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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 2016)
Polk County News 6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 24, 2016 OBITUARIES Elmer ‘Buck’ Buchanan March 8, 1923 – Feb. 12, 2016 Elmer “Buck” Buchanan, 92, of Dallas died Feb. 12 in Salem. He was born in Burns to Harold and Laura McFad- den. Later in life Buck was adopted by his stepfather Roy Buchanan and was known by that name all of his adult life. B u c k met Do- nna Muno at Oregon State Uni- versity during the World War II years. Buck mar- r i e d Donna on Dec. 29, 1946, in the Oregon City United Methodist Church. Buck served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. They lived in Woodburn where they owned and oper- ated the local bowling alley for 11 years. Buck had been a member of the Woodburn Jaycees. They later settled in Dal- las in 1958, where Buck and Donna owned and operated the Dallas and Monmouth Ben Franklin stores until their retirement. Buck was awarded Ore- gon retailer of the year in 1982. Buck was very active in the Dallas community, serving on the Dallas School Board, Dallas Rotary and Breakfast in the Park, Kids Inc. and, MDA area coordi- nator. Buck and Donna also hosted Rotary exchange stu- dents. Buck was one of sev- eral who founded the annu- al Dallas Krazy Days. He enjoyed serving the Dallas community and rais- ing their family here. Buck was part of the group that helped build the Dallas High School Football Stadium. Buck and Donna, Curt Lamb, and Mel Gilson were the founders of Dallas Kids Inc., which continues on today helping Dallas youth sports programs. He was a member of the Dallas United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Donna on June 18, 2006. In 2009, Buck exchanged vows with a longtime friend Rose Livesay, and they were blessed with each other’s companionship. He is survived by Rose Livesay; his children, Karyn Buchanan, Claudia Drill, Conni Anderson and Rod Buchanan; 13 grandchil- dren; and numerous great- grandchildren. A celebration of Buck’s life will be on Monday at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Dallas. Contributions are sug- gested to the Dallas Educa- tion Foundation, Dallas Ro- tary Scholarship Program or the Dallas Blue Dolphin Swim Team in care of Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center which handled arrange- ments. To send an online tribute: www.dallastribute.com. John David Finkbeiner Sept. 4, 1936 – Feb. 12, 2016 John David Finkbeiner, 79, of Dallas, died Feb. 12. He was born in Vancou- ver, Wash., to Chester and Marguerite (Mowry) Finkbeiner. John attended Wenatchee, Wash., schools and later at- tended Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, where he met his wife, Mary Wing. T h e y were mar- ried in 1957, and t h e n moved to Seattle. John re- ceived his Bachelor of Arts from Seattle Pacific Univer- sity. He taught two years in Seattle and then moved to Medford, where he was in education and track DENISE L. WALKER JENKINS July 14, 1939 - Jan. 27, 2016 Denise L. Walker Jenkins, 76, born on July 14, 1939, passed on January 27, 2016, in Mesa, AZ. She was preceded in death by her fa- ther, Beverly Duane Walk and mother, Esther Orea (Meinke) Walker. She is survived by her husband of 20 years, Lorne K. Jenkins; her brother, Colin L. Walker, M.D., and wife, Susan; brother, Ronald Walker and wife, Marie; as well as three nieces, and one nephew. After graduating from Central High School in Independence, Denise attended Oregon State, and later began a career in accounting services. She enjoyed a passion for cooking, especially Asian cuisine. Her interest in art developed with participation in local classes when- ever possible, and she became an accomplished Tole painting artist. Always known for her spirited response and sense of humor, Denise will be missed by her family, by friends in Mesa, and by many of her high school peers/friends locally, with whom she had remained close over the years. Graveside service will be at Restlawn Memory Garden near Salem, March 4, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. Reception will follow at Oak Knoll Golf Course Clubhouse located nearby. RON HAENER September 27, 1935 - Feb. 13, 2016 Ron Haener of Independence Oregon, died February 13th in The Dalles Oregon. Ron (or Captain Ron as he was known by many) was born September 27th, 1935 in Salem, Oregon to Ray and Lucy Haener. Ron was preceded in death by his true love, Jan Haener and many of us believe that Mom got tired of waiting for him and called him up to be with her this last Valen- tines Day weekend. Dad met Mom back in 1962 in Sutherlin Oregon, while working as a Lineman for PP&L and they were married soon after and moved to Hood River, Oregon. Mom brought with her, 3 Sons, Tony, Brad and Mark Owens and Dad added a Daughter, Diane Haener, and 2 Sons, Ray and Joe Haener to the mix. Then, since they knew they wouldn’t have enough farm hands for the farm in Independence, they got together and added a 6th Son, Ronnie Haener. Ron left PP&L in Hood River in 1964, at his Dad's request, to run the farm and loaded up the truck and moved