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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 2016)
Page 6A RECORDS East Oregonian Saturday, January 23, 2016 Margaret Kessler Maureen A. Bittner Jack T. Sanders Pendleton January 6, 1924-January 19, 2016 Pendleton April 17, 1917-January 19, 2016 Pendleton February 28, 1935-January 21, 2016 Margaret Kessler, 92, formerly of Milton-Freewater, died at a local care facility in Pendleton on January 19, 2016. Graveside services will be Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery. Following the service, all are welcome to a gath- ering at the home of Alan Kessler, 1634 S.W. First St., Pendleton. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Asso- ciation through the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home in Milton-Freewater. Kessler Viewing will be Sunday 1-5, Monday 9-12, 1-5 and 7-9 at the funeral home. Margaret was born January 6, 1924, to Dutch immigrant parents John and Annie (Kaslander) Vandersteen in Hanford, California. Along with her two sisters and extended family, Margaret lived in Hanford until meeting and marrying her husband Norman J. Kessler on August 29, 1942. While her husband was in the Army Air Corps during WWII they lived brieÀy in Hanford, Calif., and Rocky Ford, Colorado, before returning to Milton-Freewater in 1945. Margaret was a stay-at- home mom, homemaker and farmer’s wife. During the harvest seasons she cooked many a hot meal for the work crews, serving them up right in the ¿eld from the trunk of her car, and helped during the harvest seasons however she could. Raising four children from the 1940s to the late ’70s, she and Norman continuously had a child in the Ferndale and Mac Hi education system for over 30 years. After living for 34 years on the family farm on Appleton Road, Margaret and Norman moved to town in 1979. Margaret was a gifted seamstress who also enjoyed crocheting, stitchery and needlepoint. A product of the Depression years and rationing during WWII, Margaret learned to be very skilled at ¿nding ways to repurpose, recycle and reinvent anything she could to get a little more use out of it. She was always eager to take on a project in the yard or house and found great satisfaction in completing something she’d not tried before. In her younger years she enjoyed cooking and hosting the holidays or just having the family together for Sunday dinners in her home, which she took great pride in. Her other hobbies included gol¿ng and gardening. She also enjoyed spending time on her computer corresponding with friends and family and doing research. Her eventual comfort at the keyboard and eagerness to share her life story with her family and future generations prompted her to write her own auto- biography, which is now a real treasure to her family. She and her husband both were blessed with very good health well into their 80s, which allowed them to spend a lot of time together with each other and their family simply enjoying life and remaining active. In 2006 Margaret and her husband moved to Pendleton to be near their children. One year later in 2007 her husband of nearly 65 years passed away. Margaret remained active and independent, often returning to the Walla Walla Valley to visit family and friends, shop, and catch up until 2014 when advancing Alzheimer’s disease forced her to move into a care facility. Margaret enjoyed spending time seeing her grandchildren and being Grandma Great to her great-grandchildren. She greatly enjoyed just spending time visiting with anyone she met and never seemed to know a stranger. She was a past member of the Dutch Christian Reform Church of Hanford, California, and a member of the First Baptist Church of Milton-Freewater. For many years also was a member of the Milton-Free- water women’s golf league, serving as its secretary for a time. Margaret is survived by her four children: Linda Dutcher (Les) of Heppner and Nancy Coles (Jim), Norm Kessler (Liz) and Alan Kessler, all of Pendleton; seven grandchil- dren; 14 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchil- dren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was proceeded in death by her husband, parents, and sisters Gert Zuidervaart and Maude Underwood. UPCOMING SERVICES SATURDAY, JAN. 23 BROOKS, KC — Celebration of life potluck at 2 p.m. at the Hermiston Elks Lodge, 480 E. Main St. DALY, CHARLIE — Recitation of the rosary at 10 