A5
THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020
Pearl Harbor veteran in Bend beats virus
OBITUARIES
Robert Wayne Koskela
By KYLE SPURR
The Bulletin
Astoria
Sept. 12, 1928 — Dec. 13, 2020
Our dearly loved Grandpa Bob peacefully
He and Patty played UNO , Skip-Bo and
went to meet Jesus on Dec. 13, 2020.
cribbage every morning over breakfast with
Robert Wayne Koskela was born in Hecla, their bowls of betting quarters. Bob and Patty
South Dakota, to Wayne Arvid
regularly attended church and
Koskela and Lempi Vieno Juliana
loved their church family.
Wiirre. Later, in 1941, in his junior
Bob belonged to a Harley
high school years, he moved to
Davidson c lub, and owned two
Astoria.
Harleys. He also belonged to the
Bob married Patricia Lee Kan-
Long Beach, Washington clowns,
gas Westerlund on Nov. 14, 1987,
Eagles, Elks, Moose, AARP, the
and gained a whole new family.
Long Beach Grange and the Asto-
After they got married, they built
ria and Long Beach senior centers.
a new home in Ocean Park, Wash-
Bob and Patty volunteered at
ington, and resided there until
His Supper Table hot meal pro-
Robert Koskela
2017, when they moved back to
gram for over 10 years. He and
Astoria.
Patty were grange camp counselors
Bob was a loving husband, grandpa and at Mossyrock, Washington, for several years.
great-grandpa. Family meant everything to
Grandpa Bob will be sorely missed, and
him. He and Patty went on many vacations is survived by his sister and husband, Joanne
with all of the family, and especially enjoyed and Leo Larson; son and wife, Bruce and
their yearly trip to the sand dunes.
Kay Westerlund; son, Chuck Westerlund;
Bob is a U.S. Army veteran, and served as daughter and husband, Dawn and Joel Jen-
an electrician and in chemical maintenance. son; son, David Westerlund; grandchildren,
Bob retired with the U.S. Army Corps of Joann, Kristine, Joel Jr., Crystal, Joni, Rach-
Engineers, where he worked on the Biddle, elle, Travis and Andrea; great-grandchildren,
Essayons and the Chester Harding.
Taylor, Andy, Brooklyn, Trista, Brayden,
Bob had many talents. He was a photog- Teslyn, Lilly, Jamerson, Lynkon, Jackson,
rapher and had his own darkroom to develop Joshua, Jayden, Ember and Tanis; and his
his pictures. He was a master carver and many nephews, nieces and dear friends. All
carved many different birds with incredible of them he loved dearly.
detail and character. He made furniture and
He was preceded in death by his wife,
was a leather craftsman. He could sew, paint Patricia Koskela; his father, Wayne Koskela;
and needlepoint with the best of them.
and mother, Lempi Schmidt.
Bob loved to walk his dog, “Smoky,” bird-
A celebration of life will be held at a later
watch and could name every bird he saw or date.
heard. He loved to dig razor clams and tend
An online guest book is available at cald-
to his garden.
wellsmortuary.com
Dick Higgins, the 99-year-old Pearl Har-
bor survivor from Bend, told friends and
family last month he would beat COVID-
19 just like he survived World War II and a
childhood in the Dust Bowl.
A month later, doctors confi rmed Hig-
gins’ success. He has recovered from the
deadly virus.
“He’s going to chalk it up to being an
Oklahoma kid that had to survive the Dust
Bowl and Great Depression,” said Higgins’
granddaughter, Angela Norton.
Higgins, the oldest living Pearl Harbor
survivor in central Oregon, tested positive
for the virus on Nov. 23, and quarantined
at home, which he shares with Norton and
her family. Norton’s husband and 6-year-
old son also contracted the virus, but are
now recovered as well.
Doctors told Norton that elderly peo-
ple are at a higher risk of severe illness and
death from COVID-19, so Higgins is for-
tunate to beat the virus, especially without
having to be hospitalized.
“He got very lucky for someone his age
to be able to have such mild symptoms,”
Norton said.
Despite no respiratory issues or hospi-
tal stays, it was still a diffi cult few weeks
Dick Higgins, a 99-year-old Pearl Harbor
survivor in Bend, enjoyed Christmas
morning with his family after recovering
from COVID-19.
for Higgins.
He had painful body aches, no appetite
and had to visit the emergency room when
his leg swelled. He stopped acting like
himself and was losing his will to live, his
granddaughter said.
“He is doing so much better,” she said.
“He defi nitely has more pep in his step.”
$
1,050,000
5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, 3108 sq ft.
Gail Hartley
Prineville
July 3, 1942 — Dec. 16, 2020
Gail Hartley, 78, of Astoria
until recently, died Dec. 16, 2020,
peacefully in Prineville .
