2A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018
OBITUARIES
Spurgeon Keeth
Roberta (Leback) Tetz
Hammond
Feb. 6, 1925 — Dec. 28, 2017
Seaview, Washington
Feb. 10, 1929 — Dec. 9, 2017
Spurgeon Keeth was born in 1925 to Henry guy to maintain their fleet of vehicles and equip-
Vee Keeth and Beatrice (Andrews) Keeth in ment. He acquired additional mechanic duties,
Iberia, Missouri. He had an older brother, Regan and eventually retired as shop foreman in 1980.
Kenneth Keeth, and a younger sister, Wanda
In the early 1950s, they paid $800 for a
Lee Keeth.
home in Vancouver, Washington, that
Tragedy struck the family in
had to be moved. Dad, mom, young
1931, when dad was just 6 years old.
son, and dog, Pal, spent many months
His mother was killed when her car
back and forth from Wapato to Van-
couver taking the house apart, mark-
became stuck on railroad tracks, and
ing each board as to where it went for
was hit by a train. In 1932, grandpa
when he reconstructed it on a rural lot
placed dad and siblings in the care of
in Wapato that they bought for $500.
Whittle relatives in Iberia, and moved
The home was reconstructed and liv-
to the Yakima, Washington, valley to
able in time for my arrival in 1954.
acquire steady agricultural work to
Dad then seized the opportunity
support his family.
In 1934, dad and his siblings Spurgeon Keeth to purchase an old gas station garage
reunited with their dad in the Parker
from downtown Wapato, and moved
Heights area of Yakima Valley. Dad
it to the property, where he did a lot
and Uncle Regan were extremely close, and sto- of mechanics, body and fender work on his time
ries I’ve heard indicate that they were quite the off from his regular job. Dad was amazing!
mischievous pranksters growing up, to say the There was nothing he could not fix, and he was
least.
very resourceful and creative.
In May 1941, at the young age of 16, dad
He found time to coach pee wee baseball,
joined the Army. On Dec. 7, 1941, dad found and everyone on his team was allowed equal
himself right in the middle of the Japanese play time, regardless of their athletic skills; he
attack on Pearl Harbor, stationed at Schof- was a very fair man. Weekend family camping
ield Barracks. He also fought for our freedom trips during the summer were very common.
at Vella Lavella, Guadalcanal and Munda, and Dad loved to fish, and hunt, and he hunted elk
contracted malaria 13 times. He was a heavy until he was 80.
machine gunner, expert carbine, combat infan-
After retirement in 1980, he stayed busy with
tryman. Dad was with Company B, 35th Infan- volunteer work, as a part-time school bus driver,
try, 25th Division.
he drove a straddle truck during fruit harvest,
Dad talked very little about the war, but did and was a fan of us kids’ City League softball
share with my husband, Scott, that on one of the games and grandkids’ activities.
islands the wild monkeys were as vicious as the
Scott and I were blessed with dad’s arrival to
human enemy.
our Hammond, Oregon, home in October 2015
Another story was when dad’s group was after mom could no longer care for him in Wap-
being slaughtered as they were being dropped ato. By this time, he was in advanced stages of
off at the beach, dad was the point man. He Alzheimer’s/dementia, and had very restricted
hung over the side of the amphibious vehicle, mobility and speech, requiring 24/7 care, which
dropped into the water and floated until he dis- hubby and I were delighted to accommodate.
creetly approached the beach, and let the ene- We gave him our all, and he was a very happy
my’s bunker have it with every grenade he was man, confirmed by his ongoing infectious smile
carrying. Others followed suit … another mis- that touched everyone he met.
sion completed! At Munda, his unit was sur-
This wonderful community in which we
rounded by the enemy for 19 days, and they live embraced and loved my dad beyond com-
lived on one can of C rations per day until the prehension, and made him feel special. Camp
Rilea adopted him, and took him under their
siege was over.
