Polk County News
6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 16, 2016
Evans to serve second term
Nearman overcomes
challengers for HD 23
Democrat incumbent beats Morett, re-elected to House District 20
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
SALEM — Rep. Paul
Evans (D) will serve another
two-year term representing
District 20 in the Capitol.
He won the election
against challenger Laura
Morett (R) on Nov. 8, 52 to
47 percent statewide and
countywide. In Polk County,
Evans garnered 10,889 votes
to Morett’s 9,715.
“I’m feeling very grate-
ful,” Evans said on Nov. 9. “I
think most people watching
the national returns last
night, and certainly trying
to make sense of what we
thought we knew based on
scientific data, and what
turned out to be the results,
I’m just grateful for the op-
portunity that our volun-
teer team put us in.”
Evans said more than
where things can suddenly
be talked about. You can
look at a tight, long, hard
campaign from two sides.
We learned some things, and
find out how we can find a
few projects on how to make
Oregon better and stronger.”
Morett said she was dis-
appointed at the loss.
“But you know, I honestly
feel like I still won,” she said.
“The people that I met, the
generosity that I came
across during the full-year
process completely impact-
ed and changed my life.”
Morett said she met life-
time friends and people in
the community doing silent
service, and will cherish
those connections made
during the campaign.
“How could you not love
these people?” she said.
“These are people I want to
be around and be part of.”
60,000 volunteers spent
more than 5,000 hours
spreading Evans’ message.
“The last week or so, the
opposition really put some
harsh, negative ads out
there, and we tried to out-
work them and kept focus-
ing on our message,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we’re
just grateful that we were
able to win despite an uptick
in negativity in the end.”
Evans plans to build on
what he called “lessons
learned” in the last session.
Among his top priorities is
promoting a civics profi-
ciency test for high school
students.
“I know this election was
frustrating for many, but a
lot of people are paying at-
tention to civic affairs be-
cause of it,” he said. “Some-
times light and heat both
provides an environment
Morett hadn’t decided as
of Monday whether she
would give it another go in
two years, but did say she
plans to get involved some-
how, encouraging others to
do the same.
“I never thought I was
going to run for office in the
first place,” she said. “It was
an amazing experience. I
wish everybody would run
for some type of office so
they could see how many
great people who are out
there who support you. It
was very humbling.”
Morett said that while
she hates to lose, she feels
like she did everything pos-
sible to win.
“At the end, you can say
there’s nothing more I could
have done,” she said. “The
voters decided they want to
give him (Evans) another
shot at it.”
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — Rep. Mike Nearman (R-Independence)
won a second term serving in Oregon House District’s 23 in
the Nov. 8 general election.
Nearman prevailed in the four-way race with 17,117 votes
(52 percent) to Independent Jim Thompson’s 12,117 (37 per-
cent). Pacific Green candidate Alex Polikoff had 1,821 (5 per-
cent) and Libertarian Garrett Leeds took 1,335 (4 percent).
Polk County’s tally in the race was: Nearman (7,829, 52
percent), Thompson (5,871, 39 percent), Polikoff (622, 4) and
Leeds (571, 3 percent).
Nearman’s win had him defeating challenger Thompson
for a second time. The first came in the 2014 primary in
which he unseated Thompson, who was then with the Re-
publican Party.
Nearman could not be reached for comment following the
election, but did post a message to his supporters on his
campaign Facebook page, Nearman4Oregon.
“This is the fourth contested election that I have run since
spring of 2014, and I could not have done it without the sup-
port of all the people who put up a lawn sign, made a dona-
tion, held a coffee, called me to tell me they were voting for
me and, not least, prayed for me,” he wrote. “I am very grate-
ful for how each of you impacted my campaign. We, the citi-
zens of House District 23, deserve representation that is eth-
ical, honest, and fights constantly for your values in Salem.”
OBITUARIES
Larry Lester
Oct. 14, 1936 – Nov. 12, 2016
Larry Lester passed away
on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016,
at his home after a long bat-
tle with cancer. He was sur-
rounded by his family and
his wife of 61 years, Deloris.