Gail was born July 3, 1942,
in Astoria, to Pete Ringstead and
Geraldine Glandon.
She lived in Astoria for most
of her life, making a big impact
on many in the community, and
was lovingly referred to as “Mama
May.”
She
is
survived
by
her children, Steve Mayfi eld,
of
Raymond,
Washington,
Annette Mayfi eld, of Prineville,
Gary Mayfi eld, of Warren-
ton, Christy Mayfi eld, of Van-
couver, Washington, and Scott
Hartley and his wife, Lisa, of
Mount Hood, Oregon; seven
grandchildren;
and
three
great-grandchildren.
Gail Hartley
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SEVENDAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TODAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Oregon Realtor • Licensed in Oregon
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
REGIONAL FORECAST
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Seattle
50 46
A little morning
rain
52 47
Rain
52 45
50 41
49 41
47 40
47 40
Rain
Heavy rain
possible
Cloudy, rain
possible
Remaining
cloudy
Windy with rain
Aberdeen
Olympia
50/45
50/44
Wenatchee
Tacoma
Moses
Lake
50/43
ALMANAC
UNDER THE SKY
TODAY'S TIDES
Astoria through Tuesday
Tonight’s Sky: The Winter Circle
- Sirius is the brightest star in the
night sky followed by Capella,
Rigel, Procyon, Betelgeuse,
Aldebaran and Pollux.
Astoria / Port Docks
Temperatures
High/low ................................ 41/30
Normal high/low .................. 48/37
Record high .................. 60 in 1920
Record low .................... 16 in 1990
Precipitation
Tuesday ................................... 0.16”
Month to date ........................ 7.39”
Normal month to date ......... 9.28”
Year to date .......................... 63.74”
Normal year to date ........... 66.90”
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
Sunrise today .................. 7:58 a.m.
Sunset tonight ............... 4:40 p.m.
Moonrise today ............. 6:17 p.m.
Moonset today ............... 9:29 a.m.
New
First
High (ft.) Time Low (ft.)
2:33 a.m.
1:19 p.m.
Full
2:05 a.m.
1:01 p.m.
2:19 a.m.
1:10 p.m.
Warrenton
2:28 a.m.
1:14 p.m.
Knappa
3:10 a.m.
1:56 p.m.
Depoe Bay
Jan 6 Jan 12 Jan 20 Jan 28
7.5 7:52 a.m. 3.7
9.1 8:40 p.m. -0.6
Cape Disappointment
Hammond
SUN AND MOON
Last
Time
7.4 6:55 a.m. 4.0
9.1 7:45 p.m. -0.7
7.6 7:18 a.m. 3.8
9.3 8:05 p.m. -0.9
7.9 7:36 a.m. 3.8
9.4 8:24 p.m. -0.5
7.8 8:53 a.m. 3.2
9.3 9:41 p.m. -0.5
1:22 a.m. 7.5 6:23 a.m. 4.0
12:11 p.m. 9.3 7:17 p.m. -1.0
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Honolulu
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
Phoenix
San Francisco
Wash., DC
Fri.
Hi/Lo/W
61/57/sh
46/29/r
30/24/pc
45/38/r
43/24/pc
81/72/pc
68/43/r
66/47/pc
81/74/pc
48/34/r
61/42/pc
59/44/s
50/36/r
69/52/r
39/34/pc
37/32/r
47/33/pc
37/22/pc
82/72/pc
59/40/s
67/49/s
82/73/s
41/39/r
63/40/s
58/48/pc
42/41/r
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy,
c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.
43/33
Hermiston
The Dalles 45/33
Enterprise
Pendleton 39/30
44/33
47/36
La Grande
39/30
50/44
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Hi/Lo/W
37/32
Kennewick Walla Walla
42/33 Lewiston
42/30
50/44
Salem
Pullman
39/31
Longview
50/46 Portland
51/45
35/31
Yakima 36/30
49/43
Astoria
Spokane
33/29
Corvallis
50/43
Albany
50/43
John Day
Eugene
Bend
51/43
46/31
39/25
Ontario
36/27
Caldwell
Burns
39/17
36/25
Medford
48/36
Klamath Falls
39/23
City
Baker City
Brookings
Ilwaco
Newberg
Newport
Today
Hi/Lo/W
38/24/sf
51/43/c
51/46/r
51/44/r
51/46/r
Fri.
Hi/Lo/W
36/28/c
52/47/r
51/45/r
50/44/r
52/47/r
City
North Bend
Roseburg
Seaside
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Today
Hi/Lo/W
52/45/r
52/41/r
51/45/r
51/42/r
50/41/r
Fri.
Hi/Lo/W
54/46/r
53/43/r
51/44/r
51/43/r
49/42/r