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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2020)
obituaries/community august6 2020 9 In Memory of... Claudine C. East Claudine C. East, 86, a longtime resident of the Vernonia community, died Saturday, August 1, 2020 at the Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland. Graveside Services will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 1:00 pm at the Vernonia Memorial Cemetery, 2080 Bridge Street in Vernonia, Oregon. Claudine Claire East was born November 27, 1933 in Portland, Or- egon, the daughter of the late Claude E. Gibson and Agnes (Barnett) Gibson. She was raised and received her education in the Vernonia community, having been a graduate of the Vernonia High School Class of 1951. She was united in marriage to Owen Clark East on December 1, 1956 in the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Vernonia. They celebrated their 63 rd wedding anniversary this past Decem- ber. Following their marriage, they made their home in the Vernonia community, where they have resided since. Claudine had worked as a ca- shier and bookkeeper for the West Ore- gon Electric Co-op in Vernonia for many years. She later worked as a bookkeeper for the Vernonia School District 47J for many years, until she retired. She had served on the City of Vernonia Library Board and was a mem- ber of the P.E.O. Sisterhood (Philan- thropic Educational Organization). Among her special interests, Claudine enjoyed sewing, reading, cooking and baking, her specialty being apple pie. She also loved the outdoors, including camping and fishing, as well as spending time with her grandchildren. Claudine was preceded in death by her parents, Claude and Agnes Gib- son; and her sister Patsy McNair. Survivors include her husband, Owen East of the family home in Ver- nonia, Oregon; her daughter and son-in- law, Christ East Parsons and David Par- sons of Yreka, California, her son and daughter-in-law, Barry and Cathy East of Hillsboro, Oregon; and her brother and sister-in-law, Claude “Bud,” Jr. and Sharon Gibson of Clatskanie, Oregon. Also surviving are her four grandchildren and their spouses, Al- exandra Parsons and Zach Boutin of Eagle Point, Oregon, Miranda Parsons of Bellingham, Washington, Austin and Sarah East of Kelso, Washington, and Adrienne East of Chicago, Illinois; her three great grandchildren, Keith, Peter and Johnny East; and several nieces and nephews. Viewing (Visitation) Hours: Fri- day, August 7, 2020 12:00 to 4:00 pm at the Fuiten, Rose & Hoyt Funeral Home in Forest Grove. Fuiten, Rose & Hoyt Funeral Home in Vernonia is entrusted with the arrangements. Dennis Martin On Sunday, August 2 Den- nis Martin, loving husband and father of nine children went on to be with the Lord. Dennis was born August 17, 1969 in Tulare, California to Bruce and Pamela Martin. Dennis began his walk with the Lord January 19, 1987, when he was baptized by brother Vernal Dukes into the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn. Though his walk wasn’t always perfect, by the grace of God, he held his integrity with his heavenly father. June 25, 1988 he was joined in holy matrimony to Trina Leah Bruner. Over the course of 25 years of marriage, God blessed Dennis and Trina with six sons before she was called home. God, in his loving kindness provided Dennis with another companion. He was united in holy matrimony to Petra Talia Wilson October 20, 2012. Over the last eight years, God blessed their union with three sons. Dennis joined the united broth- erhood of carpenters in 1991. He worked most of his career as a superintendent, building projects in the Portland metro area. In 2016 Dennis and Petra moved to Vernonia where they established Mar- tin Arms. Dennis was a proud member of the Columbia County Lightfoot Mi- litia and the Vernonia Lions Club. Den- nis loved being involved in the commu- nity as much as his health could afford. Dennis was a member of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn of Buxton, Oregon. His greatest source of strength and joy in life was the fel- lowship with his brothers and sisters in Christ. Dennis is survived by his loving parents Bruce and Rama Martin, Lionel and Joyce Wilson, and Larry and Gail Bruner; his one brother Colin and Te- resa Martin; his wife Petra Martin; and their sons, River and JilleeAnna Martin, Isaiah and Laura Martin, Levi and Am- ber Martin, Abram Martin, Roman Mar- tin, Boaz Martin, Jagur Martin, Azariah Martin; grandchildren Aries, Sovay, He- zikiah, Alayna, Judah, and Jolene; along with numerous aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Dennis was preceded in death by his wife Trina, May 1, 2012, and his son Canaan, July 24, 2018, and his mother Pamela, November 17, 1996. Jamie L. Pickering Jamie L. Pickering, 64, a resi- dent of the Hillsboro community, died Thursday morning, July 30, 2020 at his home after a long battle