3A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017
William C. Elder
Astoria
May 24, 1918 — Oct. 30, 2017
World War II veteran and longtime Asto- Year’s Eve in Oregon City, where his sister,
ria, Oregon, resident William C. “Bill” Elder Mildred, and her husband served as witnesses.
passed away peacefully at home surrounded
After their marriage and the USS Hunter
by family on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017 at the Liggett’s return to the United States, Cath-
age of 99.
erine joined Bill in San Francisco,
He was best known locally for
and later San Diego. In early 1945,
his many years as one of the man-
they returned to Hammond, where
agement personnel with Ocean
Bill was again stationed at Point
Foods of Astoria Inc. He made sev-
Adams Coast Guard Station, where
eral acquaintances of local fi sher-
he remained until his honorable dis-
men and fi sheries personnel up and
charge on June 3, 1946, in Seattle.
down the West Coast and in Alaska.
Elder and his wife made their
Elder was born at home on May
permanent home in Astoria, where
24, 1918, in Portland, Oregon, to
they raised their four children, Wil-
John R. Elder of Omaha, Nebraska,
liam R. Elder, twins Richard A.
William Elder
and Alice Fay (Hubbard) Elder of
Elder and Donald D. Elder, and
Mitchell, South Dakota. He had
their daughter Sandra K. (Elder)
two sisters, one older, Mildred (Elder) Brid- O’Kelley. Elder worked as a commercial fi sh-
well, and her husband, Walter Bridwell, who erman in trawling and tuna operations, and
both preceded him in death; and one younger served as secretary of the Otter Trawl Union.
sister, Margaret (Elder) Woods, who survives.
In March 1948 he was hired by Sebas-
Her husband, Charles Woods, is deceased.
tian Stuart Fish Co. in Astoria as offi ce man-
He attended elementary school in Oak ager, but became more involved with oper-
Grove, Oregon, and graduated from Mil- ations of the plant. In 1966, he was named
waukie High School in 1936. After high assistant manager when Sebastian Stuart
school, he attended business college, study- changed hands, and Ocean Foods of Astoria
ing accounting/bookkeeping for one year at was formed. He retired after 40 years with the
Oregon Institute of Technology, and for one company, and later was rehired on a retainer
year at Multnomah Junior College.
basis for seven years, overseeing several
During that time he worked several differ- Ocean Beauty holdings along the West Coast
ent jobs which include Oak Grove Drug Store, and in Alaska, and was also associated with
Vern L. Wenger Radio & Appliance Store in the Oregon Trawl Commission for six years.
Portland, as a lifeguard at Oswego Lake and
Bill was involved in several civic and
in Gladstone on the Clackamas River. From athletic activities. He played several years
1939 to 1941, he taught swimming and life- of fast-pitch softball with local teams, and
saving courses for Clackamas County.
while still in the Coast Guard at Hammond,
On Jan. 2, 1942, he enlisted in the Coast he played both handball and racquetball at the
Guard in Port Townsend, Washington, after YMCA, and later at Tongue Point after the Y
the Dec. 7, 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor. closed. H e was a 43-year member of the Asto-
During his time in the Coast Guard, he was ria Golf and Country Club, resigning just this
fi rst stationed stateside at the Point Adams year; a 60-plus year member of the Astoria
Coast Guard Station in Hammond, Ore- Elks Lodge BPOE No. 180; a longtime mem-
gon. During his time at Point Adams, Elder ber of the Guadalcanal Campaign Veterans;
received a Letter of Commendation from the a member of the Columbia River Maritime
Coast Guard commander after swimming Museum; and, most recently, became the old-
from the Coast Guard Lifeboat Triumph, with est member of the Clatsop Post 12 American
the heaving line attached, through breakers, Legion .
to a tuna boat stranded on Peacock Spit north
Elder is survived by his son, William R.
of the Columbia River. After attaching the and spouse, Marlene, and their children, Wil-
line, they were able to tow the boat to safety. liam Jr., Rachel, Matthew, Leah, Daniel and
In late September 1942, he met his soon- Aaron, as well as their spouses, signifi cant
to-be wife, Catherine N. Erickson, at a USO others and grandchildren; son Richard A. and
dance in Astoria; she preceded him in death in spouse, Patricia, and their children, Peter,
2012. Shortly after they met, Elder was noti- Scott and Sarah, as well as their spouses, sig-
fi ed that he would be deployed to the South nifi cant others and grandchild; son Donald D.
