Polk County News
6a Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 1, 2016
Polk No. 1 burns to learn in Buena Vista
Itemizer-Observer staff report
BUENA VISTA — If you
noticed smoke and flames
near the corner of Buena
Vista and Prather roads on
May 25, don’t worry. It was
just a
training
exercise.
T h a t
e ve n i n g ,
P o l k
County
Fire Dis-
trict No. 1 firefighters con-
ducted a “live fire” training
activity, according to the fire
department.
Starting at 7 p.m., a dou-
ble wide manufactured
home was burned at the lo-
cation, allowing firefighters
to train with the realism and
intensity of actual fire.
The exercise also gave
firefighters an opportunity
to build skills in exposure
protection, mobile water
supply, vehicle operation,
pump operations and rec-
ognizing fire behavior.
Although this training ex-
ercise was for the
Willamette Valley Commu-
nications Center (dispatch),
district personnel were
called to the scene later in
the evening by a passer-by
who saw the smoldering
pile of debris and report it
as an active fire.
Polk County Fire District
No.1 is a combination career
and volunteer fire district of
four fire stations covering
185 square miles servicing a
population of about 25,500
people in Southeast Polk
County and Western Marion
County.
The cities of Monmouth
and Independence continue
to form the heart of the Dis-
trict, with the communities
of Buena Vista, Suver, Airlie,
and Pedee forming the rural
areas.
For more information, or
to volunteer: 503-838-1510.
Photo by Neal Olson.
OBITUARIES
Tara Kadell (Lytle)
March 10, 1986 – May 15, 2016
Tara Kadell (Lytle), 30, of
Dallas, died May 15 in Mon-
mouth. She was born in Dal-
las to Glenda Pruett and
Bryan Lytle.
Tara had much respect for
nature and adored spending
time outdoors gardening,
looking for rocks, and being
amongst trees. She was a
true artist and created beau-
tiful jewelry, paintings, and
loved music.
She was a home maker.
She’ll be missed by so many
and will al-
ways be
remem-
bered for
her ability
to make
everybody
laugh and
feel so
peaceful
being in her presence.
Survived by husband
Phillip Kadell; parents Glen-
da Pruett and Bryan Lytle;
daughters Colene, Andera
and Opal; sister Leslie Lytle;
and brother Bryce Lytle.
Services were held.
Dave Driscoll
1950 – May 23, 2016
David D. Driscoll, 66, of
Dallas, died May 23.
Dave was born in Wiscon-
sin to Joyce Roloff and John
J. J. Driscoll. He spent his
childhood in Milwaukee and
Wausau, Wis., and Mar-
quette, Mich.
He traveled west as a
teenager and served in the
Army in Korea. Dave mar-
ried his wife Debra Minar in
Minnesota in 1980. In 1984,
the couple moved to Ore-
gon. During the following
years, Dave was the full-time
parent to their two children.
The family lived in Bend,
Coquille and Dallas.
Dave enjoyed playing the
banjo and
other in-
struments,
traveling,
hiking, ob-
serving an-
imals in
nature,
and re-
searching
his Irish
heritage.
His sis-
ter Diane,
and aunt
Dorothy died before he did.
Survived by wife, Debra;
daughter Megan; son
Patrick; one granddaughter;
one step-grandson; brothers
Daniel and Dennis; and ex-
tended family.
A memorial potluck gath-
ering is being planned for
Oregon friends and family.
Memorial donations may be
made to Willamette Valley
Hospice or to a charity of
one’s choice.
Lee Victoria
Howard
Nov. 29, 1953 – May 15, 2016
Lee Victoria Howard, 62,
of Dallas, died May 15 at her
home.
She was born to Harold
and Virginia White Howard.
Lee was raised in the Tuc-
son area of Arizona, where
she attended school.
She married Gary
Dahlstrom, and they later
divorced.
In 2001, she graduated
from Western Oregon Uni-
versity with a bachelor’s de-
gree in psychology. She went
on to be a drug and alcohol
counselor with Hazelden
and Springbrook Counseling
services in Newberg. For the
past 10 to 15 years, she lived
in Dallas.
She enjoyed reading, gar-
dening, watching crime
shows and skydiving.
Survived by son, Travis
Dahlstrom, of Dallas;
daughter, Kelsey Dahlstrom,
of Dallas; brother, Steve
Howard; and sister, Lisa
McGuire.
A private family gathering
will be held.
The Dallas Mortuary Trib-
ute Center handled arrange-
ments.
To leave an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.
Carl August Koenig
May 28, 1925 – May 21, 2016
Carl August Koenig, 90, of
Dallas,
died on
May 21 in
Dallas.
He was
born to
John and
R o s a
Koenig in
Lebanon
and grew
up in Ger-
vais.
He ser-
ved in the
Navy in World War II aboard
the USS Makin Island. After
the war, he went to Coyne
Electrical School in Chicago.
He married Doris Bartlett
in 1953, in Drain. Doris died
in 1974.
He married Mary Lou
Miller in 1975.
He owned an electrical
contracting business for
many years, then worked for
the state of Oregon as assis-
tant chief electrical inspec-
tor, then for Washington
County.
Carl enjoyed bowling and
sports.
Survived by his wife of 41
years, Mary Lou; daughters
Twila (Clare) Bueller and
Lorette (David) Waggerson;
stepson Steven Miller; eight
grandchildren; and great-
grandchildren.
Services were held.
