Smoke Signals 17
APRIL 1,2011
Donald J. Quenelle
Dec. 11, 1942 - March 12, 2011
Tribal Elder Donald James
Quenelle, 68, a resident of Van
couver, Wash., walked on Sun
day, March 12, 2011, at Southwest
Washington Regional Center in
Vancouver.
He was born on Dec. 11, 1942,
in Salem, Ore., the son of Leonard
and Lizette Warren Quenelle. He
worked for many years on the rail
road and light rail in Portland, Ore.,
and Sacramento, Calif. He retired as
a foreman. He worked construction and as a mechanic, too.
He married Rosenda "Deets" Marie Barkley in 1995 and she pre
ceded him in death in 2000. Donnie was a big family man, always
supporting them in all activities and desires. He even went to the
powwows to watch his sons dance and his wife cook, when he would
rather have been somewhere else. He always loved to be with his
family because that is what meant the most to him. He enjoyed slot
machines at casinos, hunting, wood cutting, NASCAR races and had
a great sense of humor, even in ill health. He was the family and
neighborhood mechanic and a good cook.
He is survived by his sons, Anthony of Montgomery Creek, Calif.,
and Jesse, Donald Jr., Leonard and Fabian, all of Vancouver; daugh
ter, Jitters of Portland, Ore.; seven grandchildren; and sisters Carol
Williams and Toni Quenelle.
He was preceded in death by sisters Charlotte Quenelle, Dee Ream
and Ilene Grammer, and brothers Larry and Chuck.
Funeral services were held Friday, March 18, at the Grand Ronde
Tribal gymnasium with Pastor Ken Haller officiating. Dallas Mortu
ary Tribute Center handled the arrangements.
To leave an online condolence for the family, go to www.dallas-tribute.com.
John Labonte
July 31, 1970 - March 9, 2011
Tribal member John Clayton Labonte of Springfield walked on
March 9 of heart failure. He was 40.
He was born July 31, 1970, in Springfield, Ore., to Carolyn and
Lester Labonte.
He graduated from Chemawa Indian School in Salem in 1988.
He worked as a cook at Carrow's Restaurant for 15 years.
Survivors include his son, Timothy; mother, Carolyn Erwin, of
LaPine; grandfather, Clayton Horn of Roseburg; sister, Michelle
Dunigan of Springfield; and two stepsisters, Elaine Labonte of
Newberg and Joline Labonte of Warm Springs.
Visitation was held at Springfield Memorial Gardens & Funeral
Home. A graveside service was held Wednesday, March 16, at the
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Cemetery in Grand Ronde.
Winona Helen-Lehua Ani
Dec. 10, 1963 - March 15, 2011
Tribal member Winona Helen
Lehua Ani was born in San Ma
teo, Calif., and was a longtime
resident of Aloha, Ore. She re
cently lived in Colorado.
She was preceded in death by
her mother, Tribal Elder Helen
Virginia Davis Ani.
She is survived by her sons, Ted
(Krissy) Rempel and Army Sgt.
Chris Rempel; daugther, April
Michelle Rempel; brother, War
ren (Jason) Lopaka Ani of Ocean
Park, Wash.; sister, Monica (Erin) Ka-ui Ani of San Francisco; and
father, Robert Ani Jr. of Portland, Ore.
Services and cremation were held in Colorado. A member of the
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, her ashes will be interred with
her mother at the Grand Ronde Cemetery in Grand Ronde.
For service information, call 503-957-2305.
Mike Propes
April 24, 1954 - March 19, 2011
Loving husband, father, son, brother and grandfather Mike
Propes passed away at home. Mike was born in Puyallup, Wash.,
and moved to rural Polk County'at age 9, traveling up and down
the West Coast while his father, Frank, worked in construction.
He graduated from Willamina High School with a full football
scholarship to Oregon State University. He was enrolled in general
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and construction engineering classes. Mike enrolled in Chemeketa
Community College and graduated as Outstanding Forestry stu
dent. He served on the Student Council. After graduation, Mike
was appointed to the Chemeketa College Board of Directors where
he served until elected to the Polk County Board of Commissioners
in 1988.
