Polk County News
10A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 30, 2015
OBITUARIES
Gary Lee Wilson
Aug. 30, 1950 – Dec. 15, 2015
Gary Lee Wilson, 65, of
Monmouth, died Dec. 15 in
Monmouth.
He was born in Eugene to
Robert
and Eu-
nice Wil-
son.
G a r y
loved cof-
fee and the
Discovery
Channel,
as well as anything out-
doors. A gentle soul, he had
a kind presence and a conta-
gious smile that made every-
one he knew smile.
Survivors include his sis-
ters, Judy Orsinger, and Bar-
bara Jean Michelson.
Celebration of life is Jan. 8
at 2 p.m. at Partnerships in
Community Living in Mon-
mouth. Interment was Tues-
day at Hilltop Cemetery in
Independence.
Farnstrom Mortuary in
Independence handled
arrangements.
To send an online tribute:
www.FarnstromMortuary.
com.
Florence Elizabeth
‘Betty’ Foster
Dec. 12, 1920 – Dec. 20, 2015
Florence Elizabeth “Betty”
Foster, 95, of Dallas, died
Dec. 20 in Salem.
She was born in Dallas to
William and Henr iette
Drone Boydston.
Betty attended Dallas Ele-
mentary School, except for
her sec-
ond-grade
year. She
went with
her moth-
er and
brothers
for an ex-
tended
visit to Contes, France. Her
love of French culture and
the French language began
while living there.
She was a member of the
Dallas High School Class of
1938, and was part of the
committee that chose the
Dragon as the school mas-
cot.
Betty continued her edu-
cation by earning a bache-
lor’s degree in English from
Willamette University Class
of 1942.
Her first year after earning
her degree was spent at the
Dallas High School library,
and then she moved into the
classroom, teaching senior
English, civics and French.
She married James Otis
Foster II in Dallas on Dec.
27, 1947.
Betty would take a break
from the classroom each
time one of her sons was
born. She taught French at
LaCreole Junior High during
the mid-1960s. She retired
from the library after many
years with the school dis-
trict.
She was a class advisor at
Dallas High School for a
number of years and was in-
volved with student activi-
ties, as well.
Betty was a member of
the Evangelical United
Brethren Church in Dallas
for many years and taught
Sunday school as well as
being active with the
women’s organization.
For the past several years,
she has attended the Evan-
gelical Bible Church in Dal-
las. During the 1950s, she
learned to play the piano
and enjoyed it the rest of her
life. She especially enjoyed
classical music and was an
avid reader.
She was preceded in
death by her brothers, Her-
schel and Jacques Boydston.
Survivors include her hus-
band, Jim, of Dallas; sons,
James Otis Foster III, of Dal-
las, and Philip John Foster,
of Medford; two grandchil-
dren; and two great-grand-
children.
Service is Monday at 1
p.m. at Dallas Mortuary
Tribute Center. Vault inter-
ment will follow at Dallas
Cemetery.
Contributions are sug-
gested to the charity of the
donor’s choice.
To send an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.
Shirley Marie
Kokotan
March 9, 1941 – Dec. 22, 2015
Shirley Marie Kokotan, 74,
of Dallas, died Dec. 22 in
Salem.
She was born in Waterloo,
Iowa, to Karl Clyde Kokotan
and Audrey Ann Aagaard.
For many years, she
worked in the coin room of
the Los Angeles Times as an
accounting clerk in Los An-
geles. Shirley retired 13 years
ago. She moved between
Oregon and California until
nine years ago, when Dallas
became home.
She loved her dog, Josh,
and taking walks with him.
She was very involved with
all the kids. She enjoyed
watching CNN and an occa-
sional visit to the casino.
Survivors include her
longtime companion, Mary
Lou Chrisman, of Dallas;
children, Michael McJunkin,
Howard “Mac” McJunkin,
Julie Rigg, Denise Chrisman,
David Chrisman and Sheri
Chrisman; brothers, Russell
Kokotan, of Denver, and Jim
Kokotan, of Waterloo; 12
grandchildren; 25 great-
grandchildren; and four
great-great-grandchildren.
Service was Monday at
Dallas Mortuary Tribute
Center. Interment was at
Dallas Cemetery.
To send an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.
She worked in her local
church, the Assemblies of
God in Independence,
where she sang and also vol-
unteered for chapel at the
Greenwood Nursing Center.
