RECORDS
Thursday, June 9, 2022
DEATH & SERVICE NOTICES
Sharon Hargrove
Cove
Sharon Hargrove, 86, of Cove, died June 6, 2022, at her
home. Arrangements are by Loveland Funeral Chapel &
Crematory, La Grande
The OBserVer — A5
MILESTONE
Gerald and Mary Hopkins
mark 55th anniversary
June 10 — CAROL BOUCHARD: 3 p.m. graveside
military service, North Powder Cemetery; celebration of
life follows at Wolf Creek Grange, North Powder.
June 11 — BARBARA WEISHAAR: 10 a.m.
celebration of life, La Grande Methodist Church (casual
dress preferred).
June 11 — HOWARD BAILEY: 11 a.m. memorial
gathering and lunch, Riverside Park Pavilion, La Grande.
June 11 — JANE HEGELE: 11 a.m. memorial
service, La Grande First Baptist Church.
June 11 — BOB POLLOCK: 11 a.m. celebration of
life, Pine Valley Fairgrounds, Halfway.
June 11 — JEFFREY, JAMES AND JOANNE
WISEMAN: 2 p.m. celebration of lives, Mount Emily
Building, Union County Fairgrounds, La Grande (casual
dress preferred).
June 12 — ARLAN TAAL: 11 a.m. celebration of
life, La Grande Country Club.
June 16 — DORIS ROBERTSON: 11 a.m.
graveside service, Island City Cemetery.
Jane Hegele
La Grande
Jane Hegele, 84, of La Grande, died Jan. 25, 2022,
at Grande Ronde Hospital. A memorial service will be
held June 11 at 11 a.m. at the La Grande First Baptist
Church. Arrangements are by Loveland Funeral Chapel &
Crematory, La Grande.
Gerry Keffer
Formerly of La Grande
Gerry Keffer, 76, formerly of La Grande, died Oct. 23,
2021, in Portland after a short illness. A celebration of his
life will be held June 18 at 11:30 a.m. at Island City City
Hall. Lunch will be served.
Gayle M. Musgrove
La Grande
Gayle M. Musgrove, 87, of La Grande, died June
6, 2022, at a local care facility. Arrangements are by
Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory, La Grande.
Contributed Photo
Gerald and Mary Hopkins, of Island City, will celebrate their 55th
wedding anniversary on Thursday, June 9.
UNION COUNTY —
The Loveland Safe Ride
Program will again be oper-
ating during the Eastern
Oregon Livestock Show,
providing free rides home
in Union County to anyone
attending the event.
Rides will be provided at
the start of rodeo competi-
tion through 2:30 a.m. each
day except on Sunday, June
12, when rides will be pro-
vided until midnight.
Rodeo competition begins
at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday,
June 9; 4 p.m. on Friday,
June 10; 2 p.m. on Saturday,
June 11; and 1:30 p.m. on
Sunday, June 12.
To receive a ride, call
541-963-5022. Rides will
be given with no questions
asked. Rides will be pro-
vided in vehicles on loan
from La Grande car dealers
Legacy Ford, Legacy
Dodge, Goss Motor Com-
pany and The Other Guys.
The Loveland Safe Ride
Program has been operating
for 21 years and in that time
has given rides to more
than 110,000 people. This
includes rides provided at
other times of the year for
people who need help get-
ting home after events
including rodeos, banquets
and New Year’s Eve parties.
COMMUNITY
BULLETIN BOARD
Learn about forest
resilience on tour
JOSEPH — On Sat-
urday, June 11, from 8 a.m.
to noon, Wallowology is
hosting a “Fostering Resil-
ience in Private Forest-
lands” tour with forester Pat
Daugherty and ecologist
Dr. David Mildrexler. Meet
at Wallowology to join
the tour and discussion of
place-based solutions in the
Wallowa Mountains.