a.m., followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m., at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 525 N. Gale St., Heppner. ESTOUP, RUTH — Memorial services at 11 a.m. at the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home, 902 S. Main St., Milton-Freewater. RUTHERFORD, DAN — Memorial service with mili- tary honors at 4 p.m. in the chapel at Burns Mortuary, 685 W. Hermiston Ave., Hermiston. SCHLAHT, IRENE — Celebration of life at 3 p.m. at the Hermiston Seventh-day Adventist Church, 855 W. Highland Ave. SORENSON, CHRISTINE — Service at 10 a.m. in the chapel at Burns Mortuary, 685 W. Hermiston Ave., Herm- iston, followed by a celebration of life at 12 noon at Stokes Landing Senior Center, 195 N.W. Opal Place, Irrigon. ZIMMERMAN, JESSE — Memorial service at 2 p.m. at Loveland Funeral Chapel, 1508 Fourth St., La Grande. SUNDAY, JAN. 24 KESSLER, MARGARET — Viewing from 1-5 p.m. at Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home, 902 S. Main St., Milton-Freewater. SHEPHERD, DOLORES — Memorial service at 12:30 p.m. at Adams Community Church, 160 N. Main St., with a celebration of life and lunch to follow in the church fellow- ship room. MONDAY, JAN. 25 BITTNER, MAUREEN — Viewing from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Burns Mortuary, 336 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton. KESSLER, MARGARET — Viewing from 9 a.m. to noon, 1-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home, 902 S. Main St., Milton-Freewater. TUESDAY, JAN. 26 BITTNER, MAUREEN — Funeral services at 11 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, 210 N.W. Ninth St., Pendleton. Interment will follow at Olney Cemetery, Pendleton. KESSLER, MARGARET — Graveside services at 11 a.m. at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery. A gathering will follow the service at the home of Alan Kessler, 1634 S.W. First St., Pendleton. MEETINGS MONDAY, JAN. 25 WEST EXTENSION IRRIGA- TION DISTRICT ANNUAL OR- GANIZATION MEETING, 9 a.m., Irrigon Fire Department, 705 N.E. Main St. An executive session may be called during the meet- ing to discuss legal issues. (Lisa Baum 541-922-3814). WESTLAND IRRIGATION DISTRICT, SP GLVWULFW RI¿FH 77096 Highway 207, Echo. NIXYAAWII COMMUNITY SCHOOL BOARD, 4:30 p.m., Nixyaawii Community School, 73300 July Grounds Lane, Pend- leton. UMATILLA BASIN WATER- SHED COUNCIL, 6 p.m., Stafford Hansell Government Center, 915 S.E. Columbia Drive, Hermiston. HERMISTON CITY COUN- CIL, 7 p.m., Hermiston City Hall, 180 N.E. Second St. Maureen A. Bittner, a resident of Pendleton, passed away Tuesday, January 19, 2016, at St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton. She was 98 years old. Viewing will be Monday, January 25, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Burns Mortuary of Pendleton. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the Peace Lutheran Church in Pendleton. Inter- ment will follow at Olney Cemetery. Sign the online condolence book at www.Burns- Bittner M o r t u a r y. c o m . Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is handling arrangements. Contributions in memory of Maureen Bittner may be made to the Peace Lutheran Church or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Maureen was born in Dunn Center, N.D., April 17, 1917. She attended a one-room schoolhouse. After completing the third grade the family moved to Dickinson, N.D. Maureen graduated from Dickinson H.S. in 1935. In Dickenson she worked as a secretary for the Welfare Department. In 1943 the family moved to Pendleton, Ore. The speed limit was 30 mph because of the gas rationing during the war. A long slow trip. Upon arriving in Pendleton Maureen found employment at the Air Base hospital as a secretary. Later she also worked on the Rationing & Price Control Board. Maureen was secretary for the Pendleton School District superintendent, Austin Landreth. The super- intendent’s of¿ce was in the upstairs of the old city hall. It was here she met Chester H. Bittner. Chet worked in the water department, which was in the same building. Maureen was secretary for the Red Cross for several years. Her last employment was as a legal secretary for the Corey, Byler and Rew Law Of¿ces. On August 2, 1947, Chet and Maureen were married at the Lutheran Church in La Grande, Ore. They had an infant son who died at birth in 1948, Dale Steven Bittner. Two years later on February 16, 1950, they welcomed a