RECORDS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2022
THE OBSERVER — A3
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT
FRIDAY, FEB. 4
1:21 p.m. — La Grande police responded to 1101 Willow St. on a
call about a burglary at a business and took a report.
2:06 p.m. — A caller reported a trespasser on the 2000 block of
Fourth Street, La Grande. Offi cers responded and trespassed one
male.
3:41 p.m. — A caller at the Moon Motel, 2116 Adams Ave., La
Grande, reported harassment. An offi cer made contact and took
information.
4:44 p.m. — La Grande police cited Jeff erson Eli Cole Sharp, 27,
of Baker City, while he was in the Union County Jail, La Grande, on a
Baker County warrant charging giving false information to a police
offi cer and two counts of unlawful possession of a fi rearm.
4:59 p.m. — A caller reported a dog was in with livestock on the
1000 block of B Avenue, La Grande. An animal enforcement offi cer
made contact and took information.
8:26 p.m. — La Grande police received a report of a resident
who was experiencing a mental or emotional crisis. The person
went to a hospital before an offi cer arrived.
SATURDAY, FEB. 5
6:51 a.m. — La Grande police received a complaint about
criminal mischief on the 1200 block of Willow Street. An offi cer
responded and counseled one male.
12:06 p.m. — A caller at Walmart, 11619 Island Ave., Island City,
reported a parent may have abused a child. An offi cer responded
but did not fi nd the vehicle.
3:33 p.m. — A caller in the area of 51100 Highway 244, Union
County, reported a possible wolf depredation. An animal enforce-
ment offi cer and the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife will fol-
low up.
5:55 p.m. — La Grande police responded to the 1000 block of
Jackson Avenue on a report of a dispute over property. Offi cers
arrived, and the parties were working on separating the property.
DEATH & SERVICE NOTICES
8:21 p.m. — A caller on the 200 block of 12th Street, La Grande,
reported seeing a coyote.
8:36 p.m. — La Grande police responded to a residence on the
2300 block of Q Avenue on a complaint about loud music. Police
counseled the subject.
9:26 p.m. — La Grande police responded to the 2100 block of
Leo Lane on a report of a domestic disturbance. The parties sepa-
rated before police arrived.
SUNDAY, FEB. 6
3:36 a.m. — La Grande police and medics responded to the 200
block of 18th Street on a report of an assault.
11:16 a.m. — A caller on the 68300 block of Craig Loop, Sum-
merville, reported an aggressive dog. An animal enforcement offi -
cer responded.
12:32 p.m. — La Grande police received a report of a theft and
found drug paraphernalia at the Chevron station at 2706 Island
Ave. An offi cer responded.
2:06 p.m. — A caller reported a domestic disturbance at an
apartment at Grande Woods Apartments, 2005 Gekeler Lane, La
Grande. Offi cers responded and separated the parties.
3:04 p.m. — Safeway, 2111 Adams Ave., La Grande, made a tres-
pass complaint. No La Grande police were available. An Oregon
State Police trooper responded and trespassed one female.
3:56 p.m. — A caller on the fi rst block of Depot Street, La
Grande, made a trespass complaint. City police were on another
call. An Oregon State Police trooper responded and arrested one
person.
5:03 p.m. — A caller reported criminal mischief at Lighthouse
Church, 10501 W. First St., Island City. A Union County sheriff ’s dep-
uty responded and took a report.
8:20 p.m. — A resident at Green Tree Apartments, 2310 Q Ave.,
La Grande, reported a person refused to leave an apartment. An
offi cer responded and gave the male a ride to the warming shelter.
Ty Hallgarth
Elgin
Ty Hallgarth, 53, of Elgin, died Jan. 31, 2022, at St.
Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Boise. A cele-
bration of his life will be held Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. at the
Elgin Stampede Hall. The family prefers casual dress,
cowboy hats and courage. Arrangements are by Love-
land Funeral Chapel & Crematory, La Grande.
Annette Leckenby
La Grande
Annette Leckenby, 64, of La Grande, died Feb. 2,
2022, at Grande Ronde Hospital. Arrangements are by
Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration
Center, La Grande.
Orva L. Murrill
La Grande
Orva L. Murrill, 90, of La Grande, died Feb. 5, 2022,
at La Grande Post Acute Rehab. Arrangements are by
Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory, La Grande.
Cheryl A. Spurlock
La Grande
Cheryl Ann Spurlock, 56, of La Grande, died Feb. 5,
2022. Arrangements are by Loveland Funeral Chapel &
Crematory, La Grande.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
Eagles on the Columbia
Community center off ers meal, computer class
UNION — Community meals are served on the
second Friday of the month at noon at the Catherine
Creek Community Center, 667 N. Main St., Union.
The next gathering is planned for Friday, Feb. 11. Cost
is $3.50 and all are welcome. Delivery is available. Call
541-562-2038 or email at ccccenter667@gmail.com to
set up delivery.
Also on Feb. 11 at the community center, housed
in the former Union Methodist Church, there will be a
free introduction to computers class. The class begins at
1 p.m. Friday.
Bingo games moved to Wednesday
UNION — In an eff ort to make community bingo
games more available, the VFW High Valley Post 4060
in Union is now holding its games on Wednesday after-
noons. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and games begin at
1 p.m. at the VFW hall. All are welcome.
