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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 2021)
RECORDS AND MORE Saturday, January 16, 2021 Obituaries Community Meetings • IMBLER — The Imbler School District Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. at the high school. The public is wel- come to attend all open ses- sions of the school board. The agenda includes the Oregon School Activities Associa- tion’s “Return to Play” petition and an executive session for the purpose of evaluating the superintendent. Briefs Forest Service waives fees for Martin Luther King Jr. Day PORTLAND — The U.S. Forest Service will waive fees at day-use recreation sites in Oregon and Washington Monday, Jan. 18. The Forest Service honors Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a fee-free day to encourage Americans to get outside and visit their public lands. Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a national day of service in 1994 in recognition of King’s legacy of service and leadership to gain equal- ity for all Americans. The fee waiver includes many picnic areas, boat launches, trailheads and vis- itor centers. Fees for camp- ing, cabin rentals, heritage expeditions or other permits still apply. To find a national forest or grassland near you, go to www.fs.fed.us/ivm. Honors Local students named to Gonzaga Dean’s List SPOKANE, Washington — Natalie Gorham of Joseph and Scott Remily of La Grande, each earned a place on the Gonzaga University Dean’s List for fall semester 2020. Students must earn a 3.5-3.84 grade-point average to be listed. Gonzaga University is a private Catholic University providing a Jesuit education to more than 7,500 students. — The Observer LOTTERY Megabucks: $7 million 6-20-22-29-31-43 Mega Millions: $625 million 12-14-26-28-33 — 9 x2 Powerball: $550 million 4-19-23-25-49 — PB 14 x2 Win for Life: Jan. 13 1-3-50-64 Pick 4: Jan. 14 • 1 p.m.: 0-1-0-4 • 4 p.m.: 0–9-4-2 • 7 p.m.: 6-6-1-5 • 10 p.m.: 9-7-3-6 Pick 4: Jan. 13 • 1 p.m.: 0-4-8-5 • 4 p.m.: 4-8-6-9 • 7 p.m.: 2-3-8-5 • 10 p.m.: 8-4-1-9 DELIVERY ISSUES? If you have any problems receiving your Observer, call 541-963-3161. Menus Union County Senior Center takeout lunches Pick up 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 1504 N. Albany St., La Grande. For delivery, call 541-963-7532 before 10 a.m. Age 60+, $3 suggested donation; all oth- ers, $5. Public is welcome. Inquire about family meals and prepackaged sides. JAN. 18-22 Monday: closed in obser- vance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Tuesday: fish & chips, coleslaw, baked beans, fresh fruit. dessert. Wednesday: pot roast, potatoes, salad greens, dessert. Thursday: almond chick- en, rice pilaf, salad greens, sliced fruit, rolls, fruit tart. Friday: honey baked ham, scalloped potatoes, pea sal- ad, rolls, fresh fruit, dessert. tHE OBSErVEr — 3A Rodney ‘Rod’ Weitman 1951-2021 • Union Rodney “Rod” Weitman, 69, of Union, died Jan. 2 after a month-long battle with COVID-19 and other health conditions. Known as Rod, he was born Dec. 1, 1951, in Stayton, to Stanly “Tut” and Marylyn Weitman. He married his high school sweetheart, Jann, July 15, 1972, and had one daughter, Heather. Rod also considered many of Heather’s friends his children too. Rod worked in several fields, from farming to the timber industry, and retired early due to an accident from the State of Oregon where he was the regional manager for the Eastern Oregon National Guard Armories. Rod was a force of nature, the size of a moun- tain, with a kind heart. He was determined to pro- vide for his family, often working multiple jobs. His family meant more to him than anything, and he always tried his best to be supportive. Rod loved gardening, nature, going on long drives, music, fishing, camping, shooting his black powder rifle, going to black powder rendezvous and daydreaming about moving to Alaska to be a moun- tain man. Rod always had a hand to lend to friends and family in need, and he had the best laugh in the world. Rod was the most loving father and husband that a family could ask for. Surviving relatives include his wife, Jann Weitman; daughter, Heather Middleton; son-in-law, Mike Middleton; brothers, Rick Weitman, Phil Weitman, Brent Weitman and Doug Weitman; and sisters, Diane Pantovich and Carla Weitman Downes. He was preceded in death by his parents, Marylyn and Tut Weitman, and adopted daughter, Shawnetta Marie Wagner. Lorenzo ‘Lorry’ DelCurto Imbler Lorenzo “Lorry” DelCurto, 67, died Jan. 13 at his home in Imbler. A graveside service will be held Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Arrangements are by Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Halfway. Linda G. (Hammond) Ruth Upcoming local services 1949-2021 • La Grande Linda Gay Ruth, 71, of La Grande, died Jan. 10 at her residence. A celebra- tion of her life will be held Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Sum- merville Cemetery Chapel. Attendees must wear a mask and prac- tice social dis- tancing to meet COVID-19 guidelines. Casual dress is preferred by the family. Linda was born June 21, 1949, in Ashland, to John and Gladys (Beaumont) Hammond. She resided in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and La Grande. She married Steven L. Ruth on Sept. 18, 1969. Linda was a laborer at Terry’s and Woodcraft. She was also a caseworker at the Salvation Army. She was a wife, daughter, sister, friend, aunty and a very proud grandmother and great-grandmother. She enjoyed quilting and embroidery and anything that involved gathering with the family. Linda never met a stranger, that is the depth of her kindness and love. Her home was open to all, and Please follow guide- lines regarding face cov- erings and social dis- tancing at all services. Jan. 16 — LOIS EBEL: 10 a.m. celebra- tion of life; attend vir- if there was ever a need, she filled it. Her smile and hugs were a hot commodity to all who were blessed to know her. Surviving relatives include her husband, Steven; children and their spouses, Darryn and Heidi Ruth of Pendleton, Troy and Charlene Ruth of Elgin, Eryk and Marsha Ruth of Hermiston, and LaDawna and Steven Richardson of St. Cloud, Minnesota; brothers, Laton Hammond of Phoenix, Arizona, and Rickey Ellis of Roseburg; and 12 grand- children and 10 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son, David; granddaughter, Dachalynn Ruth; brothers, Raymond, tually via the livestream at www.lovelandfuner- alchapel.com (click on “Funeral Videos” near bottom of home page just before 10 a.m.). Jan. 16 — LINDA RUTH: 2 p.m. celebration of life, Summerville Cem- etery Chapel; casual dress preferred. — Calendar cour- tesy of Loveland Funeral Chapel, La Grande John, Alfred and Bobby; and sisters, Donna, Margo, Rachel, Macy and Nancy Jo. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.lovelandfuneral- chapel.com. Robert A. Clark La Grande Robert Arthur Clark, 86, of La Grande, died Jan. 14 at his home. Arrangements are by Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory, La Grande. James Bellisle La Grande James Bellisle, 57, of La Grande, died Jan. 14 at his home. Arrangements are by Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory, La Grande. Public Safety Report WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 9:35 a.m. — La Grande police during a traffic stop at Second Street and Adams Avenue made con- tact with a runaway juve- nile. Police released the juvenile to their father. 1:11 p.m. — A caller reported a suspicious person in the area of K Avenue and Second Street, La Grande, near the high school. An officer searched the area and did not find the person in question. 1:21 p.m. — A La Grande resident on the 200 block of 20th Street reported possible fraud. An officer responded and took information. 4:47 p.m. — A caller on the 1300 block of South Main Street, Union, reported an ongoing problem with dogs at large. The animal enforce- ment officer checked the area but did not spot dogs on the loose. 8:01 p.m. — A caller reported gunshots or fire- works on the 62800 block of Fruitdale Lane, La Grande. A Union County sheriff’s deputy checked the area but found nothing suspicious. EOFF unveils Eastern Oregon filmmaker residency The Observer LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon Film Fes- tival, a La Grande-based nonprofit, unveiled a new filmmaker residency pro- gram in a press release Friday, Jan. 15. The residency is a month-long retreat for writers and directors to receive designated time and space to work on fea- ture-length screenplays, according to the press release. The application for attendance opens Sunday, Jan. 17, on filmfreeway.com and closes Feb. 21 with an early bird deadline of Feb. 7. The goal of the four- week program is for art- ists to walk away with a draft that has the potential to be produced in Oregon in the coming years, and for