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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.
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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 - -
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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.
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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