FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2019
THE OBSERVER — 3A
LOCAL
L OCAL B RIEFING
Granada and LG
merchants sponsor
free movies
LA GRANDE — In La
Grande every year, the
Granada Theatre and local
merchants team up to
present free movies during the
holidays. This year free show-
ings of “Abominable,” “Trolls”
and “The Secret Life of Pets
2” will be offered at 8 a.m. and
10 a.m. Dec. 22-24. Admission
tickets may be picked up at
the Union County Chamber of
Commerce, The Observer and
other participating merchants.
Storytime features
Mrs. Onjukka
LA GRANDE — Wendy
Onjukka, well known to
Heidi-Ho families, will read
Christmas stories, along
with her daughter Misty,
from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. Dec. 23 at Nature’s
Pantry, 1907 Fourth St.,
La Grande. Parents are
welcome to shop while their
children are entertained
with stories, crafts and
treats.
BlueMountaineers
perform before
senior center’s
holiday lunch
LA GRANDE — The
Union County Senior
Center, 1504 N. Albany
St., La Grande, is having
a special holiday meal and
celebration Dec. 23. The
BlueMountaineers (who
usually perform on Tues-
days) will entertain at 11
a.m., and a meal follows at
11:30 a.m., featuring “sin-
galong Christmas carols,
great food and good fel-
lowship.” All are welcome.
The music and fun are free.
The meal is served for a
$3 suggested donation for
those age 60 and older, or
$6 for the younger set. The
senior center will be closed
Tuesday and Wednesday
for Christmas.
Community Kindness
offers Christmas
lunch
LA GRANDE — Com-
munity Kindness of
Eastern Oregon is hosting
a free light buffet lunch on
Christmas Day from noon
to 2 p.m. at the organiza-
tion’s store, 1315 Adams
Ave., La Grande. Anyone
who would like to share a
meal is welcome. Call the
store at 541-805-1410 for
more information. Guests
may sign up ahead of time
but this is not required.
sky: In 2019, the solstice
happens at 8:19 p.m. Dec.
21. Pleasant Grove Grange
invites all to celebrate
the transition into winter,
with brighter days ahead,
UNION COUNTY SENIOR CENTER MENU
1504 ALBANY ST., LA GRANDE
Dec. 23-27; lunch served 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
age 60+ $3 suggested donation; others $6
Monday: pork roast, baked apples, mashed potatoes and
gravy, Harvard beets, cashew-pea salad, rolls, dessert.
Tuesday & Wednesday: closed for the holidays
Thursday: fi sh and chips, baked beans, coleslaw, fresh
fruit, cookies; alternative meal available.
Friday: sweet & sour meatballs over rice pilaf, steamed
vegetables, tomato-cucumber salad, rolls, dessert;
alternative meal available.
Welcome winter at
solstice party
SUMMERVILLE — The
winter solstice is the day
with the shortest period
of daylight and longest
night of the year, when the
sun is at its lowest daily
maximum elevation in the
O BITUARIES
Charles ‘Ehrman’ Bates
La Grande
Charles “Ehrman” Bates,
94, of La Grande, died Dec. 17
at Grande Ronde Hospital.
An obituary is forthcoming.
Arrangements are under the
direction of Daniels-Knopp
Funeral, Cremation & Life
Celebration Center.
David J. Hyde
Formerly of La Grande
1949-2019
David John Hyde, 70, of
Eugene and formerly of La
Grande, died Dec. 12 at his
home. A memo-
rial gathering
will be held
at the Cove
Cemetery in
the spring or
summer.
David was born May
21, 1949, in La Grande, to
Burleigh R. and Mildred
(Wardell) Hyde. He attended
Island City Grade School
and La Grande High School,
where he was a four-sport let-
terman and graduated with
the class of 1967. He then
moved to Eugene to attend
the University of Oregon and
was a member of the 1969
Oregon Ducks football team
until a medical ailment side-
lined his football career.
David worked for the Coca-
Cola Company in Eugene for
14 years, becoming the vice
president and divisional man-
ager for the Southern District
of Oregon the last fi ve years.
He returned to La Grande in
1988 and rebuilt Hyde’s Mar-
ket in Island City on the site
of the original store founded
by his grandfather Sheldon
Hyde in the 1930s, reviving
the name of the store he had
worked at as a young man
when his uncle Gene owned
it. He later moved back to
Eugene where he owned and
operated a building con-
struction company until his
retirement.
David spoke often of his
Eastern Oregon roots and
had a lifelong love for the
beauty of the Blue Moun-
tains and Grande Ronde
Valley. He fondly remem-
bered ski trips to Anthony
Lakes, pack trips into the
Minam and pheasant hunt-
ing the swales and wheat-
fi elds of the valley. One of
his fi nal wishes was to go
home and fi sh the Wallowa
River. He loved the Oregon
Ducks, his springer Span-
iels, the countless friends he
made along the way, and his
family.
