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About Vernonia freedom. (Vernonia, Oregon) 1978-198? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1981)
Vernonia Freedom—Page 7 Thursday October 1,1981 OBITUARIES Charles Dean McMaster Charles Dean McMaster, 53, who had been a resident of Vernonia since 1971 died very suddenly early Sunday, September 20 in Vernonia. Mr. McMaster was born in Rolla, North Dakota on November 21,1927, Emily Helen King Emily Helen King, 88, a long time resident of Vernonia, died suddenly at her home, Tuesday, September 22. She was born in Reardan, Washington, the daughter of the late William and Kate Hamilton Childs. She spent her early life in Reardan where she received her education. On June 15, 1912 she married Harry L. King who preceeded her in death. Mrs. King was an avid golfer and was a member of the Vernonia Ladies Golf Club and had the distinction of winning the Cascade Ladies Golf Championship at Forest Hills in 1932. Other interests included her family and fishing. She also helped her son, Bob, in the King grocery store until her retirement in 1972. Survivors include her two sons, Robert and Earl of Vernonia and four grandchildren, Bill Howard, Christina King Redmond, Marilyn King Fennel and Don King. Funeral services were held Friday, September 25 at 1:30 pm at the Fuiten Mortuary Chapel in Vernonia, with the Rev. Russ Vinyard, pastor of the Vernonia Christian Church, officiating. Committal services and vault interment were in the Vernonia Memorial Cemetery. The family suggests contributions to the Vernonia Cemetery fund. the son of the late Charles and Mary McMaster. He spent all of his early life and received his education in Rolla and was married to Donna Wick on May 27, 1961 in Bowbells, North Dakota. In 1947 he moved to Bismark, North Dakota where he worked as a salesman. In the early 1950’s he moved to Spokane where he lived until 1960 at which time he returned to North Dakota, settling in Bottinenau. While living in Bottinenau he worked in heavy construction. In 1966 he and his family moved to Portland and Mr. McMaster worked painting the Astoria bridge. In 1968 they moved to Anchorage, Alaska where he was injured in an industrial accident causing him to take an early retirement. Mr. McMaster was a member of the Vernonia Bible Church and enjoyed hunting and fishing. Survivors include his wife, Donna McMaster, ar I his mother, Mary McMaster, both of Vernonia, four children, Jeffery of Beaverton and Allen, . Tammy and Candice McMaster, all of Vernonia. Additional survivors include four sisters, Mrs. Joyce Urdrian, Spokane, Wash., Mrs. Fred (Margaret) Ehr, North Dakota, Mrs. Henry (Louwanda) Quasbarth, Vancouver, Wash, and Mrs. Donald (Norma) Peterson of Douglas, Alaska. Funeral services were held Thursday, September 24 at 2 pm at the Vernonia Bible Church with Rev. D.J. Dickey officiating. Concluding rites and vault interment were at the Vernonia Memorial Cemetery. fun - d W FITNESS, INC. dancersìz F * Look Good * Hove Fun ★ ★ Fee! Fit * Free Introductory Class ASK ABOUT OUR SPECIAL FALL RATES 429*34 8 8 854 Bridge Street Lesta Gamer Lesta Garner, 77, one of the most knowledgable people regarding Vernonia area history (and who, in June of this year had completed and had published a book on Columbia County _ history,) died Sunday, September 20 at a Milwaukie, Oregon hospital after suffering a heart attack while visiting friends at Milwaukie. Funeral services were held at the Fuiten Mortuary Chapel in Vernonia Thursday, September 24 at 11 am with the Rev. Steve Hopper, pastor of the Vernonia Evangelical Church, officiating. Concluding rites and interment were at the Vernonia Memorial Cemetery. Mrs. Gamer was herself a true member of the earliest Vernonia pioneers as her mother’s family, Henry and Catherine VanBlaricom with their four sons and two daughters were the first settlers to homestead in the Upper Nehalem Valley where the city of Vernonia is now located. They took up their homestead in 1874 and then her father, Judson Weed came into the area and took up a homestead four miles up the Nehalem River toward Timber in 1878 when there were still only eight families in the area and in 1879 he married one of the VanBlaricom daughters and they settled bn his homestead. Mrs. Gamer was bom at Philomath on October 6, 1903 while the family was living there to permit the older children in the family to be educated at the United Brethem College there. She moved with her family back to Vernonia a short time later and received all of her early education in the Vernonia schools and then graduated from Willamette University. She returned to Vernonia and taught school here for several years and was married at the family home to Edward Gamer October 24, 1926. With the exception of five years they spent at Wagontire and other Oregon communities they spent all of their married years in Vernonia and Mr. Gamer died here in February 1970. Mrs. Garner had been correspondent and feature writer for the Vernonia Eagle newspaper from 1954 until she retired in 1969. She had written feature articles on early Vernonia area history for a number of publications since her retirement and provided considerable historical articles when the Vernonia paper published a special 75th anniversary edition. Mrs. Gamer had been a longtime active member of the Vernonia Evangelical Church and of the Pythian Sisters and Rebekah Lodges in Vernonia and had served in many capacities including being a Past Grand Chief of the Pythian Sisters Lodge of Oregon. V* Surviving is a son, Larry Gamer, Salem; three grandchildren, Susan Garner, Monmouth; Brad Gamer with the U.S. Air Force in England and Karl Gamer, Vernonia and a great-grandson, Paul W Gamer of England. The family suggests contributions to the Pythian Home at Vancouver?
