COMMUNITY
Saturday, February 12, 2022
That old time religion
Hermiston
resident leads
musical services
at Echo church
with their talent.
“It’s a very unorganized
and nondenominational,” he
said. “We have some Adven-
tists. We have all the denom-
inations, represented at one
time or another.”
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
The importance of
hymns
ECHO — Not every
churchgoer appreciates the
tide of change, according to
one Hermiston resident.
Doug Fehrenbacher said
there are many believers, like
himself, who prefer hymns.
They have been sidelined, in
his expressed estimation. He
is trying to bring them back
to popularity with musical
services at Echo Community
Church on the first Sunday of
every month at 5:30 p.m.
“I think a lot of older
people, people who have been
Christians for a long time, feel
left out,” he said. “The last
thing an 80-year-old woman
wants is to learn a new song.
They like the ones they know.”
He said people are allowed
to sing the hymns they choose
at his services from provided
hymnals. Attendees are
accompanied by Louise Sund-
vall, a fellow Hermiston resi-
dent.
“She is just absolutely
outstanding,” Fehrenbacher
said. “Not only does she know
all the songs, but she can run
He called his services
important because music is
vital to the Christian faith.
“I feel in so many church
services they use the music as
a means of bringing people
from their problems and off the
streets to where they can focus
on the spoken word,” he said.
In his services, however,
Fehrenbacher puts total atten-
tion on the music, he said. His
services do not even have a
sermon. After the hymns and
the special, there is only a
fellowship get-together, which
is at the end of the service.
He said people have a good
time with this and travel from
Richland, Washington, and
Walla Walla to attend.
These hymns have served
him, as well as his congre-
gation, Fehrenbacher said.
He added that hymns such
as “It is Well with My Soul”
have helped him during
dark times. He said he will
continue singing hymns and
giving others opportuni-
ties to sing them for as long
as he can.
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Doug Fehrenbacher flips through a hymnal Wednesday,
Feb. 9, 2022, in the living room of his Hermiston home.
that keyboard so beautifully.”
Sundvall said she has been
playing piano for around 80
years, though she has not
played hymns exclusively. She
started with classical music,
then played for churches.
“I add my style to it,” she
said of church music. She
described her style as “South-
ern gospel” with “life and
pep.”
Sundvall plays piano, but
it is Fehrenbacher who is the
worship leader. He sings and
directs the service.
He said he used to hold his
services at a church in Herm-
iston; however, his services
became a problem.
“As our numbers grew and
grew, it seems like we were
interfering with the other
ministries,” he said.
He expressed his feel-
ing the services were unap-
preciated, so he took them
elsewhere. The Echo church
invited him, he said, and has
“bent over backwards” helping
put this together.
“They’ve been just wonder-
ful,” he said. “I can’t say
enough about them.”
In one of his Echo Commu-
nity services, attendees sing
six songs. Then, they have
what Fehrenbacher calls “a
special.” One or two people
will stand up in front of the
congregation and sing by
themselves.
He said the special gives
a person an opportunity to
shine, and sometimes the
singer will amaze others
Caledonian shares 20th century love story
By TAMMY
MALGESINI
East Oregonian
ATHENA — While the
Scottish Gaelic expression
ceud mìle fàilte — a hundred
thousand welcomes — is a
friendly greeting, it was more
than a century ago when a
special connection was made
at the Umatilla County Cale-
donian Society Picnic and
Games.
Now k nown as the
Athena Caledonian Games,
Sue Friese said the event’s
committee calls the story of
Roy and Mysie Penland “the
Caledonian romance of the
20th century.”
Friese, who is the Cale-
donian president, said much
research has been conducted
on the late Helix couple.
Infor mation about the
Penlands, she said was gath-
ered from such sources as
the East Oregonian, Athena
Press, The Pendleton Record,
the Fossil Journal as well as
Pioneer Trails, a quarterly
journal published by the
Umatilla County Historical
Society.
Highlights were printed
in the 2021 Athena Caledo-
nian Games Pocket Guide,
which was sponsored by the
Umatilla County Cultural
Coalition.
“It is a sweet story,” Friese
said.
According to Caledonian
history, George J. Cameron,
an attorney, judge and Port-
land city councilman, was
often called upon to find
“Portland talent” to perform
at Athena’s Scottish heritage
gathering. A proud Scotsman,
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
Annie Pankratz performs the basic steps to the Sword Dance
on July 13, 2019, during Athena Caledonian Games. The tra-
ditional Scottish dance was a specialty of Mysie (Sharp) Pen-
land, who danced at the first Umatilla County Caledonian
Society Picnic and Games in 1899 at Athena.
himself, among the featured
Highland dancers in 1899,
1900 and 1903 was a young
lass by the name of Mary Jane
“Mysie” Sharp (1884-1961).
And just up the road 10
miles at Helix, a young lad,
LeRoy “Roy” Penland (1883-
1949), lived on his family’s
wheat farm.
Referencing an Oct. 30,
1903, article in the Fossil
Journal, Mary Elizabeth, the
Penland’s daughter wrote
about her mother’s danc-
ing skills in Pioneer Trails,
Volume 7 No. 3.