Golden Funeral Home
handled arrangements.
Kenneth J. Brown
April 6, 1924 – May 26, 2016
Kenneth J. Brown, 92, of
Dallas, died on Thursday in
Dallas.
He was
born in
Dallas to
Alba and
Isabelle
Brown.
Ken grew
up in Dal-
las and at-
tended
schools
here.
K e n
served in
the U.S. Air
Force from 1943 until 1946.
He married Verda Webster
on July 30, 1949, in Vancou-
ver, Wash.
Ken was an electrician
and worked at Adolf’s Elec-
tric in Dallas. He later
owned and operated Dallas
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.
S OME D ECISIONS H AVE A V ERY P ROFOUND E FFECT .
Electric for many years until
he retired.
Ken served on the Dallas
Volunteer Fire Department
from 1964 until he retired in
1993. He is a past Firefighter
of the Year award recipient.
He continued to attend de-
partment functions.
Ken was a member of Val-
ley Life Center Church in
Dallas. He enjoyed wood-
working and building model
airplanes. He was an avid
NASCAR fan. He enjoyed
camping, boating, waterski-
ing, motorcycling, and go-
carts. He also enjoyed cruis-
es and traveling to Hawaii.
Survived by wife, Verda, of
Dallas; daughter, Malia
Brandt (Bill), of Dallas; son,
Rev. Ronald Brown (Debra),
of Papua New Guinea; seven
grandchildren; and five
great-grandchildren.
Services will be on Friday
at 11 a.m. in Dallas Ceme-
tery. Memorial contribu-
tions may be made to the
Dallas Fire Department in
care of Dallas Mortuary Trib-
ute Center, which handled
arrangements. To leave an
online tribute: www.dallas-
tribute.com.
Ronald R.
Gilbreath
Aug. 30, 1922 – April 25, 2016
Ronald R. Gilbreath, 93, of
Monmouth, died on April
25, at his home in Mon-
mouth.
He was born in Apache,
Okla.
He served in World War Il
in the Pacific Theater. He
had a long
career as a
profession-
al truck
driver. He
settled in
Fairfield, Calif., and retired
in Mountain Ranch in
Calaveras County. He even-
tually moved to Napa, Calif.,
and then to Monmouth in
2003.
Ron was active in the
Monmouth Senior Center.
He also was active with the
Model A Ford Club and was
a member of the Salem
Chapter where he served as
a board member.
Survived by children, Ron
E. Gilbreath, of Roseburg,
and Carole Cote, of Corval-
lis; grandchildren; and
great-grandchildren.
A memorial is planned at
Tulocay Cemetery in Napa.
Salem
412 Lancaster Drive NE
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 581-6265
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Cremation & Burial
Funerals & Memorials
Simple Direct Cremation $495
Simple Direct Burial
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April 2, 1940 – May 24, 2016
Francis “Frank” Earl Bean,
76, of Gates, formerly of
Grand Ronde, died May 24
in the Salem Hospital.
Fu n e ra l
services
will be at
11 a.m. on
June 10 in
the Grand
Ronde Tribal Gym. Inter-
ment with military honors
will be in the Grand Ronde
Tribal Cemetery. The Dallas
Mortuary Tribute Center
handled arrangements.
To leave an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.
Merle W. Hague
June 16, 1941 – May 21, 2016
Merle W. Hague, 74, of
Dallas, died in Salem on
May 21.
Merle was born in Marion
to James L. and Betty V.
(Olson) Hague. Merle gradu-
ated from Dallas High
School in 1959, and then
joined the U.S. Navy. He
married Mary Marion on
March 17,
1962.
T h e y
lived in
Seattle,
w h e r e
M e r l e
worked for
Boeing.
They later
moved to
Corvallis
where he
worked in a
mill. Merle
worked for Caterpillar Lift
Trucks in Dallas for 29 years,
spending 18 months with
the company in Mexico be-
fore his retirement in 1990.
Merle and Mary lived on
an 8-acre hobby farm just
outside Dallas for 44 years.
Merle loved being out-
doors, hunting, fishing and
photography.
Merle and his wife trav-
eled the world extensively.
Merle cleaned up and re-
paired homes hit by Hurri-
cane Katrina, helped med-
ical teams and built schools
during seven different mis-
sion trips in the U.S. and
abroad.
Merle was a founder of
the Royal Rangers Boys
Group through his church.
He sang in the choir and
quartet groups.
He participated in church
plays, and Easter and Christ-
mas musicals. Merle was a
member of the Gideon’s In-
ternational for more than 40
years.
Survived by wife, Mary;
daughter, Susanna (Tom);
and one granddaughter;
mother, Betty; and brother,
Bob (Noah).
His father, James, and
brother, Jimmy died before
he did.
Services were held. Con-
tributions in his memory
can be made to Gideon’s In-
ternational. To send an on-
line tribute: www.dallastrib-
ute.com.
George W. Birchell
Feb. 22, 1925 – April 3, 2016
Discount priced
Caskets, Urns and
other Memorial items.
Privately owned
cremation facility.
Locally owned and operated
by Oregon families.
~ Polk County’s ONLY Family Owned Funeral Homes and Crematory ~
Francis ‘Frank’
Earl Bean
www.ANewTradition.com
Celebration of George
Birchell’s life will be at 2 p.m.
on Saturday at the Chapel at
Dallas Retirement Village.
A light lunch will follow
services.
Visit us online:
www.polkio.com