2A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL December 16, 2015
BIRTHS
Fish
tale
IN MEMORIAM
Dec. 11, 2015
Lillian Evelyn Premazzi
1933-2015
To Megan Howland and John Jones of
Cottage Grove, a son.
Mistletoe for sale
The Junior Youth Spiritual Empower-
ment group will support Beds for Freez-
ing Nights for its current community
service project, a mistletoe bunch sale
that continues Dec. 16-17 and Dec. 21-
23 at the Cottage Grove Walmart.
The public is invited to purchase mistle-
toe bunches, arranged by the youth,
for $5 a piece. The members of Junior
Youth Spiritual Empowerment are 11-
14 years of age. The group aims to sup-
port the development of the members'
innate spiritual qualities.
Further information about the Junior
Youth Empowerment Group can be
obtained from Paula Mance at 541-968-
2047.
Lillian Evelyn Premazzi, 82, of Albany,
Ore. passed away Dec. 8, 2015.
She was born Jan. 15, 1933, in Portland,
Ore. to William and
Pauline (Foged-Ander-
sen) Lindley.
Evelyn
graduated
from high school in
Portland.
On July 25, 1959 in
Portland, Ore., she and
Lloyd Premazzi were
married.
She wrote insurance policies for a com-
pany in Portland and was a homemaker.
Evelyn’s favorite thing to do was collect-
ing antiques, she loved her dogs and enjoyed
baking for her family and friends. She was
a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church
and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic
Church in Cottage Grove.
She is survived by her daughter Judee
(Paul) Barnes of Albany, Ore., son Louis
Premazzi of Cottage Grove, daughter Nancy
(Bill) Keldsen of Scottsdale, Arizona, sister
Nancy Hance of Winston, Ore., seven grand-
children and nine great-grandchildren.
Evelyn was preceded in death by her hus-
band Lloyd Premazzi on Jan. 15, 2007, and
grandson David Rossiter.
Visitations will be held from 5-7 p.m. on
Monday, Dec. 14, 2015, at Smith-Lund-
Mills Funeral Chapel and at 11 a.m. on
Tuesday, Dec. 15, prior to a funeral mass
at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday at St. Mary’s Catho-
lic Church, 1062 Charnelton St. in Eugene,
Ore. with entombment following Mass at
Springfi eld Memorial Gardens. In lieu of
fl owers, contributions may be made to the
Alzheimer’s Association. Arrangements
under the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral
Chapel, Cottage Grove.
Jane Bailey of
Cottage Grove
caught the big-
gest Brown Trout
in Wickiup Res-
ervoir in 2015.
Bailey is pic-
tured here with
the 12 pound,
one ounce trout,
which earned her
a Diawa fi shing
rod and spinning
reel combina-
tion in a contest
sponsored by
Twin Lakes
Resort.
Elizabeth Jean Black
1944-2015
Frustrated? Get humble
G
od’s grace is amazing,
but sometimes I wonder
if we have forgotten how truly
amazing it is. The word “grace”
is often so common in church
or other religious settings that
it can become familiar, caus-
ing us to forget its true value.
Romans 5:8 (AMP) says, “But
God shows and clearly proves
His [own] love for us by the fact
that while we were still sinners,
Christ (the Messiah, the Anoint-
ed One) died for us.” God sent
His Son to die for us before
we were even following Him,
which is amazing! I believe that
when we have a true revelation
of all God has done for us, we
can overcome any frustration in
our lives.
Frustration happens when
we’re trying to do something in
our own strength that we can-
not do. It is a work of the fl esh
because we’re trying to make
something happen that only
God can do through His grace.
My personal defi nition of grace
is: God’s power made available
to us free of charge, enabling us
to do with ease what we could
never do on our own with any
amount of struggle or effort.
We all need the grace of God so
when He calls us to something,
we’ll be equipped to do it.
When I fi rst started my min-
istry, I thought I had to make
everyone like me, and the pres-
sure was more than I could
stand! I would get discouraged
when it seemed like someone
was giving me a funny look or
left during my teaching because
I would think they didn’t like
what I was saying. One day I
fi nally said, “God, it is not my
responsibility to make people
like me; it is my responsibility
to do what You are telling me
to do.” The pressure I had put
on myself to please people was
released when I got this revela-
tion: God is not just with us but
in us and He will do through us
what needs to be done when we
stop trying to do it ourselves and
let Him work.
Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is
by free grace (God’s unmerited
favor) that you are saved (deliv-
ered from judgment and made
partakers of Christ’s salvation)
through [your] faith. And this
[salvation] is not of yourselves
[of your own doing, it came not
through your own striving], but
it is the gift of God” (AMP). We
are saved by the grace of God
through our faith in Him; our
faith does not buy our salvation,
it merely receives it. As Ephe-
sians 2:8 says, salvation “is the
gift of God.” It is impossible to
buy a free gift and this can be
hard for us to understand. Our
fl esh wants to earn and deserve
this free gift and take credit for
being worthy.
Salvation is given to us freely,
by God’s grace, and the same
way we receive Christ’s salva-
tion is the same way we have
to live—by grace. God gives us
His forgiveness and grace daily;
we just have to believe and re-
ceive it.
When God forgives your sins,
it means all your sins: past,
present and future. You do not
have to be afraid of sin because
God has taken care of the prob-
lem. Some may worry that if we
don’t fear sin, we will keep sin-
ning on purpose, but that’s not
true. If you are truly born again
and really have a relationship
with God, there is a new nature
inside of you. Second Corinthi-
ans 5:17 (AMP) says, “If any
person is [ingrafted] in Christ
(the Messiah) he is a new cre-
ation (a new creature altogeth-
er); the old [previous moral and
spiritual condition] has passed
away. Behold, the fresh and new
has come!”
Now, no one is perfect, and we
all make mistakes sometimes.
But if the Holy Spirit is living
in your spirit through salvation,
you won’t be comfortable with
those mistakes because God’s
nature is at work in you. The
devil would love for us to feel
like God is mad at us for our
mistakes, but the truth is God is
love and we need to humbly ac-
cept His love and grace.
When we humble ourselves
before the Lord and understand
Please see JOYCE, Page 10A
Marjorie (Margie) Noreen Parks
1931 – 2015
Elizabeth Jean Black, 71, of
Cottage Grove, Oregon passed
away December 9, 2015. She
was born April 25, 1944, in
Cottage Grove, OR to Wayne
and Th elma (Merrell) Gates. She
married Bill Black on February
6, 1978, in Carson City, NV.
Betty is survived by her husband
Bill Black, Cottage Grove, OR,
daughters; Michelle Wisely and
Mindy Roberts both of Cottage
Grove, OR, son Brennan Black,
Creswell, OR, sister Evelyn Shrock, Cottage Grove, OR, brother Jerry
Gates, Cottage Grove, OR and 6 grandchildren. Betty worked in the
Gates family custom meat business until partnering with her husband
in the logging industry. In her younger years Betty enjoyed horseback
riding and participating in the Cottage Grove Riding Club with her
father. Betty was a Cottage Grove Rodeo Queen and two time indoor
Archery State Champion. While in high school she developed her love
of music. She played both the piano and trumpet which she continued
throughout her life. Aft er high school her love for outdoor activities
grew. She enjoyed camping, hunting and fi shing with her husband Bill,
family members and pets. Betty was a skilled gardener, at one point
raising over 100 tomato plants while managing a 3000 square foot
garden. Like her mother she was an amazing cook. It was rumored
by many family members that she had the best peach pie, and her
grandkids claim the best grilled cheese. She was an avid supporter
of Cottage Grove High School sports, and enjoyed watching her kids
and grandkids participate. “Go Beavs”! A Memorial Service will be
held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday December 16, 2015, at Smith-Lund-
Mills Funeral Chapel, 123 S. 7th St., Cottage Grove, OR 97424. In lieu
of fl owers the family asks that you donate to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements by Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel.
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Marjorie (Margie) Noreen Parks of Middlefi eld Oaks in
Cottage Grove, passed away on December 2, 2015. She was 84.
She was born on August 21, 1931 to Elsie & Niels Nielsen in
Sutherland, Nebraska. Her early years were spent in and around
Nebraska, mostly Boelus. At age 9, her father passed away and a
few years later the family moved to Oregon. At the age of 18 she
met and married Herbert Crump in Skamania County Washington
on December 27, 1949. That marriage ended in 1976. Together
they had fi ve children, Ronald, Carrie, Kenneth, Bruce and Shirley.