Larry was born to Stanley
and Vivian Lester on Oct. 14,
1936, in
Loyalton,
S.D. He at-
tended
g r a d e
school in
Loyalton
and later
moved to
Brookings, S.D., where he
graduated from Agricultural
School in 1955. While in
Brookings, he met his other
half and future wife, Deloris,
when he became friends
with her brother. They were
married on June 30, 1955, at
the Lutheran Church in
White, S.D.
In 1956, Larry and Deloris
moved to Hawthorne, Calif.,
where Larry worked for Air
Research building hand
tools for airplanes. They
lived in California until
1959, when Larry was asked
to move to Sweet Home to
help a relative build the
Lester Cedar Board Plant. In
March of 1960, Larry and
Deloris welcomed their first
daughter, Vickie.
In 1964, Larry and his
brother-in-law, Mar vin
Kracke, started Pee Wee Log-
ging and contracted with
Boise Cascade.
Larry and Deloris wel-
comed their second daugh-
ter, Diane, in December of
1966. In 1967, they moved to
Dallas and bought the home
on Ellendale, where Larry
would spend the rest of his
life.
Pee Wee Logging was sold
in 1981 when Larry and
Marvin decided to buy a cat-
tle ranch in Baker City. They
owned the ranch until 1984,
when they were asked to
contract with Boise Cascade
for road maintenance. This
is when LesKrack Inc. was
born, and Larry worked in
road maintenance until he
retired in December 2003.
After his retirement, Larry
started restoring Farmall
tractors in his shop. He fully
restored 126 tractors, his fa-
vorite being the Super M.
His daughter, Diane, made
him his own website where
he could sell his tractors to
people all over the country.
His last tractor was finished
just weeks before he passed
away.
Larry enjoyed fishing trips
in the ocean and hunting
with his grandson, Scott.
He took several road trips
in recent years to visit his
brother, Richard, in South
Dakota, and his grand-
daughter, Shandi, in Ten-
nessee. He loved to watch
Larry’s Diner on Saturday
nights and take sponta-
neous trips to the casino
with Deloris.
He enjoyed spending time
in the woods and knew all
the logging roads like the
back of his hand. He loved
working in his shop and
spent many hours there fix-
ing tractors and visiting with
friends. His friends always
knew that when the shop
door was open, he was out
working on a tractor, and
they could stop in for a visit.
If you ever called his cell-
phone, he might have an-
swered with, “It’s your nick-
el!” and if you asked him
how he was, he probably
said, “Still perkin’!”
Larry never met a stranger
and could strike up a con-
versation with anyone he
met in any situation. He had
a way of making everyone
feel like they were a long-
lost friend or family member
of his. He was known for
being hard working and in-
credibly generous. He was a
loving husband, father, and
grandfather who will be
missed by many.
He is survived by his wife,
Deloris; daughters, Vickie
Brandt and Diane Sigler;
granddaughters, Katie
Warthen and Shandi Hill;
grandson, Scott Brandt;
brother, Richard Lester and
six great-grandchildren.
There will be a celebra-
tion of life at the Nesmith
Readiness Center on Friday,
Nov. 18, 2016, at 4 p.m.
Please come prepared to
laugh and share stories
about Larry. He loved a good
party.
While flowers are wel-
come, the family invites
mourners to consider a do-
nation to the OHSU Knight
Cancer Institute in his
honor.
Larry Daniel
Southwick
March 21, 1938-Nov. 3, 2016
Larry Southwick of Brook-
i n g s
passed
away Nov.
3, 2016. He
was 78
years old.
Larry was
b o r n
March 21,
1938, in Crofton, Neb., to
Herbert and Martha South-
wick.
He loved the sunshine the
great outdoors and was an
excellent gardener.
Larry was preceded in
death by daughter, Cindy
Southwick; grandson, Gable
Southwick; and great-grand-
son, Bailee Candello-South-
wick.
He is survived by brother,
Willard Southwick, of Grants
Pass; son, Gordon South-
wick, of Dallas; and daugh-
ter, Victoria Southwick, of
Central Point; as well as sev-
eral grandchildren, great-
grandchildren, and great-
great-grandchildren.
Othy T. Sullenger
June 4, 1943 – Oct. 21, 2016
Othy T. Sullenger went
home to be with the Lord on
Oct. 21.