Breakfast served at
VFW on June 12
UNION — The VFW
High Valley Post 4060
in Union is serving up a
“Cowboy Breakfast” from
8 a.m. to noon on Sunday,
PUBLIC
SAFETY
REPORT
MONDAY, JUNE 6
9:49 a.m. — A caller on the
2100 block of Second Street, La
Grande, reported a theft of gas.
An officer made contact and
logged information.
10:49 a.m. — La Grande
police received a call about a
burglary at Miller’s Home Cen-
ter & Lumber, 307 Greenwood St.
An officer responded and took a
report.
11:14 a.m. — A caller
reported criminal mischief on
the 65700 block of North Pow-
der River Lane, North Power. A
Union County sheriff’s deputy
responded, and the parties came
to a civil compromise.
1:46 p.m. — La Grande police
received a complaint about fraud
from Washington Federal Bank,
1503 Washington Ave. An officer
made contact and took a report.
5:20 p.m. — A resident on the
1100 block of West Birch Street,
Union, reported fraud. A Union
County sheriff’s deputy made
contact and took a report.
8:39 p.m. — A resident on
the 2800 block of Minam Court,
La Grande, reported a person
was riding a loud dirt bike in the
neighborhood. An officer made
contact and would provide an
extra patrol.
9:39 p.m. — La Grande police
received a report of people
on the stairs to the roof above
businesses on the 1100 block
of Adams Avenue. An officer
checked the roof but did not find
anyone there.
10:34 p.m. — A resident on
the 2900 block of Third Street, La
Grande, reported a person was
knocking on the door. Officers
checked the area but did not find
anyone suspicious.
June 12. The cost is $9 for
a meal of omelets, biscuits
and gravy, sausage, pan-
cakes and drinks.
— The Observer
— Calendar courtesy of Loveland Funeral Chapel, La Grande
Jeremy Scott Richards
Shirley A. (Williams) Gibbs
January 30, 1974 – May 24, 2022
1938 – May 17, 2022
Jeremy Scott Richards, 48,
of La Grande, passed away on
Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in College
Place, Washington. A service for
Jeremy was held on Saturday, May
28, 2022.
Jeremy was born on Jan. 30,
1974, in Dallas, Texas, and raised
by Mickey Richards and Beverly
Sanders. He resided in La Grande
and Elgin, in Waitsburg, Washington, and in multiple
other places. He attended La Grande High School,
Cove High School and Waitsburg High School. He
then attended Walla Walla Community College. He was
married to Kaylee Richards.
Jeremy was employed with Legacy Dodge in La
Grande, Oregon. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, riding his
horses and working on his farm. He was a member of
the Masonic Freemason’s Hiram Lodge #67 in Elgin,
Oregon.
Jeremy is survived by his wife, Kaylee; children,
Riley Richards (Kylie) of Sonora, California, Haley
Larsen of Richland, Washington, Katie Kitchell of
La Grande, Oregon, Alyssa Toney of La Grande,
Oregon, Edward Toney of La Grande, Oregon, and
Macie Richards of La Grande, Oregon; father, Mickey
Richards (Tawnya) of Prescott, Washington; mother,
Beverly Sanders of La Grande, Oregon; and four
grandchildren, Olivia and Austin Hale and Reed and
Layne Richards.
Online condolences may be made to the family at
www.lovelandfuneralchapel.com.
Shirley Ann Gibbs passed away
quietly in her sleep early on the
morning of May 17, 2022, at the
age of 83, after a lengthy battle
with lung cancer. There will be no
formal funeral service. The family
will host a memorial gathering later
in the year.
Shirley came into the world in
1938 as the first of three children
born to Verna and Henry Williams. She was many things
to many people. She was a loyal friend, a strong mother,
an independent woman, a determined and loving
partner, and a sweet and sometimes spicy companion to
all of her family and friends. She had a competitive side
and played cards and board games with spunk and fire
and often came out a winner.