to Independence. Oregon. Ron worked the farm, and us, for 10 years before selling the farm. While running the farm and raising 7 kids, Ron became an ac- tive member of the Elks Lodge and soon worked his way up to be- come the Exalted Ruler of BPOE 1950. Farming and Elking was a way of life for the Haener/Owens family back then and we all have fond memories of Elks picnics and con- vention trips around Oregon and equally fond memories of moving irrigation lines, hoeing weeds, driving tractor, picking up rocks, milk- ing cows and hoeing more weeds on the farm. Ron raised Beans, Berries, Cherries, Corn and Hops while at the same time raising us and teaching us the value of hard work. In 1974 he sold the farm to help pay medical expenses for his Dad and moved back into town where he went back to work at PP&L until he retired in 1998. While at PP&L, Ron was active in League Bowling, with him and Son Ronnie winning League Championships for Mootharts IGA. Golf and Trap Shooting were high on his list, too, and many of the old pictures we have of him, show him leaning against a 9 iron with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He pretty much really enjoyed life and did what he wanted to do. After Dad retired and especially after Mom died, he was happy and content to volunteer part time, delivering meals to homebound folks here in Independence and Monmouth. He loved Sports more than just about anybody and went to WOU and Central games all the time. He ran the scoreboard time clock for football games at WOU for quite a few seasons. The only thing on his TV at this time in his life was Football, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Westerns and Perry Mason. And he was A-OK with that. Ron is survived by 3 siblings, Dolores (and Wally) Newton, Den- nis (and Nancy) Haener and Karen (and Glen) Adams. Sons Tony Owens, Brad Owens, Mark Owens, Ray Haener, Ronnie Haener and Daughter Diane Morris, 18 Grandchildren and 16 Great Grandchil- dren. He was preceded in death by his wife Jan Haener, parents Ray and Lucy Haener and his Son Joe Haener. coaching for 15 years. Due to his entrepreneurial de- sire, he opened Athlete’s Foot stores in Boise, Idaho, and Bend. His love of track and field led him on several sports trips to India, Guatemala and Singapore. In the 1980s, he taught business classes at Central High School in Independ- ence and offered students a chance to get their start in entrepreneurial work by set- ting up a laundry room and a greenhouse, which the stu- dents operated. John was on staff at two Nazarene churches in Ore- gon: Bend and Medford. From 1995 until 2001, he worked as an instructor in the Maryland/D.C. area doing safety classes. He returned to Dallas to retire. Retirement was not to be and he served as principal at Luckiamute Charter School for several years and was interim prin- cipal at Faith Christian School in Dallas. Still not ready for retirement, he volunteered assisting the track program at Central High School. It was coaching track that was the love of his life. He was president of the nonprofit, Road Works, at the time of his death. His son, John Randal Finkbeiner, was serving HIV/AIDS patients in KwaMhlanga, South Africa, and helping with orphan care, so John made several trips to observe the area. His passion for helping the poor, the orphans and observing the poor educa- tional opportunities in- spired him to start Road Works to increase educa- tional programs. Survivors include his wife, Mary; brother, James, of Port Townsend, Wash.; son, John R. ( Victoria) Finkbeiner, in South Africa; daughter, Sherri (Barry) Ma- roni, of Redmond; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. John’s request was for people to meet in small groups to honor him; there- fore, no large group memo- rial service will be held. Contr ibutions in his honor can be made to Road Works, P.O. Box 1148 Dallas, OR 97338. Sethan Sprague July 8, 1984 – Feb. 16, 2016 Sethan Sprague, 31, of Salem, died Feb. 16. Seth was the first child in a large and blended family. He graduated from St. Vin- cent’s Catholic School in sixth grade as valedictorian and gradu- ated from Perr ydale H i g h School as salutatori- an. After h i g h school, he received a full schol- arship to attend Car- roll College in Helena, Mont., where he double ma- jored in theology and politi- cal science. He graduated from college with honors. After college, he enlisted in the Navy. He served as a gunners mate on the sub- tender, the USS Frank Cable, and spent most of his duty in what he called the “big ocean.” He was stationed in Guam, Diego Garcia, and the waters of the Persian Gulf. After six years in the Navy, he returned home and moved into a house with an old high school friend. He worked at Ames Laborato- ries in Salem. He was an introspective and intense intellectual and could always be counted on for stirring dialogues and robust conversations. Upon returning from military service, he had difficulties with finding meaning and purpose. He was preceded in death by his uncle and godfather, Rick Bainter; infant brother; Franklyn; and infant sister, Francis Rae. Survivors include his fa- ther, Karl