attendees to learn about resources and opportunities available for filmmaking in Eastern Oregon. The visiting artists will rely on HQ, a creative dig- ital media studio in down- town La Grande as a hub for creativity and collab- oration. EOFF staff are working on local lodging and food options to support residents. Applicants can attend one of two informational ZOOM meetings prior to the application deadline: Tuesday, Jan 19 at 7 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. Click on the links at the Eastern Oregon Film Festival website, www. eofilmfest.com, to reg- ister in advance for either meeting. The residency applica- tion and more information also is on the website. Brett Alan Snyder Children’s free takeout breakfast & lunch menu May 26, 1958 - January 10, 2021 Pick up 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central, Green- wood or Island City elemen- tary schools, La Grande. Free breakfast and lunch for anyone age 18 and younger. Fresh vegetables, seasonal fruit and 1% milk are offered daily. Monday: no meals today; closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Tuesday: BREAKFAST: blueberry muffin, cheese stick, fresh fruit; LUNCH: beef quesadilla, radish. Wednesday: BREAKFAST: mini pancakes (@Central & Island City) / waffles (@ Greenwood), apple juice; LUNCH: chef salad, cucum- ber slices. Thursday: BREAKFAST: breakfast stacker sandwich, fresh fruit; LUNCH: meat- balls and gravy, whole-grain dinner roll, mashed pota- toes, broccoli florets. Friday: BREAKFAST: French toast sticks, orange juice; LUNCH: fish sticks, whole-grain dinner roll, coleslaw. Brett Alan Snyder, 62, of La Grande, Oregon, passed away on January 10th from complications of a chronic medical condition at Tacoma General Hospital. Brett was born and raised in La Grande, Oregon and graduated from La Grande High School in 1976. As an astonishing father, grandfather, friend, colleague and mentor, Brett impacted all he crossed paths with. Brett loved playing with his grandchildren in his spare time, camping, hunting with his brothers, fishing with his children and vacationing with his friends and family. He was a kind and loving husband to his wife, Karen, for 35 years and a determined father to his children Devin, Ashley and Aaron. Brett proudly worked for JR Abbott Construction of Seattle for 33 years and will always be remembered for his sense of humor and passion for helping others. Brett is survived by his wife, Karen; children, Devin, Ashley, Aaron and his grandchildren Mason, Jameson, Brayden, Oliver and Jayce. Other crucial members Brett leaves behind are his mother Sharon Snyder; sisters Shar and husband Las Lequerica, Danette Snyder; his brothers Tony Snyder and Larry Snyder and his wife Jacque, cherished cousins, nieces, and nephews. Brett was preceded in death by his father, Leland Snyder and sister Sheryl Barnes. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 23rd, in Tacoma, Wash- ington. Any donations can be made to the family at gofund.me/9224523e in which all made will go directly towards the support of Brett’s family. Specific details on the service in Tacoma will be posted on the gofundme website page soon. There will also be a celebration of life held later this spring in La Grande! THURSDAY, JAN. 14 3:59 a.m. — A La Grande resident on the 1800 block of Gekeler Lane reported receiving a strange phone call. An officer made contact and would provide extra patrols. 7:10 a.m. — A caller reported possible gun- shots in the area of the 62300 block of Evergreen Road north of La Grande. A Union County sher- iff’s deputy checked out the scene and found the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife were hazing elk in the area. 9:26 a.m. — The Union County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a pos- sible restraining order violation on the 64100 block of Hunter Road, La Grande. A Union County sheriff’s deputy made contact and will follow up. 1:19 p.m. — La Grande police received a non-communicative 911 call from the 2000 block of Alder Street. Officers responded and separated the parties involved. 2:38 p.m. — A caller on the 10700 block of Island Avenue, Island City, reported the theft of a vehicle. A Union County sheriff’s deputy responded, but no one wanted to make a report at this time. The deputy still would try to find the vehicle. 4:56 p.m. — A caller reported littering on the 2900 block of Depot Street, La Grande. An officer responded and tres- passed three people. 