healthy baby girl, Sharon Ann Bittner. They were wed just over 50 years when Chet passed away. Maureen had a strong faith. She was a life member of the Lutheran Church. She enjoyed reading, baking and gardening. Maureen was a gentle caring person, who always tried to help and comfort others before herself. She will be missed until we are all together again. Maureen is survived by her daughter Sharon Ann Bittner Knudsen of Molalla, Ore.; stepgrandchildren Daniel Knudsen of Alaska, David Knudsen of Atlanta, Ga., Luana Reed of Molalla, Ore., and Jeani Chatin of Reno, Nev.; nieces and nephews Carole Jennings (Fred), JoAnn Milard, Kay Blackstock and Bob Beaty; and close family Harry Simonis (Lucy), Rick Schul- berg (Pat), Ken Schulberg (Carol) and Greg Schulberg (Ellen). She was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Anna Beaty, her husband Chester H. Bittner, infant son Dale Steven Bittner, and her brother Elvin Elwood Beaty. Jack T. Sanders died on January 21, 2016, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, at the age of 80. He was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, on February 28, 1935. He earned his B.A. degree from Texas Wesleyan College, a master’s degree from Emory University, and his Ph.D. degree from the Claremont Graduate Univer- sity in Southern California in 1963. After spending a postdoctoral year at the University of Tübingen, Germany, he shuf- Àed through three teaching positions before landing at Sanders the University of Oregon in 1969. There he stayed, serving as head of the Department of Religious Studies for many years before retiring in 2002. He and his wife, Susan Eliz- abeth Plass, then moved to Pendleton, Oregon, to enjoy a quieter, more relaxed life in a drier climate. Sanders was the author of numerous scholarly articles and books. Most of his published work deals with one of two subjects: the way in which religious ideas Àowed from one culture to another and were adapted into new contexts (New Testament Christo- logical Hymns; Ethics in the New Testament; Ben Sira and Demotic Wisdom; and Charisma, Converts, Competitors); and the origins of Jewish-Christian conÀict (Jews in Luke-Acts and Schismatics, Sectarians, Dissidents, Deviants). After moving to Pend- leton, he became interested in local history and produced two more books. “Samuel Rothchild: A Jewish Pioneer DEATH NOTICES Robert E. Johnson Janet Ann Horne Medley Pendleton Nov. 13, 1947-Jan. 21, 2016 Payette, Idaho June 23, 1945-January 16, 2016 Janet Ann Horne Medley of Payette, Idaho, passed away on January 16, 2016. Janet went peacefully to the Lord while resting at home in the company of her imme- diate family. She battled ovarian cancer over the last year but looked forward to spending eternity with the Lord. As a wife, mother and grandmother Janet always put her family ¿rst. Her ¿rst priority was to be strong for her husband, children and grandchildren. Our family was blessed to be present with her during her Medley courageous battle. Janet was born in Pendleton, Ore., on June 23, 1945, to Lee and Edna Horne. She was the younger sister and only sibling to David Horne. Janet always felt fortunate to grow up in small town America. She spoke often of her love of Pendleton and the many friends she had there. Janet was blessed to have loving parents who believed in strong family bonds and a Christian home. These values were the foundation she used to raise her own family. Janet learned to ride horses at a young age and participated in Mustangers and 4-H. She later became a cheerleader at Pendleton High School. In 1963 she was princess on the Pend- leton Round-Up Court. She was selected as queen of the Pendleton Round-Up in 1964. Janet married Gary Long in 1966. She and Gary had two children, Jeff and Laurie Long. Janet and Gary were LOTTERY Thursday, Jan. 21 Lucky Lines 02-05-10-13-FREE-17-24- 25-32 Estimated jackpot: $44,000 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 5-8-0-4 4 p.m.: 1-4-0-9 7 p.m.: 6-1-4-0 10 p.m.: 6-8-0-3 Friday, Jan. 22 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 4-1-1-1 married 32 years until his death in 1997. Janet married Dan Medley in 2001. She and Dan lived in Palmer, Alaska, and enjoyed the Alaska experience. Janet often reÀected on her life in Alaska with great joy. Janet and Dan moved to Payette, Idaho, in 2004. She and Dan made many new friends and built lifelong relation- ships with neigh- bors