“Mysie Sharp was up to
her usual standard of excel-
lence, which means the very
acme of perfection. As usual,
Ethan Thomas Bahr
October 25, 1993 – February 4, 2022
Ethan Thomas Bahr passed
away unexpectedly at home from
asthmatic complications at the age
of 28, on Feb. 4, 2022.
Ethan was born on Oct. 25,
1993, to Dan and Vicki Bahr.
Ethan is survived by his parents,
wife, Rachel, and beautiful 2-year-
old son, Daniel Oliver Bahr. The
proudest moment in his life was the
gift of his son, Daniel. You could feel the love with ev-
ery moment they spent together.
Ethan is also survived by brothers, Christopher, Na-
than and Matthew, sister-in-law, Cassidy, and nephew,
Bryson, grandparents, Daryll and Dorothy Bahr, moth-
er-in-law, Teresa Luster, and brother-in-law, Caleb, plus
numerous uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.
Ethan, an amazing gift from God, taken too soon but
will never be forgotten.
Ethan’s celebration of life will be at 1:30 p.m. on
Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, at Pendleton First Assembly
of God Church, 1911 SE Court St., Pendleton.
In lieu of flowers if you wish to make a donation
to his son’s college fund, this can be made out to c/o
Daniel J. Bahr or to the American Asthma/Lung Asso-
ciation. Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is in charge of ar-
rangements. Sign the online guestbook at www.burns-
mortuary.com.
she made a great hit with
every performance, flittered
about with toes scarce touch-
ing the floor.”
The Caledonian commit-
tee, Friese said, learned
that the young performer’s
specialties were the Sword
Dance and the Highland
Fling. However, it seems Roy
literally swept his bride off
her feet — they were married
Dec.12, 1906, in Portland
— as Mysie never danced
publicly again after they wed.
The couple lived on the
family ranch in Helix. While
Mysie no longer danced,
they were involved in Cale-
donian. Roy Penland’s name,
Friese said, was entered in
the membership rolls of the
Umatilla County Caledonian
Society on June 12, 1909.
Both are buried in the
family plot at Olney Ceme-
tery, Pendleton — along with
“baby” Penland and Willard
“Billy” Penland, who died as
a teenager in 1931.
After a one-year hiatus
because of the global
pandemic, the an nual
event returned in 2021 for
a condensed version of the
usual multiple-day festival.
The committee is in the plan-
ning stages for 2022.
“It won’t be long until
Caledonian time,” Friese
said, “the second weekend of
July.”
For more information,
email athenacaledonian-
games@gmail.com or visit
www.athenacaledonian.org.
Kelly Thompson-Long
September 12, 1958 - February 6, 2022
Kelly Thompson-Long started
her final journey on Feb. 6, 2022.
Kelly was born Sept. 12, 1958, in
Pendleton, Oregon, the third of
five children to Cecil and Doris
Scott Thompson. As a newborn
she moved to San Francisco, Cal-
ifornia, where she spent her first
10 years, while her parents par-
ticipated in the federal relocation
program. The family returned to Pendleton in the late
1960s where she remained the rest of her life, raising
her daughter, Doris Wheeler, amongst a large extended
family.
Kelly worked in various career fields that provided
opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, being a flagger, na-
tive plant nursery tech and a heavy equipment operator.
As she aged, she maintained many customer service
and clerical roles throughout the Confederated Tribes
and the Wildhorse Resort & Casino.
In retirement, Kelly continued to serve her tribal
community through various committee work including
the election committee, water committee, housing com-
mittee and TERO committee. She was an active Nixy-
aawii elder, participating in local activities and trav-
eling to many elder events across the Northwest. She
loved her grandkids, gambling, traveling and watching
Nixyaawii school sports.
Kelly is preceded in death by her father, Cecil, and
brother, Warren Thompson. She leaves behind her
daughter, Doris Wheeler, and grandkids, Monika Me-
lendrez, of Hilo, Hawaii, and Anthony (Kate), Ian and
Aaron Melendrez, all of Pendleton; her mother, Do-
ris Thompson, of Pendleton; sisters, Lorena and Cara
(Shay) Thompson, of Pendleton and Cathy Thompson,
of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and numerous aunts, uncles,
cousins, nieces, nephews and good friends. She will be
remembered for her sense of humor, her ready laugh,
her playful pranks, her stylish wardrobe, and for being
everyone’s “favorite.”
East Oregonian
A7
COMMUNITY BRIEFING
Republicans
welcome
Vance Day
PENDLETON — The
Umatilla County Repub-
lican Party announced
several upcoming events,
including a pair of candi-
date forums.
Vance Day, a former
Marion County Circuit
Court judge, is the featured
guest for a Lincoln Day
dinner. He will speak about
a project he’s involved
with for the James Madi-
son Center for Free Speech.
Day is touring the state to
talk about constitutional
rights and principles against
tyranny.
Day served as the chair-
man of the Oregon Repub-
lican Party 2005-09. The
Oregon Supreme Court in
2018 suspended Day with-
out pay for three years for
judicial misconduct after he
refused to marry same-sex
couples.