Mike worked on the family ranch, construction jobs, mill jobs
and teaching forestry classes in Willamina. During that time, he
received a great deal of experience in the local economy. He re
ceived his Realtor broker's license working with Mountain Springs
Realty. He had worked with many people in the forest and farming
industries. He served on economic development projects. During
this time, he met and worked with state and federal congressional
representatives and their staffs.
He had worked on many projects and with many agencies. He
received many awards and recognitions for his work. He received
an Outstanding Award for his Leadership Role for his work on the
location of the federal prison in Sheridan. He received First Citizen
of the Year from the Sheridan-Willamina Chamber of Commerce
and Dallas Area Chamber in 1998. He also received Outstand
ing Young Man of America among many others. He was listed in
Chemeketa "Profiles in Success" 1990 Edition of Public Service. In
2002, he won the West Salem Business Association Community
Partner Award. Mike, together with his mother, Alice Propes, and
sister, Sheri Propes Ruegsegger, received the Exceptional Family
Award from the Dallas Chamber in 2002.
Because of Mike's consistent and extensive community involvement
over the years, he gained the knowledge and experience of working
with people from all levels of government and society. His leadership
ability and influence on others led to a great number of people volun
teering to work on projects for Polk County. He recognized the impor
tance of volunteers working on many committees and commissions in
helping government operate more efficiently and effectively.
He married Pamela Fillible in 1974 and they celebrated their
36th wedding anniversary in August.
Mike served on the following commissions and committees: Pri
vate Industry Council; Board of Directors, Oregon and California
Forest Lands; BLM Advisory Committee, Chair; County Forest
Trust Lands Committee; Three Cities Economics Development
Committee; Regional Water Supply Task Force, Chair and Vice
Chair; Mid Willamette Valley Senior Services, Chair; Polk County
Commission for Children and Families; member of the Dallas
Kiwanis Club; West Salem High School Task Force; Highway
22 Corridor Safety Committee; Oregon State Drinking Water
Advisory Committee and Department of Environmental Quality
Livable Communities Committee; past chairman, Yamhill and
Rickreall Watershed Basin Council; Willamette River Reclama
tion Committee member; YMCA, Chairman for MI Youth Donor
Drive; United Way Polk County, chairman; Board of Directors for
Regional Transportation; Associated Oregon Counties; vice chair of
the Oregon and California Railroad Lands Committee; Mid-Valley
Area Commission on Transportation; a charter member of the Ad
visory Committee to the Oregon Transportation Commission; and
appointed to the Implementation Committee for the new Oregon
Northwest State Forest Plan. He worked on various road projects
for Polk County with other local, state and federal officials to obtain
funds for many projects.
He represented the Association of Oregon Counties in Wash
ington, D.C., regarding federal funding for counties and school
districts that were lost due to reduction of federal dollars to Oregon
from timber receipts; Oregon Gardens, Forestry Education Project,
working with Oregon counties, Oregon Forest Industry Council,
obtaining private and foundation funds.
Mike received the following awards along with many others:
Outstanding Young Man of America Award; Mid-Willamette Val
ley Senior Citizens; YMCA Youth Sponsor; Marion-Polk Small
Woodlands; Oregon Department of Forestry; Dallas Area Chamber
Junior Citizen of the Year; Willamina First Citizen Award; Coastal
Oregon Productivity Enhancement 1989-99; Economic Development
Award 1982-86; Mid Willamette Jobs Council 1983; Certificate of
Appreciation Dallas Future Leaders Program 2001; Chemeketa
Profiles in Success 1990 Edition for Public Service.
All of the activities listed in addition to others not listed entailed
many hours of involvement from early morning to late night meet
ings. He also spent weekends, if necessary, helping on various
county and community projects. He is survived by his wife, Pam, of
Sheridan; son, Jason Propes of Sheridan; daughter, Amy Stanfield
of Modiine, Israel, along with grandchildren Rachel, Jonathan,
Eliyah, Yohai and Hallel; his mother, Alice Propes; and sisters,
Sheri Ruegsegger and Betty Morey.
A Celebration of Life service was held Saturday, March 26, in
Faith Evangelical Free Church. Memorial contributions are sug
gested to Family Building Blocks or the Diabetes Foundation in
care of the Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center, 287 S.W. Washington
St., Dallas, OR 97338.