A2
Family
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
O BITUARIES
Delores ‘Dee’ Noah
May 2, 1929 – Feb. 24, 2015
Delores “Dee” Noah, 85, died Feb. 24 at her Dayville home. No
services are planned at this time.
Mrs. Noah was born May 2, 1929, in Woodland, Calif., to Ger-
ald and Florence (Perkins) Bradley. She attended Santa Rosa High
School, and graduated from Santa Rosa Junior College in 1946.
In 1950, she married Jerry Noah in Vancouver, Wash.
Throughout her life she was a homemaker, and also was a gro-
cery checker for Carter Foods and worked for herself as a deli owner.
She retired in 1994.
Survivors include her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Noah of Dayville;
son, Jeffery Noah of Aloha; daughter, Kathleen Noah of Puerto Rico;
and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Blue Mountain Hospice
through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day,
OR 97845.
Charles Pickle
Charles Pickle, 91, of John Day, died March 1 at Blue Moun-
tain Hospital in John Day. A graveside service will be held at
2 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Canyon City Cemetery. Pastor Al
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Memorial contributions may be made to First Christian
Church of John Day through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S.
Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.
About Obituaries
News obituaries are a free service of the Blue Mountain Eagle. The paper accepts
obituaries from the family or funeral home. Information submitted is subject to edit-
ing. Obituaries submitted to the Eagle with incorrect information may be corrected
and republished as paid notices. Send obituaries by e-mail, cheryl@bmeagle.
com; fax, 541-575-1244; or mail, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845. The
deadline to submit an obituary is noon Monday for the Wednesday paper. For more
information, or to inquire about a paid memorial, call 541-575-0710.
The family of Jerry Mills wishes to
express a heartfelt “Thank You” for the
kindness and thoughtfulness shown during
our recent loss. Thank you for the flowers,
cards and support. We deeply appreciate
everything. A special thank you to Evelyn
Cates, Ersela Dehiya, Rhonda
Burdick and Red Iler -
your generosity will never be
forgotten. May God bless
each and every one of you.
Sincerely,
The family of Jerry Mills
Rose Bertha Gohlinghorst
Aug. 6, 1907 – Feb. 18, 2015
REEDSPORT – Rose (Rosa) Ber-
tha Gohlinghorst, 107, died Feb. 18 in
Reedsport. The former Grant County
resident had lived at Aidan Senior Liv-
ing the past 11 years.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 14, at Redeemer Lu-
theran Church, 627 S.E. Hillcrest Dr.
in John Day, followed by a graveside
service at Canyon City Cemetery.
Mrs. Gohlinghorst was born Aug. 6,
1907, at home in Enola, Madison County, Neb., to Otto and
Lisetta (Maurer) Dittberner.
She was raised on a farm with four older brothers and four
younger sisters. She developed a hard work ethic at an early
age, and being the oldest girl, cut her education short to help
out on the farm.
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met her future husband, Ernest (Ernie) Gohlinghorst.
They married on June 18, 1940, in Buffalo Creek Lutheran
Church in Tilden, Neb.
While in her 20s, she and a sister worked for a time as wait-
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ished his military service, they lived in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and
Pendleton, before purchasing the Western Auto Store in John
Day.
She worked alongside her husband, and after his death in
1959, ran the store before selling it in 1964. She then spent
several years working at Quisenberry’s Department Store and
Len’s Rexall.
She was active in her church, and her hobbies included sew-
ing, baking, gardening, canning, reading and handwork. She
was named “Senior Queen of the Kitchen” at the Grant County
Fair. Most of what she made, she shared with others. Family
was of utmost importance to her.
Survivors include her daughters, Sue (Gary) Groen of Lake-
side and Beth (Bob) Piete of Applegate; grandchildren, Tim
(Kelly) Piete of North Plains, Mark (Heidi) Kincaid of Rose-
burg, Doug (Marisol) Piete of Alpine, Calif., and Amy (Bruce)
Henderson of Hillsboro; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Redeemer Lutheran
Church in John Day through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S.
Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.
B IRTHS
Collins Jennelle Derrick
Chad and Kiley Derrick of Canyon City announce the birth
of their daughter, Collins Jennelle Derrick, at 8:22 p.m. Jan. 31,
at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.
Grandparents include Roger and Darla Derrick of John Day,
and Cork and JoAnn Humphrey of Mt. Vernon.
Scott Lloyd Lee
Feb. 27, 1974 – Feb. 25, 2015
CHILOQUIN – Scott Lloyd Lee,
40, formerly of Dayville, died Feb. 25
after a car crash near Klamath Falls. At
his request, there will be no service.