Surviving relatives include
his wife Charlotte Washburn
of Eugene; daughters, Dana
Hyde and husband, Jon
Chambers,. of Cabin John,
Maryland, Hilary Brinkman,
Ashley Horton and Meagan
Hyde; sister, Barbara Hyde of
Seaside; cousins and wives,
Bill and Lee Ann Young and
Ray and Betty Hyde of La
Grande; and six grandchil-
dren.
Edna Landers
La Grande
1927-2019
Edna Landers, 92, of La
Grande, died Nov. 29 at a
local care facility. A memo-
rial service will be held at
3 p.m. Dec. 20 at Daniels-
Knopp Funeral, Cremation
& Life Celebration Center.
(the day of the service has
been changed since a previ-
ous announcement.)
Edna was born Aug. 15,
1927, in Wallowa, to Jesse
Edward and Nancy Leona
(Hilton) Landers. She enjoyed
animals, shopping, fl owers
and going to senior meals.
Surviving relatives include
her sister, Lois McLaren of
Pendleton. She was preceded
in death by her sister, Doro-
thy Hamlin.
Memorial contributions
may be made to Uniting
Together.
Ray G. Murphy
Island City
1932-2019
Ray Gene Murphy, 87,
of Island City, died Dec. 17
at his residence. A private
service will be held in the
spring.
Ray was born Sept. 1,
1932, in Flora, to William
and Elizabeth (Wakefi eld)
Murphy. He was married to
Phyllis Bowman.
Ray is survived by his
wife, Phyllis; children and
their spouses, Jay Dean
Murphy of La Grande,
Howard Thomas and Becky
Murphy of Umatilla, and
Marilyn Fae and Randy
Fleshman of Scio; and
three grandchildren and
four great-grandchildren.
Robert D. Miller
La Grande
1938-2019
Robert Dean Miller, 81,
of La Grande, died Dec. 13
at his residence. A memo-
rial service will
be held next
spring.
Robert was
born Oct. 1,
1938, in
Jerome, Idaho,
to Ivan and
Opal (Lee)
Miller. He
served in
the U.S. Army, earning
a Purple Heart. Robert
married Brenda Behrend
on July 10, 1965, in St.
Bernard’s Catholic Church
in Blackfoot, Idaho.
Robert was employed
with the Union Pacifi c
Railroad for 36-1/2 years.
He enjoyed hunting, fi sh-
ing and cutting fi rewood.
He also enjoyed carpentry
and remodeled several
houses. He was a member
of National Association of
Retired Veterans Railway
Employees.
Surviving relatives
Union County sees
increase in flu activity
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
LA GRANDE — State
and local authorities
reported Union County is
seeing an increase in fl u
activity. The Center for
Human Development and
Grande Ronde Hospital,
both in La Grande, are urg-
ing people to get the latest
fl u vaccine to help prevent
the spread of the illness.
According to the data in
the Flu Bites report from
the Oregon Health Author-
ity, there has been a steady
increase over the last sev-
eral weeks of emergency
room and urgent care visits
regarding the fl u. Eastern
Oregon has the highest
percentage of all of the re-
gions at nearly 7% of visits
being fl u-related.
Elizabeth Sieders is the
immunization coordinator
and communicable disease
nurse at the Center for
Human Development. She
reported Amy Miles, the
infection prevention nurse
at Grande Ronde Hospital,
alerted the center about the
increase in fl u cases. Sieders
said the virus, for example,
caused students to miss
school in the Imbler School
District, and anecdotal re-
ports in other districts have
indicated similar situations
across Union County.
“It’s important that
people do not take chances,
and protect themselves
and their loved ones by not
only getting vaccinated
but reducing transmission
by staying home and good
hand hygiene,” Sieders said.
Sieders in a news re-
lease from the center also
reported it is not too late
for anyone to get the fl u
vaccine, and children older
than 6 months, adults over
65, pregnant women and
people with a weak immune
systems or a chronic medical
condition should not wait.
“For these groups,” ac-
cording to Sieders, “fl u can
cause severe illness and
even death.”
Grande Ronde Hospital
has not implemented visi-
tor restrictions due to the
illness, but Miles stated the
hospital is tracking new
cases daily and may restrict
visitors should the number
of cases continue to escalate.
To receive the fl u vac-
cine, contact your primary
care provider, your local
pharmacy or the Center for
Human Development at
541-962-8800. The center
also can provide informa-
tion on reduced cost or free
vaccinations.
beginning at 4 p.m. at the
grange, 67812 Hunter
Road in Summerville. The
free holiday gathering will
include games, a potluck
and Yule log fi re.