and members of their church. Janet worked at Benson Glass in Ontario, Ore., until her retirement. Janet is survived by her husband Dan Medley, her children Jeff Long and Laurie Crosby and her stepchildren Ashley and Brandon Medley. Janet is also survived by eight grandchildren, Cole, Curtis, Casey, Jacob, Alexa, Jeremy, David and Isabelle. A celebration of life will be held at Bible Baptist Church, 118 South Main Street, Payette, Idaho, on January 30th at 11:30 a.m. A time of fellowship and lunch will follow the memorial service. Corn in Eastern Oregon in the Days of the Old West” brought attention to an important but forgotten pioneer businessman and civic leader in eastern Oregon and central Washington, and also emphasized the role that Jews played in the develop- ment of the West. Most recently, he organized and edited “War on all Fronts,” a collection of reminiscences of World War II by Umatilla County residents, published in 2015 by the Umatilla County Historical Society. In 1959, Sanders married Patricia Chism, who died in 1973; together they had a son, Collin Thomas Sanders (Shelly), born in 1965, now living in Gig Harbor, Washington. In 1979 he married Susan, a UO graduate student at the time, and they enjoyed a very happy, deeply compat- ible marriage for almost 37 years. Sanders was a highly ethical and rational man who was concerned with social justice; after retiring from the UO, he continued to teach in informal ways. He enjoyed listening to classical music, writing, traveling, Ày ¿shing, and gardening; and he was an avid follower of politics and of national and world news. He is survived by his wife and son and by a brother, Ed, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Bell Tower Funeral Home of Post Falls, Idaho, has been entrusted with arrangements. Please share your thoughts and memories of Jack in his online memorial at www. belltowerfuneralhome.com. Robert E. Johnson, 68, of Pendleton died Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, at his home. He was born Nov. 13, 1947. A memorial service will be held at a later date. A full obituary will follow. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is in charge of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at www.BurnsMortuary.com. Gerald Joseph ‘Jerry’ Perren Enterprise Nov. 7, 1928-Jan. 19, 2016 Gerald Joseph Perren, 87, of Enterprise died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016, in Enterprise. He was born Nov. 7, 1928, near Prairie Creek. Recitation of the rosary will be held Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. at Bollman Funeral Home in Enterprise. A Celebration of Life Mass will be held Thursday, Jan. 28 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Katherine’s Catholic Church in Enterprise. Graveside services with full military honors will follow at the Enterprise Cemetery. Following the service, all are welcome to a gathering at Cloverleaf Hall, 508 N.W. First St., Enter- prise. Bollman Funeral Home is in care of arrangements. Eugene O. Wallace Twin Falls, Idaho July 26, 1962-Jan. 21, 2016 Eugene O. Wallace, 53, of Twin Falls, Idaho died January 21, 2016 in Pendleton. He was born July 26, 1962 in Twin Falls. Arrangements are with Pendleton Pioneer Chapel, Folsom-Bishop. OBITUARY POLICY The East Oregonian publishes paid obituaries. The obituary can in- clude small photos and, for veterans, a lag symbol at no charge. Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper punctuation and style. Expanded death notices will be published at no charge. These in- clude information about services. Obituaries and notices can be submitted online at www.eastorego- nian.com/obituaryform, by email to obits@eastoregonian.com, by fax to 541-276-8314, placed via the funeral home or in person at the East Oregonian office. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or 1-800-522-0255, ext. 221. Hammer Toe Bunion Diagnosis & Treatment: • Ingrown/Fungal Toenails • Bunions/Bone Spurs • Ankle & Foot Injuries/Fractures • Ulcers/Skin Disorders • Warts • Corns/Calluses • Hammertoes • Ankle Pain & Instability • Routine Toenail Care • Orthotics/Arch Supports Special Services: • Board Certified Care • X-rays - In Office • Sports Medicine • Hospital & Office Based Surgery S TACEY J. C LARKE , DPM & T RAVIS T. H AMPTON , DPM Pendleton Medical Center Suite 11 • Pendleton, OR 97801 (541) 963-0265 • (888) 843-9090 Also Seeing Patients in La Grande