Shirley lived most of her life in and around her
much loved Grande Ronde Valley. After retirement,
her adventures led her to stay and enjoy other places
part-time. She loved to fish and spent many hours of her
summer in Richland, Oregon, on the Powder and Snake
rivers catching perch, bluegill, bass and the occasional
catfish. Many of her winter months were spent snow-
birding in Parker, Arizona. She fought hard for many
things in her life and she didn’t lose many battles. Sadly,
her final battle was not a fair fight, and after 3-1/2 years
of determined sparring against lung cancer that spread
to her brain she succumbed quietly at home with family.
She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings
and first husband, Neil Campbell. She leaves behind
her loving and dedicated husband, Jonnie Gibbs;
four children, nine grandchildren and five great-
grandchildren; and a great many other family members
and friends.
The family would like to thank all of the caregivers
at Heart ‘n Home Hospice of La Grande, with extra
love going out to two very special people who provided
comfort and care beyond that which was necessary.
Online condolences may be made to the family at
www.lovelandfuneralchapel.com.
Get a ‘Safe Ride’ home from EOLS
The Observer
UPCOMING
LOCAL
SERVICES
Julie “Jules” Brown
July 8, 1958 - May 17, 2022
We are heartbroken to announce the
death of mom, wife, sister and friend Julie
Ann Brown. Julie passed away in the early
evening of May 17, 2022, in Charleston,
South
Carolina,
while
vacationing with her one
true love, Vernon T. Brown.
She left behind her two
daughters, Angie Marzano
and Jennie Cupp, both of
Eugene, and stepdaughters,
Shawna Calhoun, Erica
Donnell and Karia Brown.
She is survived by eight
grandchildren and two great-
grandchildren. Our mom
enjoyed life to the fullest
and walked life’s beautiful
journey with her heart wide
open.
As her daughter, I heard stories of her
birth in Julesburg, Colorado, in 1958 - the
middle child of Ray and Patricia Blubaugh.
She was one of six siblings and is survived
by Deborah Nielsen, Deana Coppinger, Jim
Blubaugh, Jill Sparks and Kirk Blubaugh.
The Blubaugh family moved to the Grande
Ronde Valley when she was 11 years old
and settled in Summerville, Oregon, where
she would go on to graduate from Imbler
High School in 1976. The Blubaughs
were known throughout the valley as the
“new kids in town” - rowdy, blond-haired,
blue-eyed, a large, Catholic family. The
stories she told of her youth sounded like
they came from the pages of “Huckleberry
Finn” - go kart races, swimming holes,
walking through the forests at the base of
Mount Emily, freedom and a life of hard
work. My mom was clever and read the
dictionary for “fun” as a child; she could
always beat anyone in Scrabble and had a
wicked vocabulary.
Even if her stories were only half true,
these early roots cemented a love of the
valley, where she met and married her
first husband, Gene Rysdam. The two
settled in Elgin, raising two daughters
until they divorced in 1982. After the
divorce, Julie spent six years living in
Ventura, California, where she worked at
BorgWarner, an automotive supplier as
product lead. She eventually returned back
to Oregon in 1988, where she worked as
a florist at Safeway and sold telephone
advertising until she met and married Vern
Brown.
Mom married Vern on Aug. 31, 1996.
Their whirlwind courtship was grounded
in their strong Christian faith and love of
Jesus Christ. All the “signs” kept nudging
them to be together, even when naysayers
said it wouldn’t last. You see, Vern had
spent years as a local pastor, whereas
Mom received her Lord and Savior in her
late 30s ... You can imagine the stir their
courtship caused! In 2000, Vern and my
mom started Vern’s Plumbing & Heating
and grew a successful plumbing business.
Vern handled the day-to-
day plumbing calls, while
Mom became his steady
receptionist, bookkeeper and
accountant.
Mom spent a good chunk
of her life, during what I call
the “golden age,” lovingly
doing whatever she wanted,
whenever
she
wanted.
She loved her family and
was
always
watching
grandchildren or traveling to
Eugene or Colorado to watch
kids’ sports, help out with
child care and spend time
with her daughters. She loved her friends
and continued to make new ones throughout
her entire life. She had recently taken up
a love of football, watching her nephew
and grandchildren play in high school and
beyond. She loved horses and volunteered
her time with the Blue Mountain Back
Country Riders, cooking and feeding the
endurance riders. She loved “glamping”
and spent many summers surrounded by
friends and grandkids at Ritter Hot Springs
in her beloved trailer.
