters/Redmond.
Susan G. Sprang
February 16, 1923 — August 10, 2016
Susan G. Sprang of Black
Butte Ranch died August 10,
surrounded by her loving
family.
She was the widow of
Dr. Harry E. Sprang. She is
survived by her sister Ruth
Ingham and her daughters
Debby Miller, Rebecca
Stanley and Barb Franklin.
She was born February
16, 1923 in Canton, Ohio.
She was always active in the
community. Her background
in archaeology enabled her
to survey sites for primitive
Obituaries Policy: The Nugget Newspaper does not charge a fee to publish obituaries. Obituaries may be
up to 400 words and include one photo. Obituaries outside these guidelines are handled by The Nugget
Newspaper advertising department. Obituary submissions must be received by noon on Monday. Obituaries
may be submitted to The Nugget by email or hand delivery to our office located at 442 E. Main Ave., Sisters.
Come In…
Relax…Enjoy!
Tim Westcott
Ronnica Westcott
Jenny Duey
Mary Morgan
541-588-6611
220 W. Cascade Ave.
Come in, Relax, Enjoy!
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Don Frederick Grabe of
Sisters died July 26 at age
90.
He was born in the
small western-Iowa town
of Pierson and grew up on
a farm. While at Iowa State
University he met Lorna
Dohrer. The couple was mar-
ried in 1950. Don served in
the Korean War, then went
on to teach agronomy as
a professor at Iowa State
University, Mississippi State
University, and Oregon State
University.
While on foreign uni-
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