— The Observer
UPCOMING
LOCAL
SERVICES
Photos by Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
A bald eagle, above,
perches atop a tree
and an immature bald
eagle, left, soars over
the Columbia River at
the McNary Beach
Recreation Area in
Umatilla on Friday,
Feb. 4, 2022.
Art center hosts oil painting exhibit and workshop
LA GRANDE — “Tiny
Fruits,” an exhibit fea-
turing a series of Sarah
Bird’s oil paintings, opened
Friday, Feb. 4 at Art Center
East, 1006 Penn Ave., La
Grande. The exhibit will
run through March 26 in
the center’s main gallery.
ACE is open Wednesday
through Friday from noon
to 5 p.m., and on Saturday
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Admission is free, and
masks are required.
The exhibit may also
be viewed virtually on
Art Center East’s website,
www.artcentereast.org.
The artist is leading a
still life oil painting work-
shop at the art center, held
on Wednesdays from Feb.
9 to March 2 from 4-6 p.m.
This is a four-session oil
painting technique class
for all skill levels, begin-
ners to advanced painters.
Participants will make a
small still life painting
from start to fi nish using
a traditional 19th-century
style of painting. Using
the pre-modern technique
— fi nishing as you go —
students will learn how
Art Center East/Contributed Photos
An exhibit of Sarah Bird’s still
life oil paintings, including the
pieces shown here, opened
Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, at Art Cen-
ter East, La Grande. Beginning
Wednesday, Feb. 9, Bird will
be teaching a four-session oil
painting workshop at the center.
to understand and over-
come optical illusions
when seeing, mixing and
applying paint.
This technique will also
allow you to improvise and
change your compositions
as you go along.
The cost is $110 for
ACE members and $125
for non-members. All sup-
plies are included.
To learn more about
the class and check avail-
ability, go to www.artcen-
tereast.org/calendar (click
on the Feb. 9 class) or call
541-624-2800.
Learn more about Bird’s
work at www.sarahwhitte-
morebird.com.
Feb. 12 — TY HALLGARTH: 1 p.m. celebration
of life, Elgin Stampede Hall (casual dress and cowboy
hats preferred).
Feb. 19 — WANDA LOWE: 1 p.m. memorial cele-
bration, Mountain Life Church, La Grande.
March 26 — JUDY HUNT: 3 p.m. celebration of
life, La Grande Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Please follow guidelines regarding face coverings
and social distancing at gatherings. Calendar courtesy
of Loveland Funeral Chapel.
Wanda Joyce Lowe
October 23, 1935 - Deceber 18, 2021
Wanda Joyce Lowe passed away peacefully and
went to be with Jesus on Dec. 18, 2021, due to pancre-
atic cancer. Wanda was born Oct. 23, 1935, in Baker
City, Oregon. A memorial celebration will be held on
Saturday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. at Mountain Life Church,
10700 South Walton Rd., La Grande, Oregon 97850.
Wanda was raised in the Burnt River Valley in Her-
eford, Oregon, where she met and married her high
school sweetheart Dell Lowe. They settled in La Grande,
Oregon, and raised their children, where Wanda was a
devoted wife, mother and devout Christian. She was
also very involved with, and loved her church family.
Wanda loved horseback riding and the outdoors; hunt-
ing with her family; long walks in the woods; searching
for wild huckleberries; gardening and canning; sewing
and making wedding and prom dresses for her relatives;
reading and oil painting. Early on, Wanda was active in
the lives of her nieces and nephews, and was instrumen-
tal in their spiritual upbringing. She diligently shared
with them the love of Jesus, and often transported them
to church and VBS where she nurtured them and other
young people with the word of God as a Sunday school
teacher. When her own children were in their teens, she
became the youth pastor at their church where she was
dedicated to reaching young people for Christ while
making it exciting and adventurous. Her grandchildren
experienced the same devotion, as Wanda attended
nearly every major event in their lives, including every
sporting event possible.
Wanda and Dell freely offered their home to any-
one in need - family, friends and strangers giving them
food, clothing, money, or place to sleep. They would
often tow travelers whose cars had broken down, to
their home where Wanda would feed and entertain them
(and share the Gospel) while Dell repaired their car. Af-
ter Dell passed away in 1985, Wanda graduated from
La Grande College of Business and started her career
as a medical receptionist. She worked for Dr. James
Kopp for many years before retiring in 2002. She al-
ways considered the people she worked with her family.
She continued spreading the Gospel to people in need
and began a Bible study for widows and divorced sin-
gle women which she eventually opened to all women
in need. She made many lifelong friends through this
ministry.
Wanda was preceded in death by her husband, Dell
G. Lowe, parents, John R. and Rosemary L. Mitchell;
sisters, Anna Munsell, Myrnie Koontz, Nedra Scott and
granddaughter, Marisa Dell Lowe.
Wanda waits in heaven for her children, Darrell Lowe
(wife Darla), Wendy (Lowe) Ball (husband Reed), and
Brent Lowe; six grandchildren, Ben, Miah (wife Katie)
and David Lowe; Marri (Ball) Dahir (husband Adam),
Derek Ball (wife Willow), Felishia (Lowe) Alexander
(husband Eric). Wanda had seven great-grandchildren:
Aiden, Asher, Emerson (David Lowe), Logan, Mika,
Nash (Miah Lowe) and Sterling (Felishia Alexander).