Mr. Lee was born Feb. 27, 1974,
in Prineville, to Jan Elaine Valade Lee
and Doug Lee. He was raised by Jan
and Elmer Dickens Sr. near Dayville,
and attended schools in Dayville and
John Day.
He enjoyed motorcycles, hunting,
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na. The couple had lived in Chiloquin for the last 10 years.
Survivors include his wife, Corrina Taylor of Chiloquin;
his mother, Jan Valade Dickens; daughters, Melissa Anne Lee
Haynes and Celeste Donna Lee; son, Scott Lloyd Lee Jr.; grand-
children, Dominick and Bentley; brother, Elmer Dickens Jr.;
sister, Terri Dickens Landreth; great-grandmother, Fern Turner
of John Day; and grandfather, Duane Turner of Mt. Vernon.
Memorial contributions may be made to a custodial account
for his grandchildren through Old West Federal Credit Union.
Humbolt to get
new principal
Nash retiring
after 18 years
with District 3
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY – Hum-
bolt Elementary Principal
Monty Nash has announced
he will retire at the end of
this school year.
Kim Smith, who has
worked for Grant School
District No. 3 for 17 years,
has been chosen as Hum-
bolt’s new principal, start-
ing with the 2015-16 school
year.
Nash, a longtime educa-
tor, has been with the Dis-
trict for 18 years.
According to District
No. 3 Superintendent Mark
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leadership and administra-
tive roles during his time
with the District, and will be
sorely missed.
Smith began her career
with the District in 1998
teaching grades 5 and 6 at
Mt. Vernon.
She has also taught spe-
cial education and Title 1
at Humbolt and, Witty said,
every grade level from Kin-
dergarten through sixth.
She has been the Special
Education director at Hum-
bolt since 2010.
Witty said, “Smith is
KLJKO\ TXDOL¿HG DQG KDV D
great vision for the school.”
O VER THE RAINBOW
Jan. 11, 1919 - Feb. 24, 2015
Irene Louise Ferguson was born January 11,
1919, in Merrill Oregon and died quietly on
February 24, 2015 in LaGrande Oregon.
Her sons, Dennis, Doug, and Doug’s
wife Charlene were present with her
large family kept close by phone and
e-mail.
Irene was born to Phobe and
William Anderson. She was the last
surviving sibling, with two older
brothers, Richard and Russell, and a
younger sister, Jean. The family
resided on a farm which had been
homesteaded by Irene’s father William
(Bill), in the community of Tulelake
California, just across the state line from
Merrill.
Irene spent her early life here going through
grade school and high school in Tulelake. She was a
typical farm girl growing up in an early 20th century
agricultural community. Irene is the best cook ever,
apparently learning from her mother. It is probably here
that she developed the love of horses and cattle. Her
parents purchased a piano for her early in life. She didn’t
just learn to play, she was a student of music for the rest
of her life, bringing untold pleasure to everyone who
was fortunate enough to listen or dance to her music.
Around 1937, a large itinerant family by the name of
“Ferguson” moved into the area. One Max Ferguson,
who was trying to complete a hit and miss education,
came to Tulelake School to try to complete high school.
Max was 21 years old at the time. A love affair began
there and continued for the rest of their lives. Max and
Irene were married in Reno Nevada in 1937. That union
lasted until Max’s death in 2006, having been married
70 years.
After their marriage, Max worked on the reclamation
project which was developing additional farm ground in
the area. Along with the construction, Max farmed on
leased land near Tulelake. During the War years, Max
was deferred from serving because he was providing
more good farming for the cause than by fighting for it.
First Doug came along, then Denny during the war
years.
Shortly after the end of World War II, the large
Ferguson family, consisting of several grown couples
and their children, began migrating north into Eastern
Oregon. This exodus resulted in Max, Irene and two
small boys owning 1200 acres at the mouth of China
Creek, on the North Fork of the Burnt River. Living was
completely primitive. They lived and thrived in an old
Army Surplus tent. Max felled trees, and begin carving a
small ranch out of an isolated 1200 acres known as the
King Ranch. The team of Max and Irene landed the
school bus contract for hauling the kids who lived on the
“Big Flat” road to school in the small settlement of
Hereford. During the school day Irene worked in the tiny
telephone exchange, the “Juniper Telephone Company”.