The event is Monday,
Feb. 21, at the Pendleton
Convention Center, 1601
Westgate. The doors open
at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at
6 p.m. The cost is $50 per
person. An early reception
with Day for the Pachy-
derm Club is at 4:30 p.m. It
costs $100, which includes
dinner.
Reser vations are
required by Friday, Feb. 18.
For more information or to
RSVP, call 541-304-5477.
Also, the Republican
Gubernatorial Candidates
Forum, which was post-
poned because of weather,
has been rescheduled. It is
Thursday, March 24, 6 p.m.
at the Vert Auditorium, 480
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendle-
ton.
In addition, a Umatilla
County Commissioner
Candidates For um is
Thursday, March 31, 6 p.m.
at the Pendleton Conven-
tion Center. Further details
about both forums will be
announced.
For more information
about the local Republi-
can Party, contact Suni
Danforth, Central Commit-
tee chair, at 541-215-9389,
ucrpchair@gmail.com or
search www.facebook.com/
groups/85685613647.
Little league
registration
deadline is Sunday
PENDLETON — The
deadline to register for
Pendleton Little League is
Sunday, Feb. 13.
Monte Ludington, pres-
ident of Pendleton Little
League, in a press release
also announced tryouts are
Saturday, Feb. 26, at the
Pendleton Little League
Park. The time has not been
set.
All information and
forms, including the regis-
tration link and volunteer
forms, are available online
at pendletonlittleleague.
sportngin.com.
For families not able to
afford the cost of registra-
tion, there is a grant avail-
able through T-Mobile. If
you apply and do not receive
the T-Mobile grant, you can
apply to the Pendleton Little
League Board for a schol-
arship.
Pendleton Little League
also needs coaches and
umpires. If you volunteer
to coach, you will receive
one free registration for the
child you are coaching. If
you are interested in either
coaching or umpiring, fill
out the appropriate appli-
cation for submission or
email.
If you have questions,
contact pendletonlittlelea-
gue@gmail.com or Luding-
ton at 541-514-4683.
— EO Media Group
Lynn Rae Liebe
September 24, 1936 - February 5, 2022
Lynn R. Liebe, 85, passed
away Feb. 5, 2022, at a care fa-
cility in Vancouver, Washington.
She was born to Ray and Pauline
(Boyd) Fossum in Baker City, Ore-
gon. She enjoyed her childhood in
Baker City then moved to Hermis-
ton, Oregon, in her junior year of
high school, graduating in 1954. In
her senior year, she and her tennis
partner placed third in state and she also participated in
Pep Club.
After graduating high school, she was em-
ployed at the U.S. Army Ordnance Depot. About this
time, she met the love of her life, Bill Liebe, and they
married on 4-4-55, April 4, 1955, in Hermiston. They
then moved to Pilot Rock in June 1955, where they
started their life together. She was a homemaker, self-
taught seamstress and loved to crochet afghans and
quilting blankets.
She worked at Bowers Market, First National
Bank, Georgia Pacific and ending her career at United
States Gypsum/International Paper, and after 25 years
retiring as office manager in 1988.
She and Bill enjoyed square dancing, teach-
ing Bill how to play tennis, bridge and in 1970 they
learned how to play golf. During her golf career she
had five holes in one! She and Bill also won the Birch
Creek Invitational Golf Tournament. They spent many
years playing golf with their Canadian group and their
BLT&M friends at Eagle Crest and many other loca-
tions traveling the Northwest. Also, playing bridge
with a group of friends for 25 years. Another hobby
was her yard and flower gardens, earning several yard
of the month awards. Her greatest joy was supporting
her children and grandchildren in school events. Many
a cookies were eaten and shared, afghans crocheted and
many life issues were resolved while traveling to chil-
dren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren events.
She was a member of the Pilot Rock Jaycee's as
a member of the Booster Club, she co-hosted the OSAA
Class 2A State Basketball Tournament Cheerleader lun-
cheons at the Pendleton Country Club, treasurer of the
Community Presbyterian Church, city council for many
years, member of the women's board and the first wom-
an on the men's board for the Pendleton Country Club.
She was preceded in death by her parents, sis-
ter, Loy Harsin Smith, brothers-in-law, Wayne Harsin,
Jim Smith and great-grandson, Brody Bensel.
She is survived by husband, Bill; daughters,
Loraine (Glenn) Greene, Pilot Rock, Oregon, Brenda
(Kelly) Bensel, Pilot Rock, Oregon; son, Bo (Leonti-
na) Liebe, Camas, Washington; grandchildren, Tyler,
Rachael, Justin, Ryan, Jordan and Parker; great-grand-
children, Matthew, Issac, Drew, Bryce, Maise, Abby,
Bentley and Paisley.
A graveside service, everyone welcome, will
be Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022 at 1:30pm at Skyview Cem-
etery, 70116 Hwy 395 S. Pendleton. Followed by a cel-
ebration of life luncheon at 2:30pm at the Pilot Rock
Community Center, 285 NW Cedar Place.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks donation be
made in Lynn’s name to the Rocket Booster Club, PO
Box 567, Pilot Rock, OR 97868.
Burns Mortuary of Pendleton is in charge of
the arrangements.