7:11 p.m. — A caller reported finding a puppy on the 1100 block of Detroit Street, Elgin. The dispatch center logged the information for the animal enforcement officer. Lorenzo (Lorry) DelCurto January 26, 1953 - January 13, 2021 Lorry, 67, passed away peacefully in his home on January 13, 2021, with his wife Lois and daughter Cindy at his side. A graveside service will be at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway, Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Lorry was born on Jan. 26, 1953 to Elba and Law- rence DelCurto of Halfway. Lorry was the oldest of 3 brothers; Tony, Joe and Tim. Lorry was raised on a small cattle ranch in Pine Valley. He attended Pine Eagle Schools in Halfway and graduated in 1971. Lorry attended Eastern Oregon Univer- sity earning a degree in Bachelor of Science in Business/Economics. Lorry married Judy Randall in 1974. They raised three children; Chad, Rita and Robert. They divorced in 1984. Lorry stayed good friends with Judy and her parents, Dorothy and John Randall of Richland, Oregon He fell in love with his best friend, soul- mate and wife Lois Corcoran in 1986. Lorry and Lois married in December 31, 1987 in Winnemucca, NV. (Lorry always said it was a good tax write off.) Lorry helped raise step- daughter Cindy, and step-son Steven. Lorry lived in Halfway until he was 18. He moved to Baker City in the 70’s to work for Ellingson Lumber Mill from 1969 to 1998 in Halfway and in Baker City. Lorry moved from Baker City to Imbler in 2004 to be closer to work, Boise Cascade Lumber Company (Stud Mill) from 2002 to 2017. He owned and operated LJD Trapshooting Cashiering for 28 years. Lorry and Lois cashiered for ATA and PITA completion shooting for Trap Clubs in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. He always said cashiering was a challenge he liked to take on and he would often have 40 to 500 shooters to organize for the clubs. Lorry and Lois were very busy their years together they worked and played hard. They had lots of hobbies. They started out by shoot- ing trap. They traveled from Idaho, Washing- ton, Nevada and Oregon for shooting compe- tition and fun shoots. Lorry was a very good shooter and won numerous trophies, money and several awards. He was very engaged with people of the trapshooting world for over 36 years and made close knit friends throughout the years. He loved playing around with snowmobil- ing, road bikes and ATV’s traveling around Montana, Washington, Idaho and Ore- gon. He loved to hunt. One hunting trip he spent a week in Canada (harvesting) geese. He enjoyed hunting deer, elk and bear on his family’s homestead. Lorry enjoyed hunting with his dad and brothers growing up. Later in life Lorry spent time teaching his (buddy) grandson David how to hunt and fish. In 2009 Lorry bought his pontoon boat (his favorite toy). He spent every minute he could on the Snake River fishing for crappie and bass with buddy David, family and friends. One of his favorite trips was a 7 day Alaska cruise with friends Jim, June and Lois. After retirement he enjoyed his morning coffee and telling fishing and hunting stories with the guys at Summerville Café. Lorry was an avid sports fan; he never had a favorite team because he watched them all. He enjoyed his gambling trips to Nevada and Wildhorse to play Blackjack. He was a good gambler, or so he told his friends. One of his saying was; you need to cover the ground before it covers you. He lived that kind of life. Lorry was a great husband, father, grand- dad, brother, uncle and friend. (He made people laugh.) Lorry is survived by his wife Lois; his brothers Tim (Tammy) of Belgrade, Mo., Tony of Baker City; sons Chad (Kara) of Richland, Robert (Brenda) of Stanfield; daughters Rita (Tom) of Pendleton, Cindy (Jim) Wright of North Power; grandchildren John, Amada, Conner, Presley, River and David; nieces Han- nah and Molly; nephew Scott; in-laws Myrl, Wanda, Linda and Roger. Lorry was preceded in death by his father Lawrence, mother Elba, brother Joe and step- son Steven Hall. He lost his battle with cancer after 3 years. He requested no flowers. For those who would like to make a memorial donation to Lorry, the family suggest Imbler Rural Fire Department through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, PO Box 543, Halfway, Oregon 97834. Online condolences may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com