with health is- sues. He fought a long hard fight. Private Cremation Rites were held at the Hoyt Crematory in Forest Grove. Jamie Loren Pickering was born May 16, 1956 in Seaside, Oregon, the son of the late Billie Gene Pickering and Sally Ann (Spalinger) Pickering. He was raised and received his education in a variety of places, having even been in Ethiopia for two years. Jamie had worked as a machin- ist for many years. He was a member of the Alco- holic Anonymous family, having cel- ebrated more than 30 years of sobriety. Among his special interests, Ja- mie was artistic, specializing in abstract designs. Jamie was also an avid collec- tor of comic books and vinyl records. He liked spending time on his computer and battling with his feisty cat June. Most of all, Jamie loved and cherished being a grandfather. Survivors include his grandchildren Taylor Pickering and her spouse Tristynn Parker of Aloha, Oregon, Amber Pickering of North Plains, Oregon, Tyrone Bills of Idaho, Andrew and Addison Harrison of Olympia, Washington, Robert Bills of Forest Grove, Oregon, and Quinn Dawson of Vernonia, Oregon; his children, son Justin and wife Sheena Pickering of Forest Grove, and daughter Brooke Pickering and her spouse Isaac Dawson of Vernonia, Oregon; his sister and brother-in-law, DeeDee and Tony Arms of Hillsboro, Oregon, and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Rodgers and Wendy Pickering of Vernonia, Oregon, Peter and Kelly Pickering of Hillsboro, Oregon, Apollo Pickering of Forest Grove, Oregon, John Smeltzer of Hillsboro, Oregon, Gary and Raquel Smeltzer of Hillsboro, Oregon; and a multitude of nieces and nephews. His family would like to give special thanks to his caregivers who helped make his final year that much more meaningful and special. A Celebration of Life is being held on August 22, 2020 at 2:00 pm at 939 Gales Creek Road in Forest Grove, Oregon. To sign the online guest book or to send a condolence to the family go to www.fuitenrosehoyt.com. Fuiten, Rose & Hoyt Funeral Home in Forest Grove is entrusted with the arrangements. Old Timers/Alumni Picnic Canceled For the first time in 62 years, the annual Vernonia Society/Old Timers/Old Grads/Oregon-American Alumni Picnic has been canceled. Most of the attend- ees are in the high-risk age category for the COVID-19 virus and are avoiding all public gatherings. And, as one regular attendee said, “What’s a reunion without hugs and handshakes?” The Vernonia Society was estab- lished in 1957, during the year when the lumber mill (Oregon-American for most of its life) was closing, as a way for for- mer O-A employees and Vernonia resi- dents past and present to stay in touch. Because so many moved away for other jobs, both this picnic and the Vernonia Friendship Jamboree were created to en- courage former residents to return each year. The Society was formally orga- nized at a picnic on August 14, 1958, at Portland’s Creston Park. In 1960, the Vernonia Chamber of Commerce issued an invitation to the Society to hold the picnic in Vernonia, and that proposal was accepted. It re- turned to Creston Park in 1961, but a vote taken that day determined that it re- turn to Anderson Park permanently. The first Sunday in August was established as the annual date, several years before the Vernonia Friendship Jamboree was moved from July to that first August weekend. Due to other scheduling con- flicts at the time, the date changed to the third Sunday beginning in 1964. Bob Spencer became president of the Society in 1971, and Ruth Steers was Secretary/Treasurer. 1972’s picnic had record attendance of 400, a number not known to be surpassed. The 1973 picnic had a special invitation to the Clark and Wilson Camp 8 Caboose and Cookhouse Schools. Eight of the 12 Ca- boose students attended and six from the Cookhouse School. Ruth Steers and her daughter, Mary Steers Cota, ably managed the pic- nic registration and mailings from the 1970s forward. Bill Sword was presi- dent of the Society for most of that time as well. Following two years of indoor picnics at Washington School due to rain, the 1989 event returned to Ander- son Park and was said to be the biggest in a long time with 260 registering. In 2011, Mary Cota turned over the records and responsibility to organize the picnic to the Vernonia Pioneer Mu- seum who has hosted it since. Although attendance has declined to less than 100 in recent years as many long-time at- tendees have passed away, it is still an eagerly awaited highlight of summer for many of the “Old Timers.” Letters will be mailed to the at- tendee list and museum members. The organizers had hoped to host this year’s event at the new Senior Center. A pic- ture of the new building is included in the letter along with the traditional “In Loving Memory” list of those who had died since the last picnic and a reprint of the “Good Ol’ Days” September 2018 column on the event’s history.