He was born to Charles
and Lahoma Sullenger.
Othy grew up in Dallas
and joined the Navy in 1960.
He became
an auto
body re-
pairman.
He decided
to travel,
ending up
in Michi-
gan, where
he met and
married
L o r n a
F i n n e y.
They had
four chil-
dren, and moved back to
Dallas, where they raised
their children.
Othy met his best friend
and partner, Kathy. They
shared 13 years together.
Othy was preceded in
death by his daughter,
Leona, and his parents.
He is survived by his part-
n e r, Ka t h y T h o m p s o n ;
daughter Patricia (Davin)
Muller; sons Timothy and
Charles (Michelle); Lorna;
seven grandchildren and
five great-grandchildren.
Jamie Lee Souter
March 23, 1959 – Nov. 7, 2016
Jamie Lee Souter, 57, of
Dallas, died on Nov. 7.
He is survived by his fa-
ther, Jim Souter; and broth-
ers, Guy Souter and Rob
Souter.
Ronald Lynn
Ossenkop
June 21, 1969 – Nov. 6, 2016
Ronald Lynn Ossenkop,
47, of Monmouth, died Nov.
6 at Salem Hospital. He was
born in Emmett, Idaho, to
Carl and Sherrill Abercrom-
bie. Ronald’s life will be cele-
brated privately at a later
date.
Farnstrom Mortuary han-
dled arrangements. Memo-
ries and condolences at
farnstromMortuary.com.
Jean Davids
April 9, 1927 – Nov. 10, 2016
Jean Davids, 89, of Dallas,
died Thursday in the Dallas
Retirement Village.
She is survived by hus-
band, Hank, of Dallas;
daughter, Shirley (Chuck)
Blackman, of Dallas, and
Susan (Russ) Bergerson, of
Washougal, Wash.; along
with nine grandchildren:
and 19 great-grandchildren;
and sister Gladys Zuidema,
of California.
She was preceded in
death by a son Henry Davids
Jr. in 2014; brothers John
Zuidema and George
Richard Zuidema; and a sis-
ter Connie Malichuk.
Funeral services were
held. To leave a message or
memory for the family
please go to www.dallastrib-
ute.com.
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Personally involved
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Dallas community
Nov. 26, 1926 – Nov. 12, 2016
Mary Eason, 89, of Dallas,
died Saturday at the Dallas
Retirement Village. She was
born in Los Angeles. She is
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survived by a daughter Deb-
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Services are pending with
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Zita Andrea Locke
Aug. 21, 1926 – Nov. 9, 2016
Zita Andrea Locke, 90,
died on Nov. 9 in Salem.
She is survived by hus-
band of 70 years, James L.
Locke Sr., of Salem; and son,
James L. Locke Jr. (Nancy),
of Burlingame, Calif.; and
extended family. She was
preceded by sibling, Leona
Hicks, of Livermore, Calif.
Visitation will be Friday
from 1 to 5 p.m. Funeral
service will be Nov. 29 at 1
p.m., both at Farnstrom
Mortuary, 410 Monmouth
St., Independence. Private
interment will be at Hilltop
Cemetery. To leave an online
tribute: FarnstromMortu-
ary.com.
Maria Elida Villa
Sept. 3, 1934 – Nov. 3, 2016
Maria E. Villa, 82, died on
Nov. 3.
She is survived by sons,
Jose Gloria and Mano Villa;
daughters, Marisela Glona,
Letty Villa, Elsa M., Rose S.,
Monica Villa; and nine
grandchildren.
Viewing will be on Thurs-
day from 4 to 8 p.m. at Farn-
strom Mortuary in Inde-
pendence. Services will be
on Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m.
at the Salem Conference
Center.
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 and pro-
vide it to the newspaper. How-
ever, information can also be
submitted directly from family
members.
Obituaries cost $8 per 25
words (column inch) and in-
clude a photo and a flag (for
veterans). Obits placed by fam-
ily members must be prepaid.
Color and black-and-white
photos can be submitted, but
photos will only be published
in black and white. The Itemiz-
er-Observer uses a flag logo in
the obituaries of people who
served in the 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: Emily
Mentzer, 503-623-2373.