In 1963 the family bought a home at London Springs, Oregon
where the children went to school and grew up. Throughout her life
she drove a race car, worked in a cannery in Salem, Oregon, she
drove a school bus for the London School, a Dietician at London
school, a retirement center in Bend, Oregon and a Dietary Manager
in Dillingham, Alaska before retiring.
Margie is most remembered for her infectious smile, her laugh
and making friends. She enjoyed Bingo, Crafts, time at the coast
but most of all she enjoyed her time with her family.
Margie is survived by 3 children: Ronald of Payette, Idaho,
Bruce of Goshen, Oregon and Shirley of Eugene, Oregon, a sister,
Anita Becker of Woodburn, Oregon, a brother, Dallas Nielsen of
Grants Pass, Oregon, 11 Grandchildren, 28 Great-Grandchildren
and 2 Great-Great Grandchildren. She was preceded in death by
Carrie Ernst (daughter) of Oregon City, Oregon, Kenneth Crump
(son) of Cottage Grove
Oregon and Dennis
Nielsen (brother).
A
Celebration
of Life for Margie
will be held at Smith-
Lund Funeral Home in
Cottage Grove, Oregon
on January 9, 2015 at
10:00am, a Pot Luck
following.
In lieu of fl owers,
the family would like
to ask that donations be
made. All proceeds will
go to Shriners Hospital
in Portland, Oregon
and to The Wounded
Warrior project.
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MICHAEL THOMPSON
April 3, 1945-December 13, 2015
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Michael Thompson was born in San Diego, California
April 3, 1945 to his parents Bernice and Marshall Thompson.
He was raised in Montana with his two brothers. Michael
graduated from Absarokee High School in 1963, the University
of Montana with a Zoology degree in 1967, and from the
University of Oregon Medical School (OHSU) in 1970, where
he met and married his wife, Janet. After completing this
internship in Spokane, Washington he served in the Navy as
a general medical offi cer at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.
He then served his residency at Contra Costa County Hospital
in Martinez, California.
In 1975 Michael came to Cottage Grove, Oregon and
practiced medicine for 31 years. He loved serving his patients
and community. During his professional career, Michael served as a board member for many organizations
including, the South Lane Education Foundation and the Cottage Grove Hospital. He was an advisor to
the Cottage Grove Medical Health Clinic as well as Medical Director of the clinic and Medical Advisor at
Coast Fork and Creswell Care Centers. He also volunteered as the CGHS football doctor for 15 years. His
reputation was one of compassion, commitment, and caring for all with a strong sense of ethical values. He
was seen as a mediator and peace maker within the medical community, and his work ethic was renowned.
Michael loved the outdoors. The beauty of water, stone, and wood fueled his creative expression in and
outside of his home. He fi shed as a boy, built trails in the Forest Service, skied and hiked with his family,
grew Christmas trees, took care of horses, cows, and sheep. He tended a large garden which allowed him
appreciation of the seasons.
Michael found his deepest joy in practicing his faith and studying the Bible. At Trinity Lutheran Church
he served as a Sunday School teacher, Congregation President, and Trustee. His involvement in Bible Study
Fellowship grounded him. He treasured the relationships, fellowship and leadership opportunities. His three
trips to Israel highlighted his Biblical studies and interest in archeology.
Michael is survived by his wife Janet of 45 years; his brothers John Thompson and David Thompson;
his children, Ryan Thompson (Amy) of Grants Pass, Oregon, Sarah Riznyk (Nicholas) of Holualoa, Hawaii,
and Sam Thompson (Rosalie) of Canby, Oregon; and his eight grandchildren Morgan, Sophia, Emma, Jacob,
Noa, Hannah, Jack, and Madeline.
Memorial contributions may be made to South Lane School District Scholarship Fund or to the Trinity
Lutheran Church Scholarship Fund.
A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, December 21, 2015 at 2:00 PM at Trinity Lutheran Church,
675 S. 7 th St., Cottage Grove, OR 97424. Arrangements in the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel,
Cottage Grove, OR.