Sprague; mother, Peggy Boquist; stepfather, Brian Boquist; brothers, Samuel (Tanya) Sprague, William Boquist, Robert Bo- quist; stepbrother, Mathew Kinney; sisters, Ashten (Bo- quist) Rich, Daria Boquist, and Julianna Sprague; and extended family. Contributions are sug- gested to “Lines For Life” 5100 SW Macadam Ave., No. 400, Portland, OR 97239. Lines For Life is a suicide hotline oriented toward vet- erans, military members and families. Dorothy Marie Wise June 16, 1922 – Feb. 9, 2016 Dorothy (Meader) Wise, 93, of Dallas died Feb. 9. Known to all as “Dottie,” she was born to Mark F. and Lulu (Miles) Meader in Mt. Morris, Ill. She was a sev- enth-generation American descended from John Mead- er who arrived in the Ameri- can colonies in 1647. Dorothy married Marvin G. Wise in 1942 and they soon traveled to California where Marvin was engaged in the war effort at Kaiser Shipyards. After the war, they continued living in the San Francisco Bay area for several years. They migrated to Santa Cruz, Calif., and Yuba City, Calif., following busi- ness opportunities and fi- nally moved to Oregon in their retirement years. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Mar- vin G. Wise, and daughter, Mary O’Connell. Survivors include her son, William (Dawn); one grand- daughter; one great-grand- son; and extended family. Celebration of life will be held at a later date. Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center handled arrange- ments. To send an online tribute: www.dallastribute.com. Hermelinda ‘Linda’ ‘Mellie’ (Ruiz) Garcia Nov. 26, 1949 – Feb. 16, 2016 Hermelinda “Linda” “Mel- lie” (Ruiz) Garcia, 66, of In- dependence died Feb. 16. She was born and raised in Asherton, Texas, the daughter of Lazarro and Josepha (Alfaro) Ruiz. Linda lived in St. Paul until she moved Joyful Sound Hearing 312 Main Street • Dallas • Hearing Testing • Hearing Aids • Service Call today for your FREE Consultation Mark Sturtevant 503-623-0290 Personally involved and invested in the Dallas community Welcoming new patients. Most insurance health plans accepted. Also a Moda preferred provider. Salem 412 Lancaster Drive NE Salem, OR 97301 (503) 581-6265 Low Cost Cremation & Burial Funerals & Memorials Simple Direct Cremation $495 Simple Direct Burial $550 Traditional Funeral $1,975 Discount priced Caskets, Urns and other Memorial items. Privately owned cremation facility. Locally owned and operated by Oregon families. to Independence with her new husband in 1969. As a child, Linda had a passion for styling hair, and she turned that love into a profession. Linda success- fully owned and operated Hermelinda’s Beauty Salon in Independence for 43 years. Linda’s face and smile would always light up when friends or family visited the beauty shop. In August of 2015, due to declining health, Linda sold her shop and retired. Linda was an active mem- ber of the Independence community. She was a Cul- ture Awareness Commission- er and a member of the Inde- pendence Library Board, where she served as presi- dent. Linda enjoyed volun- teering at St. Patrick Catholic Church, where she assisted with classes and activities. Family was Linda’s No. 1 priority. She devoted her time to her sons and her grandchildren. Her hobbies included playing bingo, col- oring and reading with her grandkids. Linda also had a joy of reading books, travel- ing, going to movies, but mostly she loved working on her flower garden. She was preceded in death by her sister, Dolores Ruiz and her beloved daugh- ter, Sophie Garcia. Survivors include her hus- band of 46 years, Julio Garcia; sons, Julio Antoine (Victoria) and Andres (Tonia) Garcia; sister, Marylou (Roy) Garcia; brothers, Gilbert (Nicki), Ri- cardo (Zulema), Lazarro (Diana) and Arnulfo Ruiz; eight grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. Funeral Mass was Friday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Independence. Farnstrom Mortuary in Independence handled arrangements. To send an online tribute: www.FarnstromMortuary .com. Mary Beth Thielsen March 29, 1946 – Feb. 19, 2016 Mary Beth Thielsen, 69, of Independence died Friday in Independence after a long battle with cancer. She was born in Sioux Falls, S.D. Mary enjoyed being a mil- itary wife and lived in Ger- many twice, Japan, and many of the states, until she settled down in Polk County She worked with the spe- cial needs, and retired from Sunny Oaks. She went back often to visit with the ladies. She enjoyed ceramics, bowl- ing, fishing and hunting. She loved going to the coast. Survivors include her partner, Dennis Stage; broth- er, Glenn Austad (Karen); children, Liz Marrs (Wally), Laura Gagznos (Larry), Joe Gagznos (Laurie), Zackery Mersch, and Denise Carras- co.; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and extended family. She was preceded in death by son, Christopher. Celebration of life is March 12 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Recreational Center at Ash Creek Mobile Park in Independence. It will be a potluck. Farnstrom Mortuary of Independence handled arrangements.To send an online tribute: www.Farn- stromMortuary.com. www.ANewTradition.com More OBITS, Page 11A