Dad also served as a Merchant Marine.
wing; words cannot describe how they touched
After his honorable discharge in 1945, he his life.
returned to the Yakima Valley and married Ruby
Regardless of his restrictions, I told him
Keith in 1946 in Wapato, Washington. Their often there’s nothing we could not do, and by
first son was born in 1947, followed by another golly, we had a blast the last two years! The
son and two daughters. Mom and dad didn’t three of us were scheduled to go on the Honor
even have a car when they got married, but dad Flight to Washington, D.C., for World War II
always worked hard to provide for his family.
veterans in September, and he was so excited
Under the G.I. Bill, he went to Perry Trade to fly in plane again. But dad started failing,
School in Yakima, Washington, for one year to and we had to cancel, and he began hospice in
acquire the skill of body and fender repair of November.
vehicles. He worked nights at Snyder’s Bakery,
I heard my tired Papa take his last breath
and got to take home leftover bread and pastries, at 7 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2017, as he slept peace-
which resulted in eating lots of sandwiches! A fully here at home. Final mission completed, sir.
brief body and fender job in Spanaway, Wash- Thank you for being my dad, my BFF.
ington, did not work out, so back to Yakima Val-
Please join us in honoring and celebrating
ley they went, to pick apples.
his life, with full military honors, on Saturday,
Dad had a “silver tongue,” and talked his Jan. 6, 2018, at noon, in the Log Conference
way into a job that didn’t even exist at Wapato Center at Camp Rilea Military Training Center.
Irrigation Project, a federal job. He convinced
This obituary was written by Donna Barnett,
Henry Holmes they needed a body and fender Keeth’s daughter.
Our beloved mother, Roberta Jo “Berta” tie affairs. Berta loved to get dressed up, and
Tetz, entered into God’s heavenly gates, made Frank was always happy to show off his beau-
not from hands but from eternal love, on Dec. tiful bride.
After Frank’s passing, Berta married Ken
9, 2017.
Tetz Sr. They were both sports
Berta was born to Verl C. and
enthusiasts, and enjoyed college and
Gertrude T. (Wood) Leback in Asto-
ria on Feb. 10, 1929. Mom attended
professional games. They enjoyed
Chinook Grade School and grad-
yearly vacations in sunny Palm
uated from Ilwaco High School
Springs, and regularly attended Chi-
nook Lutheran Church. Berta’s last
in 1947. She grew up in Chinook,
vacation was with her son, Tim, and
Washington, working alongside her
his wife, Marni, to Palm Springs.
parents and brother, Dick Leback,
Berta finished out her last years
at the Chinook County Store. It was
living with her daughter, Marilyn.
the hub of the town, and mom was
The entire family is extremely grate-
always there, helping ring up guests
Roberta Tetz
ful for the loving care Marilyn pro-
alongside her mother.
vided. Tom came by for daily visits,
She then attended Washington
and could always bring a sparkle of
State University, and pledged Alpha
Chi Omega sorority. While home on summer joy to his mother.
Our mother, grandmother, sister, wife and
break, Arnold Swanson recruited her to work
at the Astoria Clinic. She would ride the Chess- friend was an icon, Katherine Hepburn-esque.
man and Tourist II ferries to and from Megler Sh was always stunning, striking, impeccably
until getting an apartment in Astoria.
dressed. She had a calm, sweet temperament
Tim C. Williams courted her, and they mar- about her. She loved staying up with the news,
ried at the Presbyterian Church in Ilwaco. local politics and rooting for the Trail Blazers.
She had a unique tune she always whis-
They had three children, Timothy Mark, Mar-
ilyn Jo and Thomas Richard. Tim worked in tled — you could hear it throughout the house
the Ilwaco Theatre and owned a gas station in as she got ready, cooked or did house work.
Ilwaco, and then became an insurance sales- She loved hosting guests and having drinks
man. Mom joined him in the insurance busi- with friends and family. She was an excellent
ness after raising their children. Together they cook, and wrote her own cookbook in 1988,
had apartment rentals, and owned a shrimp “Mom’s Best.” She would greet you at the door
boat for a brief period of time. They enjoyed in a pantsuit, and yet a kitchen towel would be
trips to Palm Springs, Hawaii, Turkey, Spain, tucked into her pants, where an apron would
New York and New Jersey and various insur- go. She always made everyone feel welcome.
ance conventions.