Pacifi c after the person who was supposed to and his children, Jason and spouse, Kim, and
go broke his arm. He had only a day’s notice Jennifer; and daughter Sandra K. and spouse,
to say his goodbyes, but vowed to keep in Shawn O’Kelley, and their children, John,
touch with Catherine.
Catherine, Nicole and Lindsay as well as their
He was stationed on the USS Hunter Lig- spouses, signifi cant others and grandchildren;
gett as the Navy mail clerk, with the rank of his wife’s sisters, Winifred Doran and Fran-
boatswain’s mate second class. He joined the ces Crandall and spouse, George Crandall;
Asiatic Pacifi c Campaign, South Pacifi c Area, and many nieces, nephews and friends.
and Solomon Island Campaign, Guadalcanal
Public viewing will be Friday, Nov. 3,
through Bougainville, receiving two Bronze from 10 a.m. to noon, with funeral services at
Stars for his efforts there by operating the 1 p.m., at Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary,
landing barges that brought the troops from 1165 Franklin Ave., in Astoria, Oregon. Pri-
the ship to the beach on Guadalcanal; then vate inter ment will follow immediately after
back to the American Area Campaign, where the service.
he received the World War II Victory Ribbon
A public celebration of life will be held
and Good Conduct Medal.
later this month. Details will be posted in The
During his time in the South Pacifi c, he Daily Astorian.
continued to write to Catherine, and proposed
In lieu of fl owers, memorial contributions
to her in one of his letters. She accepted his can be made to the Columbia River Maritime
proposal, so he sent money to his sister to Museum or a charity of your choice.
purchase the engagement ring, and while on
Please sign our online guest book at www.
leave in December 1943, they eloped on New caldwellsmortuary.com
County
accepting
applicants
for tax panel
The Daily Astorian
Clatsop County residents
can now apply to serve on the
county Board of Property Tax
Appeals next year.
While the Board of Com-
missioners appoints one per-
son, three other positions are
selected by the county clerk
from a pool of applicants
who do not hold public offi ce.
County employees or employ-
ees of other taxing districts in
the county are not eligible.
The appeals board consid-
ers requests from residents to
decrease their real market or
assessed property values. It
also can excuse penalties or
late fi lings of property returns.
The 2017-18 board will meet
several times during the day in
the early half of next year.
Applications are due Nov.
27 by 5 p.m. Forms are avail-
able at www.co.clatsop.or.us,
the Clatsop County Manager’s
Offi ce at 800 Exchange St. in
Astoria or at 503-325-1000.
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us on
Facebook!
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DailyAstorian
Warrenton commissioners
advocate for library levy
Election takes
place Tuesday
By KATIE
FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
WARRENTON — With
only six days until the election,
a town hall meeting in Warren-
ton Wednesday night became
one of the last public forums
for city commissioners to advo-
cate for a levy to fund library
operations.
Measure 4-189 is the fi rst
time in nearly 15 years that the
city has asked voters to con-
sider increasing the library’s
operational levy. If the measure
passes Tuesday, the levy would
jump from 9 cents per $1,000
of assessed property value to
33 cents, raising an estimated
$933,773 over the next fi ve
years.
It is a modest increase,
enough to ensure the library, “an
important part of our commu-
nity,” wouldn’t have to draw on
other city funds to stay open and
could add some services, Com-
missioner Rick Newton said.
Library board members
say the community support is
there. Members of a local polit-
ical action committee, Save Our
Library, have printed and dis-
tributed posters and walked
door-to-door to encourage peo-
ple to vote “yes ” on the levy.
Kelsey Balensifer, library
board chairwoman, said she
thinks the support would
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
The shelves at the Warrenton Community Library are full
after staff and volunteers moved to a new facility at the
end of May.
have been there for the library
even if it were still located in
Hammond.
But the move to Main Ave-
nue this summer brought the
library into the middle of down-
town . Traffi c through the library
— and awareness of what it
offers — has greatly increased,
she said.
