Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 2017)
Polk County News 10A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 12, 2017 City Council to discuss city manager search By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer FALLS CITY — Discussion on beginning a search for a city manager is on the agenda for the Falls City City Council meeting Thursday. In March, Falls City Mayor Terry Ungricht said he would be researching recruitment options for a professional city manager, which he said would be a more effective. Ungricht has been filling in the role for about two years. In a report to the council, Un- gricht said he met with Local Government Personnel Institute and Mid-Willamette Valley Coun- cil of Governments, often re- ferred to as Cog, about a recruit- ing and hiring process. Cog helped the city find its last three managers. “It is looking like we can use their services at an estimated cost of between $5,000 and $10,000,” Ungricht wrote in the report. Ungricht included information about the duties of the city’s last manager and list of what other small cities in Oregon pay for dif- ferent management positions. “I have put together informa- tion to help council decide what duties the council would like the manager to in charge of,” Un- gricht wrote. “Both Cog and LGPI said that the first step will be to draft the scope/duties of the job.” Ungricht estimated the search would cost $7,500, and $80,000 to $100,000 per year to pay for a city manager. Also on Thursday’s agenda is a resolution to approve an agreement with the city of Inde- pendence to provide municipal court services; an ordinance to allow nonresidents to serve on the city’s Historic Landmark Commission; and a water serv- i c e a g re e m e n t w i t h G re e n Haven RV Park. The Falls City City Council meets at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Falls City Community Center, 320 N. Main St. For more information: 503- 787-3631. OBITUARIES Lee Baker May 30, 1923 – April 3, 2017 Lee was born in the min- ing town of Fullerburg, Colo., raised in Virginia City, Nev., and as a boy moved to Southern California with his family. Lee joined the Naval Avia- tion and served proudly in World War II. Lee was stationed on Palm- yra Island in the Pa- cific and served as a gunner on a Douglas SBD. After the w a r, L e e attended college at the University of Maine where he met his first wife and where his son, Gary, was born. Lee and Gary moved to Southern California to be near family, and Lee worked as a Hermosa Beach Police Officer, a job he loved very much, eventually becoming a detective. He met and married Susan, and they had daugh- ter Jackie and son Ken. Salem 412 Lancaster Drive NE Salem, OR 97301 Lee retired from the po- lice department and the family moved to Oregon in 1980, after falling in love with the Willamette Valley while on vacation the year before. Lee purchased a beautiful log home on Cooper Hollow Road for his family to enjoy. Lee worked for a short time as a deputy for the Polk County Sheriff ’s Depart- ment, and his patrol includ- ed the towns of Falls City and Valsetz. Lee and his friend and business partner, Jim Burke, opened B & B Guns, a gun- smith shop on Court Street in Dallas. It was later known as Ore- gon Police Supply, and Lee loved to provide custom .45 work and teach classes. Lee and his new wife Ann moved to Arizona in 1987, and remained there for sev- eral years before finally moving back to Oregon to be close to his children and grandchildren. Lee has many friends who are more like family. His friends were always a central part of his life and remained so until his last moments. Lee lived a full life of fun and adventure. Many envied the stories he told, including a trip to Mexico to meet Pancho Villa’s widow; hair- raising close calls as a test- jumper for parachutes while in college; fiery roll-over crashes while a race car Dudley’s Hearing Aid Service (503) 581-6265 Low Cost Cremation & Burial Funerals & Memorials Simple Direct Cremation $595 Simple Direct Burial $710 Traditional Funeral $2,275 Discount priced Caskets, Urns and other Memorial items. Privately owned cremation facility. Locally owned and operated by Oregon families. www.ANewTradition.com 541-741-2936 Testing • Sales • Service Call for your FREE “IN-HOME” HEARING TEST AND EVALUATION driver in Maine and Califor- nia; fights with bad guys while a police officer; and many, many others. Lee was constantly re- modeling the homes he lived in, always building cars and engines, and collecting and trading guns, which kept him busy and his wife working. Lee was a wonderful fa- ther to Jackie and Ken, tak- ing them with him on ad- ventures across the West Coast. He provided them a unique childhood, with sto- ries of their own to tell. Lee is survived by his wife Ann, his faithful companion for over 30 years; also by his daughter Jackie (Doug) and son Ken (Katie); his grand- children Tom and Amanda; his former wife, Susan (Robert); and countless close friends, including John, Jay, Bruce, Terry, Bill and many more. Lee died just shy of his 94th birthday, following al- most a year in hospice care for kidney failure, proving that he was as tough as nails and embodying the phrase, “They don’t make them like that anymore.” Services at Willamette National Ceme- tery will be at a later date. Lavina Anna Brixius July 17, 1922 – April 2, 2017 Lavina Anna Brixius, 94, a resident of Dallas, died Sun- day, April 2, 2017, in the Dal- las Retire- ment Vil- lage. She was born on July 17, 1922, in Hender- son, Neb., the youngest of nine chil- dren born to Gerhard and Katherine Epp Friesen. She moved to Madrid, Neb., and graduated from Grant High in Nebraska. During high school, she dated Don Brixius. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps before World War II while Lavina completed her normal training to be a teacher. Lavina moved with her parents to Salem at the start of the war, following her two brothers who were already in Oregon. On April 3, 1942, Lavina and Donald were married in Walla Walla, Wash., while Don was on a 48-hour pass, as he was stationed in Pendleton. They lived in several places before Don was sent to North Africa. Lyndal, their first son, was born while Don was overseas. After military life, the young family lived in Den- ver, Colo., while Don com- pleted watch-making school, and then worked for a downtown jeweler. Their second son, Terry, was born in Denver. They moved to Ordway, Colo., and opened Brixius Jewelers, which they operated for 13 years. Lavina served as office manager. In 1959, the family moved to Dallas where Robert “Bob” was born, and they ran Brixius Jewelers until their retirement in the latter 1980s. Lavina and Don, coming from the Midwest, enjoyed the Pacific Coast and the mountains of the west, and eventually, with two other couples, bought a home on the Central Oregon Coast. They enjoyed their coast getaways for over 25 years. In retirement, Lavina and Don enjoyed travel to warm Arizona and San Diego cli- mates in the winter for sev- eral years, along with travel to Europe once and several ocean cruises. Lavina was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church, Dallas Woman’s Club, and the Dal- las Chamber of Commerce. Lavina is survived by sons Lyndal and Robert. Lyndal has three children, Michael, Stephen and Stephanie. Mike’s life partner is Laura Desmond. Steve has two children, Kyler and Amanda; 312 Main Street • Dallas 503-623-0290 Personally involved and invested in the Dallas community May 22, 1961 – April 8, 2017 Walter Fred Huston, 55, a resident of Independence, died peacefully on Saturday, April 8, 2017. Fred loved the outdoors, hiking, fishing, rock hunting and his dog Dazia. He was preceded in death by his father, Walter. He is survived by his son Justin; mother Freddena Huston; brother Rockne (Coleen) Huston; sisters Kathleen (Jerry) Wilson and Susan (Garth) Mulkey; aunts, un- cles and several nieces and nephews. A graveside service will be held at a later date. Farn- strom Mortuary is handling arrangements. Memories and condo- lences may be shared with the family at FarnstromMor- tuary.com. March 12, 1933 – April 7, 2017 Joyful Sound Hearing Mark Sturtevant Walter Fred Huston Lilly May Cowan Servicing Polk County Since 1987 • Hearing Testing • Hearing Aids • Service Call today for your FREE Consultation Stephanie has two daugh- ters with her husband Clark Looney, Melissa and Kate. She was preceded in death by her husband Don and son Terril and all of her siblings. Viewing will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, (today) in the Dallas Mortu- ary Tribute Center. Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 13, in the mortuary. Private interment will be in the Dallas Ceme- tery. In lieu of flowers, a dona- tion to the Jewelers for Chil- dren Foundation can be made. This is a jewelry foun- dation which supports Make a Wish, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, CASA (Court Ap- pointed Special Advocates) and the Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Contributions may be sent to 120 Broadway, 28th Floor New York, NY 10271 (www.jewelersforchildren.or g), or Brixius Jewelers or the Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center. To leave a message or memory for the family please go to www.dallastrib- ute.com. Welcoming new patients. Most insurance health plans accepted. Also a Moda preferred provider. You’ve just moved. Can your prearrangements follow you? We get questions like this frequently and the answer is “yes.” As prearrangement experts, we can help you simplify the process and answer any questions you may have. Lilly May Cowan, of Dal- las, died in Independence on April 7, 2017, at the age or 84. Lilly was one of 11 children and was born in Ok- mulgee, Okla., on March 12, 1933, to James F. and Nettie (Wood- ley) Sullivan. At a young age, the family moved to Bakersfield, Calif., where she graduated from High School; she later moved to Oregon. She mar- ried Rod Cowan in Reno, Nev., on March 17, 1974. Visit our website, www.polkio.com ...for local news, sports and community events. Follow us on ~ Polk County’s ONLY Family Owned Funeral Homes ~ She worked in the health care field as a physical ther- apy assistant for Fairview Hospital in Salem for over 22 years. When Lilly wasn’t work- ing, she loved to work in her garden growing vegetables, flowers, roses and every- thing else. She was also a very talent- ed seamstress and very cre- ative in everything she did. After retirement, she contin- ued to enjoy her hobbies, in- cluding traveling with Rod, camping, fishing, gold pan- ning, and just getting out and enjoying each other’s company. Lilly also enjoyed spending time with her fam- ily. She is survived by her husband Rod Cowan; chil- dren Don E. Dodson and Karren Dayton; brother Carl Sullivan; sisters Audrey Mc- Garity, Shirley Clay and Hazel Morse; seven grand- children, 15 great-grandchil- dren and four great-great- grandchildren. A private gathering will be held. Contributions can be made to the American Can- cer Society in her name. Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center is caring for the fam- ily. To share an online con- dolence, go to: www.dallas- tribute.com. Stephanie ‘Peni’ Calvin Aug. 7, 1956 – April 4, 2017 Memorial service 2 p.m. on Tuesday, at Bridgeport Community Chapel, Falls City. Dallas Mortuary Trib- ute Center handled arrange- ments. Karen Jean Reardon May 6, 1953 – April 6, 2017 Karen Jean Reardon, 63, of Dallas, died April 6 at her home. She is survived by her husband Alan; son Michael Keyes; daughter Diana (Bob) Robledo; and son James Reardon; two grandchildren; birth father Jack; brothers Stan, John, Danny, Michael and Jimmy; and sisters Marcy, Renee, Jeree and Frances. A memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 18, in the Evangelical Bible Church. The Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center handled arrangements. To leave an online tribute: www.dallastribute.com.