She saw all her grandchildren get married,
Following a divorce from Tim, Berta mar- and is survived by Tim and Marni Williams,
ried Frank O. Glenn Jr., and they were married Marilyn Williams and Tom Williams; two sis-
in Palm Springs, California. They resided in ters-in-law, Eileen Leback and Dorothy T. Wil-
Hammond, Oregon, and enjoyed living on the liams; grandchildren Ken Anderson, Ryan
Columbia River, watching various vessels go (Angie) Williams and Laura (Hart) Green;
by out their front window. Berta would accom- step-grandchildren Jeff (Tomoe) Page Johnson,
pany Frank on his boat the Tondelyo, always Marni Johnson and Emily (Jamison) Purry; and
providing a nice picnic spread.
eight great-grandchildren.
They loved to travel, and went on routine
A memorial service and celebration of her
trips to London, New York, Europe and to their life will be held Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, at 1
condo on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. p.m. at the Chinook School Gym event center.
They were among the very first to take the Con- A reception follows.
corde jet to London, and Berta truly enjoyed it.
Memorials are requested to either the Ilwaco
They lived as close to a cosmopolitan lifestyle Fire Department or Friends of Chinook School.
Her guest book is available at pentti-
as one can on the Oregon Coast, always host-
ing fancy dinner parties and attending black- laschapel.com
FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TONIGHT
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
42
Cloudy with periods of
rain, mainly early
ALMANAC
Mostly cloudy with a
little rain
Cloudy
Tillamook
42/49
New
Salem
40/50
Newport
41/50
Jan 16
Coos Bay
41/52
Full
Jan 24
Ontario
28/39
Burns
26/41
Klamath Falls
29/44
TOMORROW'S TIDES
Astoria / Port Docks
Time
10:38 a.m.
11:02 p.m.
Low
2.5 ft.
0.1 ft.
City
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Eugene
Ilwaco
Klamath Falls
Medford
Newberg
Newport
North Bend
Hi
38
48
53
54
52
50
53
51
53
55
Today
Lo
26
30
43
37
43
29
38
39
41
42
W
i
sh
r
r
r
c
r
r
r
r
Hi
41
43
53
49
48
44
48
48
50
52
Sat.
Lo W
20
c
27
c
41
c
34
c
43
c
21
c
32
c
38
c
40
c
39
c
City
Olympia
Pendleton
Portland
Roseburg
Salem
Seaside
Spokane
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Yakima
Hi
50
34
49
55
56
54
35
56
50
37
Today
Lo
40
31
41
43
40
42
32
39
42
32
W
r
i
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
Hi
48
45
48
50
50
49
35
49
48
44
Sat.
Lo W
37
c
32
c
37
c
39
c
36
c
42
c
30
c
36
c
37
c
33
c
TOMORROW'S NATIONAL WEATHER
NATIONAL CITIES
W
s
pc
s
pc
c
s
s
s
pc
s
c
pc
pc
s
pc
pc
s
s
s
s
pc
pc
r
r
s
Hi
39
10
14
53
14
12
67
7
82
12
29
67
70
39
68
29
57
12
50
15
22
43
56
49
22
Sat.
Lo
22
-4
4
28
13
3
43
-4
71
1
25
48
55
27
55
17
46
4
41
2
17
30
44
41
9
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
W
s
s
s
c
pc
s
pc
s
pc
s
s
c
c
s
pc
s
s
s
pc
s
s
sh
c
c
s
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy,
sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow fl urries,
sn-snow, i-ice.
ON THE RECORD
Ninth Street and Jerome Ave-
nue and charged with driving
under the influence of intoxi-
cants, unlawful possession of
heroin, tampering with physical
evidence and reckless driving.
An officer allegedly saw Painter
smoking the drug while driving,
and he later hid the parapherna-
lia in the car prior to stopping.
Incorrect middle name — Hope Truly Flavin was the first baby born in 2018 at Columbia
Memorial Hospital. Her middle name was incorrectly listed as Gruly in a 2A story Thursday.
Lakeview
30/43
Ashland
39/49
SALEM — The state envi-
ronmental agency’s backlog
of inspections and permits
could endanger Oregon’s air
quality and residents’ health,
state auditors said.
The Oregon Audits Divi-
sion’s report made public
Wednesday shows 43 per-
cent of the state’s largest air
polluters are operating with
expired permits, the States-
man Journal reported.
The expired permits mean
those businesses might not be
meeting the most recent envi-
ronmental standards, auditors
said.