LaVonne ministered to
many people through visita-
tion and through the mail.
She was preceded in
death by her daughter, Julie
Ann Clark; husband, Paul
Clark; her second husband,
Bud Walker; her third hus-
band, Lawrence (Larry)
Franks; twin brother, LaV-
erne Barber; and brothers,
Francis A. Barber, Clyde W.
Barber, and Kenneth L. Bar-
ber.
Visitation is Wednesday
(today) from 10 a.m. to 12:30
p.m., followed by her service
at 1 p.m. at Farnstrom Mor-
tuary in Independence.
To send an online tribute:
www.FarnstromMortuary.
com.
LaVonne Delores
Walker
March 6, 1922 – Dec. 23, 2015
May 13, 1932 – Dec. 19, 2015
LaVonne Delores Walker,
83, of Monmouth, died Dec.
19 in Monmouth.
She was born to Cecil and
Alma Bar-
ber, in Ab-
erdeen,
S.D., a twin
to LaVerne
L. Barber.
S h e
grew up in
Aberdeen,
and graduated from Central
High School in 1950.
LaVonne sang at KABR radio
station for the Assemblies of
God Children’s Program and
taught in Sunday school for
three years. She also sang in
a mixed quartet.
LaVonne left Aberdeen to
attend North Central Uni-
versity in Minneapolis,
where she attended for 3 1/2
years, where she sang in a
girl’s trio. While there, she
met Paul A. Clark, from
Ainsworth, Neb., who she
married in 1952.
Paul and LaVonne were
ordained in the Assemblies
of God. They pastored in
Freeport, Ill., and Mott, N.D.
They traveled extensively for
19 years and were known as
the Musical Clark Singers.
They teamed up with Evan-
gelist Vic Coburn for three
years.
LaVonne later moved to
Monmouth, where she met
and married Walter (Bud)
Walker.
Sarah Lucille Boyd
Schneider
Sarah Lucille Boyd
Schneider, 93, of Dallas, died
Dec. 23.
She was born to John H.
and Lurenna J. Boyd on the
family farm in Phillipsburg,
Kan., and was known as
Lucy, Babe or Lucille (as she
was called by her family).
She met her husband,
John N. Schneider, at Fort
Hays Teacher’s College in
Hays, Kan., after World War
II.
Later they taught together
in a one-room school house,
where Lucille taught kinder-
garten through third grade
and John taught fourth
through eighth grade. They
lived in western Kansas,
where two daughters were
born, then moved to Califor-
nia, where a son and two
more daughters were born,
completing their family.
In 1962, another move
took them to North Bend,
where John taught at Sunny-
hill School
and Lucille
substituted
while com-
pleting her
f o u r- y e a r
bachelor’s
degree in
elementary
education at Oregon State
University.
When the family was
nearly grown, Lucille landed
a full-time teaching job at
Hillcrest School and later at
North Bay Junior High
School, while John retired.
She made many lasting
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friendships during her
teaching years.
Lucille gave her heart to
Jesus at an early age. She
and John worshipped in the
Hauser Community Church
until moving to Dallas in
2004.
One of Lucille’s passions
was quilting. Lucille gave
beautiful handmade quilts
to each of her children and
grandchildren. Over the
years, Lucille rooted for her
favorite sports teams, in-
cluding the Oregon State
Beavers and Portland Trail-
blazers. She and her sister
Pauline discussed players
and statistics on a daily
basis until Pauline’s death.
Most precious to Lucille was
her family.
Lucille was preceded in
death by her husband, John;
daughter, Kathryn L. Brown;
and five siblings.
Survivors include her
daughters, Niki (Ron) Wade,
Marie Schneider, and Karin
Michaelson; son, Jon
Schneider; seven grandchil-
dren; eight great-grandchil-
dren; one great-great-grand-
child; and a large extended
family.
Celebration of Lucille’s life
is Wednesday (today) at 9:30
a.m. at Dallas Mortuary
Tribute Center.
Interment will follow at
Willamette National Ceme-
tery at 12:30 p.m.
Contributions are sug-
gested to Ronald McDonald
House.
To send an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.
Joann Pauline
Jones
Sept. 23, 1933 – Dec. 19, 2015
Joann Pauline Jones, 82,
of Albany, died Dec. 19 in Al-
bany.
