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.
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Obituaries and notices can be submitted online at www.eastorego-
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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.
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