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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1997)
2 1 March 7, 1997 SMOKE SIGNALS Letter to the Editor Ladies and Gentlemen: I am one of many tribal members that feel the tribe is outcasting tribal members that live outside of the six counties regarding benefits, homcloans, small business loans, schooling, and contract health. As a tribe we must ALL be treated equal, for tribal members that live in the six counties zoning. I am sure that they have different opinions as tribal members that live in different parts of the world. I am speaking for many that feel we have no hope for the tribe helping our families in hard times. We are not looking for handouts. We, as a tribe, must help our people in need. I hope and pray that tribal council takes the rest of us under consideration. I am sure the children of the next generation that live outside of the six counties zoning will take this under consideration, for they will be a better part of the voting done in Grand Ronde. Sincerely yours, James Hallcr Roll 898 Editor's Note: The Tribe has implemented many programs for the benefit of all tribal members no matter where they live. All tribal members may take advantage of the Health Insurance program, Housing and Down Payment Assistance, the Member 's Benefit Fund, the Elder 's Retirement Fund program, Small Business counseling and classes, and educa tion tuition assistance for college or vocational training. These are just a few of the Tribe 's programs. Please call the tribal offices for more information. 1 Pete Petite Tribal member Pete Petite, a decorated veteran of World War II, passed away on Janu ary 29. He was 86. He was born May 17, 1910 in Grand Ronde to Henry and Jane (Leno) Petite. Pete lived in Grand Ronde until 1992, then when his wife died he moved to Keizer. Pete entered the Army in 1 943 and was stationed in the Aleutian Islands. He was trained as an expert rifleman, hand grenade expert, and bayonet expert in anticipa tion of Allied invasions of Japanese-held territory in the Pacific. Pete was part of the U.S. Army's 7th Division which took back the occu pied island of Attu located on the Bering Sea. Pete was wounded three times during the invasion, and later re ceived the Purple Heart for military ser vice and bravery. Many of us here at the tribal offices can recall Pete sharing some of his war stories with the younger generations. He would describe how bitterly cold and foggy it was on the Islands and he'd tell about the duties he performed on the battleship he was on. After the war, Pete worked as a log- ft; - . I J f , V - - r L - ger. He and his wife Adhrine raised their children and lived in different towns in the Pacific Northwest before they retired in Grand Ronde. Pete's hobbies included hunting, fishing, and just being outdoors. Pete is survived by his sons Henry Pe tite of Salem, and Philip Edward LeBeau of Keizer; daughter Alice Jane Petite of Keizer; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held February 3 at St. Michael's Church in Grand Ronde. Florence Erickson Longtime Grays Harbor resident Florence R Erickson, 75, died after a long fight with cancer on Saturday, February 2 at her Aberdeen home. She was born February 15, 1921, at Grand Ronde, Oregon to William Green and Margaret "Kate" (La Bonte) Cunningham. She attended school in the Grand Ronde area and was a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. She lived most of her life in Grays Harbor, part of it in Aberdeen and Hoquiam, and was living on the North Beach when she married Ragnar W. Erickson on June 28, 1939, in Aber deen. He died in 1995. Mrs. Erickson also lived at Lake Quinault and moved back to Oregon in 1949, returning to Hoquiam in 1952. She graduated from Grays Harbor College in 1969 as a licensed practi cal nurse and worked in the Coronary Care Unit of Aberdeen's St. Joseph Hospital until the mid-1970s. She then was employed by the Grays Har bor Convalescent Center in Aberdeen until 1980, when she moved to Centralia. ... ....... In Centralia' s Providence Hospital, Mrs. Erickson worked in the Coronary Care Unit until she retired in 1985 to stay home with her husband, who had suffered some strokes. The couple moved to Aberdeen in 1989. Mrs. Erickson was known as a kind and loving person, as well as a hard worker. She enjoyed working in bean and berry fields, picking ferns and peeling cascara bark with her children. Her family says she always tried to make the work fun for her children. She enjoyed family gatherings and going to the pow-wow at Grand Ronde every summer. She was a member of the Licensed Practical Nurses Association. Survivors include five sons, Rich ard of Lacey, Donald of Hoquiam, William of Aberdeen, and Kenneth and Delmer, both of Tacoma; three daughters, Dolores J. Teitzel of Napavine, Sharon Emery of Hoquiam, and Donna Hensley of Cen tral Park; 26 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. A son, Stanley A., died in 1985, and a granddaughter, Cori, died in 1982. A brother, four sisters, a half-brother, and two half-sisters also died before her. The funeral was held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 8 in the Coleman Mortuary Chapel in Hoquiam. Me morial donations are suggested to the Grays Harbor American Cancer So ciety, P.O. Box 743, Aberdeen, WA. 98520. 1 i i 'A "V i , 4 Sincere thank you We, the family of Florence R. Erickson, would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our family and friends at Grand Ronde for all the love, prayers, and as sistance at the time of our mother's passing. We would especially like to thank Gene La Bonte, Bob and Laveta Haller, the Tribal Coun cil, and Harold Blair for their financial assis tance. Margo Mercier for her prayers and sweat. Our brother Delmer (with assistance from Daniel and Jason Emery) for providing the alter and journey song to help mom pass over. Raymond Strong and the ladies from the BIA's Olympic Peninsula Agency for their support and assistance with the hall and food service. To all the staff of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, of which mom was a proud member, for all their love, prayers, and support. The Tribal Council for the beautiful floral arrangement. We, Delores, Sharon, and Donna, would like to thank God and Grandfather above for the strength and the honor of caring for our mother during the last weeks of her life. Cancer is a devastating illness and caring for mom during her last days was the most difficult thing we have ever experienced. But we feel it was a great honor and a privilege to be there to pro vide our love and support for mom and to care for her as she cared for us all of our lives. To anyone else we may have left out, thank you all for your prayers, sympathy, love, and sup port. You are all very special and we are proud to be a part of such a special group of people. It really does a heart good to see that there are so many kind and caring people in this busy and troubled world. With sincere appreciation, Doug & Delores Teitzel and family Charles & Sharon Emery and family Richard & Scarlett Erickson and family Sherry Erickson and family Don & Judy Erickson and family Kenneth Erickson Delmer Erickson Dale & Donna Hensley and family William & Carta Erickson and family