Mom was creative. She was in several
performances at the Elgin Opera House
and loved to dance and sing. My mom
knew every song from the 1970s, ‘80s and
‘90s and passed her appreciation of music
to all her children and grandchildren, often
breaking out in show tunes, to get a laugh.
She was the daughter of a contractor, so
there wasn’t anything she wasn’t willing
to roll up her sleeves and do herself. She
designed one of the first “tiny homes” built
in Eastern Oregon, doing much of the work
herself with Vern.
To explain my mom’s life summed
up in five paragraphs or how much she
meant to those who loved her most is an
impossible task, but what I do know, down
to my bones, is that my mom was one of
the strongest, bravest and funniest people I
knew. She was, as one friend wrote, “like a
crystal chandelier, sparkly and bright, with
a cute smile and laugh that could light up
a room.” And, for her closest friends and
family, SHE was just the right kind of
medicine. Rest in peace, Mom. We will
miss you every single day.
Please join us for a memorial service
being held at the Faith Center, 10300
S. D Street, Island City, on Sunday, July
3, 2022, from 2:30-3:30 p.m., followed
by a celebration of life at the Riverside
Park Pavilion, 3501 N. Spruce Street, La
Grande, from 4-7 p.m.
Edward A. Botz
December 26, 1934 – June 3, 2022
Edward “Ed” Allen Botz, 87,
of Elgin, passed away at his home
on Friday, June 3, 2022. Later
this summer, a celebration will be
held to honor a wonderful man.
Ed was born on Dec. 26, 1934,
in Walla Walla, Washington,
to William and Iola (Michaud)
Botz. He attended elementary
school in Milton-Freewater and
Minam, and graduated in 1953
from Elgin High School, Elgin, Oregon. While in high
school, Ed was a member of the football team. Soon
after graduating, he married his one true love, LaVeta
Sasser, on Dec. 22, 1954.
Ed was a jack of all trades and was a former
millwright for Boise Cascade, a self-employed log
truck driver, and a cafe owner, owning both Botz
Country Kitchen and Timbers SteakHouse. Ed enjoyed
remodeling and his houses were always in a state of
repair. He enjoyed art and drawing, dancing, telling
stories and talking to strangers. He truly believed in the
community of Elgin and was instrumental in moving the
downtown fountain to its present location and creating
Elgin’s RV park. Although he had a love for Elgin,
his first love was his family. He especially enjoyed
watching his four daughters and many grandchildren
participate in sports and activities. He loved to dance.
In years past, Ed was a member of the Elgin School
Board and an Indian Valley Square Dancer. He was
a charter member of the Elgin Lions Club and a past
member of the Elgin Stampeders, even being honored
as the Elgin Stampede Grand Marshal in 2017.
Currently, he was proud to be an active member of
Rockwall Grange, serving as vice president, handyman
and landscaper.
Ed had a full life. He loved having coffee in the
morning at the local restaurant and making friends with
strangers. He was known for his quick wit and wiggling
his ears. His family will miss his humor, his sparkling
eyes full of mischief and his love for each of them and
for the community of Elgin. He will be missed.
Ed is survived by his wife, LaVeta; children, Pam
Davis (Jim) of Boardman, Oregon, Cindy Chandler
(Bob) and Teresa Martin (Terry) of Elgin, and Sandra
Lathrop (Ron) of Wallowa; sister, Deanna Epley of
Portland; brother, John Botz (Betty) of Roseburg; 14
grandchildren and their spouses; 26 great-grandchildren,
and two more on the way; as well as many nieces and
nephews, many who thought of him as a dad. He was
preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Iola; brother,
Tommy Botz; brother-in-law, Jim Epley; and great-
grandson, Mason Martin. Online condolences may be
made to the family at www.lovelandfuneralchapel.com