P UBLIC S AFETY R EPORT
include his wife, Brenda;
children and their spouses,
Annet and Tom Enter of La
Grande, Phillip and Pam
Miller of North Carolina,
and Cheryl and Brad Ben-
net of Killeen, Texas; broth-
er and sister-in-law, Roy
and Judy Miller of Burley;
sisters and brothers-in-
law, Linda Lighter of Ash
Fork, Arizona, Susan and
Don Baird of Twin Falls,
Idaho, Kathrine and Bob
Berg of Twin Falls, Idaho,
Vicki Coss of Mancos,
Colorado, Teresa and Tony
Kissinger of Buhl, Idaho,
and Sharon and Norris
Enloe of Gilbert, Arizona;
fi ve grandchildren and 10
great-grandchildren; and
many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in
death by his parents, Ivan
and Opal; brother, Donald
Miller; and sisters, Donna
Miller and Diane Parsons.
Online condolences may
be made to the family at
www.lovelandfuneralchapel.
com.
Marilyn R. Roberts
TUESDAY
Law enforcement at 10:23
a.m. responded to a burglary
alarm at a home on the
1800 block of 26th Street, La
Grande. Offi ces determined
this was a false alarm.
A caller at 12:58 p.m.
reported a possibly aggres-
sive dog on the 400 block of F
Street, North Powder.
The Union County Sheriff’s
Offi ce at 2:07 p.m. received a
report of suspicious circum-
stances on the 800 block of
Palmer Junction Road, Elgin.
A deputy checked it out and
found everything was fi ne.
La Grande police at 6:05
p.m. received a report of an
ongoing dispute between
neighbors on the 2500 block
of Fourth Street, La Grande.
A caller at 10:32 p.m.
reported a tree was across
the street on the 2800 block
of Minam Court, La Grande.
Dispatch notifi ed city public
works.
WEDNESDAY
La Grande’s code enforce-
ment offi cer at about 8:30
a.m. placed a vehicle boot
on a car near the 100 block of
Adams Avenue.
A caller in La Grande at
11:27 a.m. reported harass-
ment. An offi cer responded
and determined there was
nothing criminal.
The Union County Sher-
iff’s Offi ce arrested Koben
K. Opie, 27, of Union, for
second-degree sexual abuse.
La Grande police at 2:30
p.m. responded to a non-in-
jury traffi c crash on the 2500
block of Adams Avenue.
A caller asked law enforce-
ment to check on the welfare of
a resident on the 61800 block
of Blackhawk Trail Lane, La
Grande. An offi cer responded
but no one was home.
La Grande police noted a
report of a malfunctioning
railroad signal at Greenwood
Street.
THURSDAY
Emergency services in
La Grande at 10:15 a.m. re-
sponded to a vehicle crash at
Cherry Street and N Avenue.
There were no injuries.
A caller at 10:27 a.m. com-
plained about a dog running
in the area of the 1600 block
of Gekeler Lane. The dog was
gone by the time an offi cer
arrived.
La Grande police at about
11:50 a.m. responded a back
lot on the 2400 block of R
Avenue to check if an aban-
doned vehicle was stolen. It
was not.
Union residence on the 500
block of East Center Street
reported a burglary.
A caller at 6:53 p.m. re-
ported an injured deer on the
11200 block of Island Avenue,
La Grande.
Union
Marilyn R. Roberts, 71,
of Union, died Dec. 18 at
her residence. An obituary
is forthcoming. Loveland
Funeral Chapel & Crema-
tory will be handling the
arrangements.
La Grande Observer
Holiday Hours
UPCOMING FUNERALS
AND VISITATIONS
Sponsored by
Christmas Eve: CLOSE at 3 PM
Dec. 20
Edna Landers:
Christmas Day: CLOSED
3 p.m. memorial service,
Daniels-Knopp Funeral,
Cremation & Life
Celebration Center, La
Grande.
Dec. 28
Nellie Lathrop:
11 a.m. memorial
service, Joseph Baptist
Church.
There will be NO PAPER published on
Wednesday, December 25th
We will reopen for business
Thursday, December 26th • 7:30 AM - 5 PM
New Years Day: OFFICE CLOSED
There WILL BE a paper published January 1st
This offer won’t hang around
long. Subscribe today!
THE OBSERVER’S SPECIAL
HOLIDAY GIFT TO YOU
Buy a three month subscription to
T HE O BSERVER
and get one month free!
Offer for new and existing subscribers
Act fast - offer valid through December 31, 2019
To take advantage of this special offer please call the office at
541-963-3161 or our call center at 1-800-781-3214