Irene was an operator for the old hand crank phone
system. She also worked in the school cafeteria and
gave piano lessons to quite a few kids who are old timers
today. Eventually a log cabin was built and that became
the home at the King Ranch. Living was a lot better in a
house, and none of the family missed the convenience of
plumbing or electricity. They could dip all the water
they needed out of China Creek, and a cozy outhouse
faced east so the morning sun could warm body and soul
on a summer morning. For light they had plenty of gas
lanterns.
In 1955 Max Irene and the boys moved to a small
ranch at the mouth of Fields Creek, on the John Day
River in Grant County. Irene worked at the local medical
facility in John Day, and was a waitress at Marion’s
Cafe in downtown John Day. Max worked for
the Highway Division out of John Day.
Eventually Irene went to work in the office
of the Highway Division, and as a
dispatcher for the Oregon State Police.
Around 1960 after getting Doug
graduated from Dayville High School,
Max and Irene moved to LaGrande,
with
advancements
and
more
opportunity for each of them in their
work for the State Highway Division.
Irene left the highway division while in
LaGrande and went to work at the
College in LaGrande. This was also a State
position, where she was executive secretary
to the Dean of Administration and later became
director of personnel. In the early 1960’s they
purchased a 40 acre piece of raw land at the base of
Mount Emily, near Summerville. They carved out a
showplace here, with a beautiful “A” frame house,
productive hay land, and corrals to keep the ever present
cattle and horses. This was the family place where Max
and Irene’s grown children brought their kids. It was
home away from home for family and extended family for
many years. Both Max and Irene retired while living on
this place. It was a place of much love for family and
friends. Denny and Doug’s kids grew up near this place
and it became a lasting influence on their lives.
In the early 1970’s Max and Irene got the wanderlust
again and ended up at Sekiu, Washington, on the Straits of
Juan de Fuca. The fishing was good and there was
abundant bounty from the sea. They had a good
comfortable boat, and the harvest was good.
After a few years it was apparent that they were just too
far away from what was becoming a large and growing
family being produced by their sons. They moved to
Sumpter, where they begin to build a beautiful home and
place out of nothing. That pioneer spirit is still present. No
more than getting it just right in Sumpter, a move was
made back over to the John Day Valley out on the Moon
Creek Road.
By this time Max and Irene were getting along some and
actually slowing down a little, however there was a large
garden, plenty of horses, and kids and grandkids. Always
plenty of good food, and love.
Around 2005, Max and Irene moved back to LaGrande
and took up residence in the Grande Ronde Retirement
Residence.
Max passed away in May of 2006, and Irene resided
there until shortly before her death. She had just been
waiting to go find Max. Their large family believes they
are finally together.
Irene is survived by her sons Dennis Ferguson,
daughter-in-law Kath Ferguson, Dennis’s wife of nearly
50 years, of Summerville, Douglas Ferguson of Mount
Vernon and his wife Charlene, Grandchildren including
(little) Doug Ferguson of Arlington, D. Mitchell Ferguson
of Mount Vernon, Lindy Temple of California, Amber
Ferguson of Prineville, and Mollee Wood of Powell Butte.
Irene has 11 great grandkids, and 11 great-great
grandkids.
Irene’s favorite and best things were music. She and
Max entertained untold number of people, playing their
music from the late 1940’s to the 1980’s and played at
home until after the millennium. She loved the outdoors,
horses, wild country, the pioneer spirit, traveling over new
ground on a good horse, and cooking good food.
The love of Irene’s life was Max Ferguson, her sons, her
grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great
grandchildren.
Paid for by the Ferguson Family
The Eagle/Scotta Callister
Changing weather brought rain and a rainbow or
two to Grant County last Thursday. This shot was
taken from Highway 26 at Dog Creek Road, just east
of John Day.
W EATHER F ORECAST
Sunny
Wednesday
48/24
Sunny
Thursday
53/30
Mostly
sunny
Friday
56/33
Sunny
Saturday
60/34
Sunny
Sunday
61/36
Sunny
Monday
57/33
Cloudy
Tuesday
61/36
L AST W EEK
F EB . 24
John Day
56/25
Sheep Rock 49/26
25
26
27
28 M ARCH 1 2
47/32 46/36 40/33 38/22 42/17 43/26
58/26 53/27 54/39 47/36 44/20 49/27
R IVER F LOWS
Discharge Last Year Average % of Avg.
John Day (Mainstem)
173
404
247
70
Ritter (MF)
258
1050
312
83
Monument (NF)
1020
4890
1750
58
Service Creek (Mainstem)
1660
7070
2740
61
McDonald Ferry (Mainstem) 1990
4300
3000
66
S KI R EPORT
Anthony Lakes: Base 50 inches; no new snow.
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