Polk County News
8A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 15, 2017
OBITUARIES
Charles R. Hazel
May 19, 1929 – Feb. 5, 2017
Charles R. Hazel, a long-
time resident of Dallas,
passed into the Lord's care
on Feb. 5, 2017.
Charlie
was born
May 19,
1929, in
I n d i -
a n a p o l i s,
Ind.
He was
the first of
Samuel
and Lucille
Hazel's
seven chil-
dren.
Charlie
grew up in Indianapolis and
then attended high school in
Bloomington, Indiana.
He then came west to Cal-
ifornia, where he started his
stint as a tech sergeant in
the USAF from 1947 to 1956,
and where he met Doris
Pierre on a blind date; they
married three months later
on Sept. 15, 1951.
While in the USAF, they
lived in Northern California,
Illinois, and Germany before
returning to Northern Cali-
fornia.
Charlie and Doris had
started their family and he
entered higher education,
which was a testament to
his intelligence and deter-
mination because he had
not graduated from high
school.
He started at Santa Rosa
Junior College, earned his
master’s at Humboldt State
College and his doctorate at
Oregon State University.
The family ventured back
to the Sacramento, Calif.,
area where Charlie started
working at the Department
of Fish and Game before
taking a position at the envi-
ronmental/engineering firm
of Jones and Stokes Associ-
ates.
He finished his career
there as the CEO. Charlie
and Doris both retired in
1989 and moved back to
Oregon.
In retirement Charlie en-
joyed many of his interests;
golfing, reading, camping,
hiking, fishing, church, and
family.
Charlie was a member at
Dallas First Presbyterian
Church, where he served as
an elder and attended week-
ly Bible study with “the old
farts club.”
He served proudly and
enthusiastically with Habitat
for Humanity, Rotary, and
Polk County Soil and Water
Conservation District.
Charlie led his family with
love and practiced his faith
daily.
He loved God and hon-
ored Doris always.
He was preceded in death
by his parents, brother Max,
and sister Cindy.
He is survived by his lov-
ing wife Doris; his daughters
Charlotte Hazel, Roberta
Lindenfelser, and Suzanne
Ryans; five grandchildren;
six great-grandchildren;
brothers Bob and Bill Hazel;
and sisters Barbara Canfield
and Linda Goins. Charlie
also loved his dogs, and we
know he was happy to re-
unite with them all.
Memorial services were at
1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11
at the Dallas First Presbyteri-
an Church.
In lieu of flowers memori-
al contributions welcomed
for the church or Habitat for
Humanity in care of Boll-
man Funeral Home, 694
Main St., Dallas, OR, who is
caring for the family.
To leave an online condo-
lence or share a memory for
the family go to www.dallas-
tribute.com.
Shirley Irene
Reynolds
Dec. 2, 1935 – Jan. 20, 2017
Shirley Irene Reynolds is
p re c e d e d
in death by
J e r r y
Reynolds.
Survived
by sister,
N a n c y
Neal; chil-
d r e n ,
Debra Salzman, Lenny
Reynolds and Cindy Lazarre;
a n d g ra n d c h i l d C i e r ra
Reynolds.
Celebration of life on June
3 at Dallas City Park.
Virginia
Christensen
Feb. 3, 1928 — Jan. 21, 2017
Virginia Christensen, of
Ashland, died Saturday, Jan.
21. She was 88.
She was born Virginia
Thompson in Portland to
Matthew Roy and Helen
King Thompson.
The family lived in Port-
land, then Ashland, Prairie
City, Salem, Sweet Home,
and finally Monmouth,
where her father was princi-
pal of the high school.
She had
fond early
memories
of Ashland,
where as a
small child
she rode
her tricycle
d o w n
Church Street to the foun-
tain in Lithia Park.
The elder Thompsons
were mountaineers and avid
campers, and they led their
five children on many a hike
and climb in Oregon and
Washington.
In 1944, the family moved
to Iowa City, Iowa, where her
father taught navigation to
Navy pilots in training.
Virginia graduated from
University High School in
Iowa City in 1946.
She returned to Oregon
after graduation and worked
as a shorthand-typist in the
Eugene office of the higher
education chancellor.
She entered the Universi-
ty of Oregon in 1947.
She majored in English
and roomed in University
House, where she became
friends with a girl from Coos
Bay named Eunice Peterson.
During their summers, Vir-
ginia and Eunice worked as
singing waitresses at Para-
d i s e L o d g e o n Mo u n t
Rainier.
On her days off, Virginia
donned hiking boots and
rambled all over the moun-
tain.
Eunice introduced Vir-
ginia to her handsome
brother, Bert Peterson, who
was building several
sawmills in Coos and Curry
counties.
Soon Bert was driving reg-
ularly from Coos Bay to Eu-
gene (and, during summers,
a l l t h e w a y t o Mo u n t
Rainier) to visit his sister and
his sweetheart.
Virginia graduated magna
cum laude and Phi Beta
Kappa.
In 1951, she and Bert Pe-
terson were married.
They moved to Coos Bay
into a house Bert built for
her.
While he tended his
sawmills, she cared for their
first three daughters, Gail,
Me l i n d a , a n d L a u r e n .
Daughter No. 4, Leslie, came
along after the family moved
to Port Orford in 1957.
The Petersons returned to
Coos Bay in 1959.
Virginia played the organ
at Emmanuel Episcopal
Church and took her girls to
many musical and cultural
events.
They also enjoyed hiking,
camping, and picnics at the
beach.
The family moved to
Ukiah, Calif., in 1965.
She and Bert divorced
soon after, and Virginia
began her career as a social
worker.
In 1968, she moved with
her daughters to Vancouver,
Wash., and earned a mas-
ter’s in social work from
Portland State College in
1970.
