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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2022)
16 Obituaries/In Other Words October 20 2022 In Memory of... Senior News and Notes Mark Jeffrey Akers By Karen Miller YIPEE! WORK ON THE GREEN BRIDGE IS FINALLY FINISHING UP here in town. I am thankful I didn’t have to drive ALL the way around and down 47 to get into town, as they kept one lane open. I imagine they will be glad not to have to wave me thru 8 times every day. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED we are not titling this article Bridge Street Bits now, as our new building is open on Weed Avenue. We are looking for a catchy NEW TITLE, so send any suggestions to us for consideration with your name and number. For some reason the title “Smokin’ Senior News from Weed Avenue” didn’t make the cut. So send YOUR suggestion to: Senior News, vernoniaseniorcenter@gmail. com . LOOKING FOR MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT HELP? We have several business cards for reputable help on our dining table, so come in and browse. $10 (HALF OFF) SENIOR CENTER MEMBERSHIP for the remainder of 2022 and start receiving our wonderful newsy newsletter full of our happenings around here. Games and crafts, spinning and knitting, pinochle, exercise classes, free blood pressure checks on second Friday of each month. Call Joyce Jossi, R.N. for a soothing foot care appointment 503-753-7745, fun Bingo game after lunch on Mondays, just an all around fun time here at our lunches on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – remember to call 2 days ahead for dining in. CHECK OUT THIS GAME: Easy peasy ya’ think? John, pictured here, is one of four who have managed to get the balls in the holes…ALL the balls at once now. Come in and be number five! Dear Stranger: Connecting Oregonians, One Letter at a Time ONE SENIOR MEMBER Robb Wilson donated his Sockeye Salmon to the Salmon Festival auction. I was bidding on it and was going to donate it to the Senior Center. It was in vain I discovered, as I could tell my bidding competitor wasn’t going to stop any time soon. Maybe next year. KEEP ENJOYING THE NICE WEATHER. SENIOR SIGN OFF: You are never too old to change your opinion. See ya’ around town… Vernonia Senior Center PO Box 93/547 Weed Avenue • (503) 429-3327 Bargains on Bridge Street Thrift Store 939 Bridge Street • (503) 429-3912 A Trusted Name in Funeral Service Fuiten, Rose & Hoyt Funeral Home & Crematory 2308 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove 503-357-2161 741 Madison Ave., Vernonia 503-429-6611 FOR TOWING EMERGENCIES IN AND AROUND THE VERNONIA AREA Police and County personnel are required to use a rotation of available providers, UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY ASK for a service by name. REQUEST TOWING SERVICE FROM Family Owned & Operated Formerly Prickett’s Mortuary To sign the online guest book or to send a condolence to the family go to www.fuitenrosehoyt.com Dear Stranger is a recurring letter-exchange project that connects Oregonians through the mail to share experiences, beliefs, and ideas. Since 2014, more than 1,000 people have ex- changed letters through the project. Everyone is invited to participate—whatever your age, your place of residence, or your circumstanc- es, Dear Stranger wants to hear from you. Here’s how to participate: Write a letter. Address it “Dear Strang- er.” Fill a page or two, or more if you feel inspired. If you’d like, feel free to include a photo or a drawing or a recipe—anything that will fit in an envelope. You can write about anything you like. Here’s a prompt to get you started: This round of Dear Stranger is about memories of all kinds: treasured and trou- bling, real and false, public and private, indi- vidual and collective. Who or what should we remember? How do you make new memo- ries, and how do you process old ones? When do you choose to document them, and when do you hold them internally? Complete the Dear Stranger release form at https://www.tfaforms.com/4921878 . We cannot exchange letters without a release. We Buy Cars & Trucks Annoying the Upper Nehalem Valley since 1982 Mail your letter by October 31, 2022, to: Dear Stranger c/o Oregon Humanities 610 SW Alder, Suite 1111 Portland, OR 97205 Be sure to write your name and return ad- dress on your envelope so we can match your letter with your release form. When you write to Dear Stranger, your letter will be swapped with one from anoth- er writer. They will get your letter; you will get theirs. The exchange is anonymous, and you can share as little or as much informa- tion about yourself as you like. Please keep in mind that photos, even ones without people in them, may contain information that could be used to identify you. Dear Stranger is open to everyone, though writers under the age of eighteen must have parental consent to participate. Letters are paired at random, though we do our best to match participants with someone outside of their ZIP code. Oregon Humanities staff read all letters before they are exchanged. Return letters will be mailed to partici- pants in early November 2022. If you have questions about Dear Strang- er, contact programs@oregonhumanities.org. Columbarium and Urn Garden Angel Memorials Headstones A beautiful location for cremains of your loved ones nestled among fir woodlands Granite Markers & Monuments All-inclusive urn garden space and interment for $1,750. Columbarium niches start at $2,250. 971-344-3110 Jeff & Kathryn Hoyt Forest Grove Memorial Chapel 503-357-3126 Mark Jeffrey Akers, 73, a resident of the Hillsboro community, died Sunday, October 2, 2022, at OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center. Mark passed on to the arms of our Lord on Sunday, October 2, 2022. Mark was born on October 1, 1949, in San Jose, California, the fourth of ten chil- dren. He was predeceased by his parents James Leslie and Lois Mae Akers; brothers Stephen and Kevin, sisters Kristen and Lisa. He is survived by his sisters Judith Simpson, Julie Akers, Karen Martin, Gretch- en Lindauer, brother Mike Akers; and nu- merous nieces and nephews. Raised in San Jose, Mark attended St. Leo Catholic Grammar School and Arch- bishop Mitty High School. Mark’s work experience included the Voyager Project at NASA, Moffett Field, CA, and the Computer Lab at the University of Oregon. Mark also did farm work in the Washington County area. Mark spent his later years in Vernonia living with his sister on a small farm. He was a master gardener and worked unlim- ited hours watering, cultivating and produc- ing seed. His specialty was growing garlic, which he always shared with friends. If you asked his nieces what they remember most about Uncle Mark, it would be the baby oil for tanning in his garden, his high-top wres- tling shoes, his many hats and glasses, and especially the love for his garden. An academic and avid reader, he re- searched endlessly. He loved music and lyr- ics and was especially fond of Frank Zappa. His wit was as amazing as his use of words. A memorial gathering will be held in Vernonia on November 8, 2:00 pm at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Hall – Dessert Pot- luck and Coffee will be served. Please join us to remember our brother Mark. Contributions: To be kind and love one another. To sign the online guest book or to send the family a condolence go to www.tualatinvalleyfa.com . Locally owned in Vernonia Serving NW Oregon All Cemeteries Accepted Order drawing at no charge online www.angelmemorialsheadstones.com Vernonia Memorial Cemetery For more information visit www.vernonia-or.gov/cemetery or call 503-429-5291 City of Vernonia – 1001 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064