“Untimely permits, com-
bined with a current back-
problems stem partially from
declining funding.
Whitman said the depart-
ment has begun addressing
the problems identified in the
report, and it is developing
a plan to present to the state
Legislature in 2019 to bet-
ter fund the permitting and
inspection work.
“These changes will put us
in the best possible position to
protect Oregonians and their
environment,” Whitman said.
“While, ultimately, we will
need Oregon’s Legislature to
decide what funding is appro-
priate for clean air and clean
water, we understand that we
must first demonstrate that we
have done everything possi-
ble with existing resources.”
CORRECTION
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
Hi
38
15
11
52
11
8
64
10
82
9
22
66
72
40
63
30
51
15
51
17
22
42
61
51
22
Baker
26/41
log of inspections, endanger
the state’s air quality and the
health of Oregonians,” the
auditors said in the report.
The backlogs and regula-
tory uncertainty could deter
companies from moving to
Oregon, auditors said.
“Some business leaders
and permit holders expressed
frustration and decreasing
confidence in DEQ’s ability
to effectively manage the per-
mit program,” auditors said.
The state Department of
Environmental Quality told
auditors it’s behind on inspec-
tions, but that it does not have
a system for tracking when
inspections are due.
Department
Director
Richard Whitman said the
Associated Press
DUII
• At 8:59 a.m. Wednesday,
Blake Charles Painter, 38, of
Astoria, was arrested by the
Astoria Police Department on
REGIONAL CITIES
Tonight's Sky: Aldebaran of Taurus gives us a
glimpse of the fate of our own star, the sun.
Today
Lo
22
1
-4
27
-9
-3
38
1
70
-8
7
48
56
20
50
11
36
4
25
5
3
29
49
43
9
La Grande
34/42
Roseburg
43/50
Brookings
43/53
Jan 31
John Day
35/42
Bend
30/43
Medford
38/48
UNDER THE SKY
High
8.9 ft.
8.7 ft.
Prineville
31/45
Lebanon
40/50
Eugene
37/49
First
Pendleton
31/45
The Dalles
34/47
Portland
41/48
Sunset tonight ........................... 4:44 p.m.
Sunrise Saturday ........................ 7:58 a.m.
Moonrise today .......................... 9:35 p.m.
Moonset today .......................... 10:35 a.m.
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Denver
Des Moines
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Honolulu
Indianapolis
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Memphis
Miami
Nashville
New Orleans
New York
Oklahoma City
Philadelphia
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Francisco
Seattle
Washington, DC
Rain
49
41
Shown is tomorrow's weather. Temperatures are tonight's lows and tomorrow's highs.
ASTORIA
42/48
SUN AND MOON
Time
4:49 a.m.
4:22 p.m.
TUESDAY
49
41
REGIONAL WEATHER
Precipitation
Thursday .......................................... 0.60"
Month to date ................................... 0.60"
Normal month to date ....................... 1.39"
Year to date ...................................... 0.60"
Normal year to date .......................... 1.39"
Jan 8
47
41
A morning shower;
otherwise, mostly cloudy
Astoria through Thursday.
Temperatures
High/low ....................................... 52°/43°
Normal high/low ........................... 49°/37°
Record high ............................ 59° in 2001
Record low ............................. 21° in 1974
Last
MONDAY
48
40
State inspection backlog endangers
air quality and health, audit finds
PUBLIC MEETINGS
MONDAY
Ambulance Services Area Advisory Commit-
tee, 1 p.m., 800 Exchange St., Suite 430.
Youngs River Lewis & Clark Water District
Board, 6 p.m., 34583 U.S. Highway 101 Business.
Cannon Beach Rural Fire Department Board,
6 p.m., Fire-Rescue Main Station, 188 Sunset
Ave.
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989
Broadway.
LOTTERIES
OREGON
Thursday’s Pick 4:
1 p.m.: 6-8-2-6
4 p.m.: 4-3-8-0
7 p.m.: 2-3-7-4
10 p.m.: 7-8-3-2
Thursday’s Lucky Lines: 04-
08-10-13-17-23-25-32
Estimated jackpot: $12,000
WASHINGTON
Thursday’s Daily Game: 8-0-4
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