She was
born in
Corvallis to
A r t h u r
Linke and
Ruby Har-
till.
Joann
moved to
Albany in 1950, when she
married Wayne Neiman.
They were divorced in 1959.
Joann married Lonn Jones
in 1960. They were married
for 38 years. She lived in Al-
bany until she moved to
Dallas in 2012 to be closer to
her daughter. As Joann’s
Alzheimer’s progressed, she
moved to Brookdale Memo-
ry Care in Albany.
Joann was active in the
United Presbyterian Church
and her community. She
sang in the church choir for
35 years and the Linn-Ben-
ton Community College
Community Choral for 26
years, and ran Adventure
Week and served on the
Board of Albany Helping
Hands for many years.
She worked as the church
secretary at United Presby-
terian Church prior to going
to work at Oregon State Uni-
versity in the admissions of-
fice. Joann went back to
school to learn accounting
and then worked for the
School of Pharmacy and fi-
nally the College of Veteri-
nary Medicine as an ac-
counting technician. She re-
tired in 1998.
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Joann was preceded in
death by her husband, Lonn
Jones; brothers, Walter, Hal,
and Richard Linke; and
daughter, Carroll Lane.
Survivors include her son,
Lonn Jones, of Albany;
daughters, Kathy Grove, of
Portland, Jodie Jones-Hern-
don (Bob), of Dallas, Bonnie
LeCornu, of Albany, Judy
Webster (John), of Brush
Prairie, Wash., and Lonna
Promitas, of Albany; six
grandchildren; and five
great-grandchildren.
There will be a private
service in the spring to scat-
ter her ashes.
Contributions are sug-
gested to Albany Helping
Hands.
Gerald ‘Jerry’ Lee
Cetto
Oct. 27, 1934 – Dec. 26, 2015
Gerald “Jerry” Lee Cetto,
81, of Dallas, died Saturday.
He was born in Lead, S.D.,
to Florence and Ernest
Cetto.
Jerry graduated from Lead
High School in 1952. He
joined the
Navy and
served dur-
ing and
after the
Korean War
on a heavy cruiser and de-
stroyer.
He returned to Lead after
his discharge from the Navy
in 1956, and worked for
Homestake Mining Compa-
ny and attended Black Hills
State Teacher’s College,
graduating in 1962.
Jerry married Luella J.
Larson in 1957.
After graduation, Jerry,
Luella and family moved to
Oregon. He taught school
for three years and then
went into Juvenile and Adult
Corrections, retiring from
Marion County in 1990 as a
senior parole officer.
He ran Jerry’s Tack Shop
in Dallas from 1968 until his
death. He was an accom-
plished saddle and harness
maker.
Jerry was a life member of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Disabled American Veterans,
National Association of
Atomic Veterans, AM-Vets,
USS Rochester CA 124 Asso-
ciation, USS James E Keys
DD787 Association and In-
dependence Elks Lodge No.
1950.
He enjoyed his family,
leatherwork and golf.
He was preceded in death
by a brother, Ernest Cetto Jr.,
and a daughter, Julie Cetto.
Survivors include his wife,
Luella, of Dallas; sons, Mike,
of Eugene, and David, of
Dallas; daughter, Jeannie
(Kip) Hanh, of Wadsworth,
Ohio; brother, Nick (Patty)
Cetto, of Great Falls, Mont.;
sister, Cindy (Darwin) Cox,
of Denver; four grandchil-
dren; and six great-grand-
children.
At his request, there will
be no service. Inurnment
will be private.
Restlawn Funeral Home
of Salem handled arrange-
ments.
Obituary
Information
Obituary information must
be submitted by 4 p.m. on the
Monday before publication to
be included in the newspaper.
Most funeral homes handle
obituary information. Howev-
er, information can also be
submitted directly by family
members.
Photos will be published in
black and white. The Itemizer-
Observer uses a flag logo in the
obituaries of those who served
in the U.S. armed forces.
Obituaries — like all infor-
mation submitted to the news
department — are subject to
editing for style, content and
length.
Information can be brought
or mailed to the Itemizer-Ob-
server , 147 SE Court St., Dallas,
OR 97338, or emailed to
ionews@polkio.com.
For more information:
Nancy Adams, 503-623-2373.