In a presentation about the
library Wednesday night, site
manager Nettie-Lee Calog said
the next big step for the library
if the measure passes is to add
automation services — library
bar codes on the books and a
computer system that tracks
where the books are and allows
people to browse the library’s
catalog on their home comput-
ers. Library staff and volun-
teers still hand stamp due dates
on the books and keep track of
the collection through a card
catalog system.
Calog also hopes to add a
children’s librarian and be able
to be open in the evenings.
“Right now, we’re just bare
bones,” Calog said, crediting
a diligent group of volunteers
with keeping the library afl oat.
The library has only two paid
employees, both working part
time.
Overall, Mayor Henry Bal-
ensifer said, “We’re going to
offer more.”
As Calog started talking
about what she plans to do “if
the levy passes,” she paused
and corrected to, “w hen the levy
passes.”
States seek candidates for fi shery advisory groups
The Daily Astorian
Oregon and Washington
state fi shery managers are look-
ing for candidates for advisory
committees that provide guid-
ance on sport and commercial
fi shing issues on the Columbia
and Snake rivers.
Each term is for three
years, beginning in 2018. The
groups meet two to four times
a year and assist with devel-
oping recommendations for
salmon, steelhead, sturgeon
and smelt fi sheries. Members
are expected to provide com-
ments on issues in the North
of Falcon season-setting pro-
cess for salmon fi sheries, man-
aged jointly by the two states.
They also provide comments
on Columbia River Compact
commercial fi shing hearings
and joint state hearings on rec-
reational fi shing regulations.
F al l B azaar & H oliday Sale
Craft Item s • Gifts • Baked Goods
H oliday D ecorations & m uch m ore!
NOVEM BER 3 rd & 4 th 9 AM -4 PM
CLATSOP CARE CENTER
646 16th St., Astoria
Proceeds from the sale will be used to support a variety of resident activities
PUBLIC NOTICE
The CMH General Surgery Clinic Has Moved
The CMH General Surgery Clinic and wound care services has
moved to a new location. The new location will give us more
space and allow us to serve you better:
Professional Office Bldg #1
2055 Exchange Street, Ste 270
Astoria, OR 97103
Phone: 503-338-4670
Fax: 503-338-4671
To reach the new location, park on the west
side of Columbia Memorial Hospital and
enter through the main doors. Make a quick
right and follow the hallway to Professional
Office Building #1. Use the stairs or elevator
on your left to reach the second floor and
Suite 270.
“Advisory group members
provide an important voice for
the fi shing public,” said Tucker
Jones, the Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife’s program
manager for ocean salmon and
Columbia R iver fi sheries. “We
are looking for candidates who
are interested in fi lling that role.”
The states will choose up
to 20 candidates for each advi-
sory group, striving to represent
various aspects of the fi shing
industry on the Columbia River.
Any group or individual may
submit a nomination, and nomi-
nations will be accepted through
Nov. 30. Nominations must
include a resume with contact
information and a statement that
describes the nominee’s fi shing
experience, interest in serving
on the committee and ability to
communicate with constituents.
Current members may re apply
but should contact state staff.
Nominations may be sub-
mitted by mail to John North,
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife, 17330 SE Clack-
amas, OR 97015, by fax at
971-673-6072 or by e mail to
john.a.north@state.or.us
More information may be
found at the Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Department’s Colum-
bia River Fisheries Manage-
ment page on line.
WANTED
Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber
Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA
Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500
Warrenton United Methodist Church
Annual
Holiday Bazaar & Luncheon
Saturday, November 4 th
10 am -2 pm
679 S. Main Avenue Warrenton
Beautiful crafts, delicious baked goods, White Elephant Sale.
Clatsop Post 12
Food Bank Fundraiser
Spaghetti Dinner
All Proceeds to the Clatsop Food Bank
Friday Nov. 3 rd
4-6 pm or until gone
8
$
00
6PM
“Karaoke Dave”
Children’s Christmas
Toy Fundraiser
BBQ Pork Rib Dinner
All Proceeds to Clatsop County Children
Saturday Nov. 4
th
3-6 pm or until gone
10
00
Music by
Greg Parke
Both Dinners are Open to the Public
ASTORIA AMERICAN LEGION
$
Clatsop Post 12
1132 Exchange Street
325-5771