She worked in Oregon’s
adult and family services
agency in Salem, and then
opened a private practice
helping elderly and disabled
clients.
On weekends, she took
the girls hiking and back-
packing.
S h e c l i m b e d Mo u n t
Rainier with her brother
Paul when they were both
well into middle age.
Her retirement was one
long adventure.
From her home in Mon-
mouth, she journeyed to
Boston to set foot on ances-
tral turf — Thompson’s Is-
land in Boston Harbor.
She spent a year in
Chengdu, China, teaching
English to university stu-
dents.
She saw Paris, Tahiti,
Moscow, Uzbekistan, Tibet,
Denali, Australia. She trav-
eled the blue highways of
the West in her little red
camper, Rosebud.
In 2001, back in Iowa City
for a high school reunion,
she got reacquainted with
Mar vin Christensen —
they’d both sung in a school
production of Gilbert and
Sullivan’s Iolanthe.
They were married and
lived in Marvin’s lake house
in northern Minnesota in
the summers and wintered
in Texas.
They moved to Oregon in
2005, settling finally in Ash-
land. Marvin died in 2013.
Virginia is survived by
her sister Ann (Thompson)
Neuman; sister-in-law Eu-
nice Peterson; daughters
G a i l ( Pe t e r s o n ) We l l s ;
Melinda Peterson; Lauren
(Peterson) Chilson; and
Leslie (Peterson) Stone;
stepdaughter Barbara
Christensen Kamp; stepson
Steve Christensen; eight
grandchildren, and five
great-grandchildren.
Joyful Sound Hearing
312 Main Street • Dallas
• Hearing Testing
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503-623-0290
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S OME D ECISIONS H AVE A V ERY P ROFOUND E FFECT .
She lived boldly, loved
deeply, held her opinions
fiercely, and always cher-
ished a good debate. She will
be greatly missed.
A memorial service is
scheduled for Saturday, Feb.
18 at 2 o’clock at the First
Co n g re g a t i o n a l Un i t e d
Church of Christ, 717 Siskiy-
ou Blvd., Ashland.
Please send condolences,
memories and happy
thoughts to Leslie Stone, 700
Windemar, Ashland OR
97520.
Warren Buell
Vesper
May 1, 1919 – Feb. 3, 2017
Warren Buell Vesper,
passed away peacefully in
his West Salem home on Fri-
day, Feb. 3, 2017.
He was
born on
May
1,
1919, in El
P a s o ,
Texas, the
second son
of Charles
and Grace
Vesper.
Warren
married
Virginia
Schooley
on May 4,
1940. They celebrated 75
years of marriage in 2015.
After serving in the U.S.
Navy, Warren and Virginia
moved with their two little
daughters to Burbank, Calif.,
where he worked at Lock-
heed Martin Aircraft, work-
ing in the “Skunk Works” di-
vision.
Warren was the group en-
gineer of 40 men, involved
in the development of the
U-2 spy plane and other
special projects.
Warren and Virginia re-
tired in South Lake Tahoe,
Nev., where they resided for
27 years.
Warren loved tennis, golf,
fishing, hiking, and snow
skiing.
He shared these skills
with the beloved younger
members of his family.
Warren was an accom-
plished artist and wood
worker.
After a separation of 18
months, Warren is with his
precious Virginia again.
He is survived by his
daughters, Karen (Paul)
Box, Linda (George) Potsic;
along with 11 grandchil-
dren; and 18 great-grand-
children; and one great-
great-grandchildren arriv-
ing in September.
Funeral services were
Monday, Feb. 13, at 9 a.m. at
Dallas Retirement Village
Chapel.
Visitation will be on Sat-
urday and Sunday from 1 to
5 p.m. at Dallas Mortuary
Tribute Center.
Memorial contributions
may be made to Kindred
Hospice in care of Dallas
mortuary Tribute Center.
To leave online a condo-
lence or share a memory
with the family go to
www.dallastribute.com.
Warren will be remem-
bered as enriching every life
he touched: A most loved
man, living forever in our
hearts.
Viola Laura Dunn
March 31, 1926 – Feb. 6, 2017
Viola Laura Dunn, 91, a
resident of Monmouth, died
in her sleep Feb. 6, 2017, at
her home with her cat, But-
terscotch by her side.
She was born on March
31, 1926, in Stamford, Neb.,
the daughter of Everett and
Annis Mary Case (Ray).
She was
the last
child of 12
to die.
She is
survived by
h
e
r
youngest
son, Gary
Everett, of Prineville; three
grandchildren; and two
great-grandchildren.
Vi was preceded in death
by her husband, James War-
ren IV; her daughter, Deena
Ann Madison; and her eldest
son James W.
Vi was a homemaker who
supported her husband’s
logging, fishing, hunting ca-
reer, and his chronic COPD.
Up until two years ago, Vi
and her youngest sister and
closest friend, Clara, talked
on the phone two or three
times a day.
Vi’s passion was land-
scaping and gardening.
She took great pride in
designing her own yard with
flowers, shrubs and trees.
Her yard was beautiful in
the spring and summer.
She harvested vegetables
through her last summer.
She also loved to fish.
She would can the salmon
her husband caught.
She also liked to read, and
could read while her hus-
band watched TV.
A funeral service will be
held Wednesday, Feb. 15,
(today) at 1 p.m. at the Farn-
strom Mortuary in Inde-
pendence.
Memories and condo-
lences at FarnstromMortu-
ary.com.
Obituary
Information
Obituaries cost $8 per 25
words (column inch) and in-
clude photos and flags for vet-
erans. Obituaries placed by
private individuals must be
prepaid.
Death notices may run free
of charge.
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.
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, ext.
117.
Visit our
website,
www.polkio.com
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412 Lancaster Drive NE
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 581-6265
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