A2
Family
Blue Mountain Eagle
G RANT U NION S TUDENTS OF THE
M ONTH — N OVEMBER
Destiny Pelayo
Grade 7
Parents: Brandi
Kennedy and
Daniel Pelayo
Emily
Springer
Grade 10
Parents: Mike
and Shannon
Springer
Ashley
Henry
Grade 8
Parent: Joan
Walczyk
Kenna Combs
Grade 9
Parents: John
and Andrea
Combs
Kori Jo
Girvin
Grade 11
Parents: John
and Brandi
Girvin
Whitney
McClellan
Grade 12
Parents: Ryan
and Debby
McClellan
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
O BITUARIES
Steven W. Gentis
March 31, 1941 - Nov. 22, 2017
Steve Gentis, 76, of Tigard passed away Nov. 22 at his
home. He was born March 31, 1941, in John Day. He attended
John Day Grade School and graduated from Grant Union High
School in 1959.
Between his junior and senior year of high school, he was
seriously injured in a car accident and was confined to a wheel-
chair the rest of his life. This did not stop him. He attended and
graduated from college with a degree in electronics. He worked
in the computer and electronics field until his health began to
deteriorate, forcing him to retire.
He taught computer and electronics classes in foreign coun-
tries and accomplished amazing feats during his career.
He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Terry
Gentis; stepfather, Melvin Kite; and nephew, Mike Gentis.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy Gentis, of Tigard; moth-
er, Thelma Kite, of Prairie City; brother Walt Gentis and wife,
Donna, of Canyon City; nephews John Gentis of Athena and
Sherm Gentis of John Day; four great-nephews; and one great-
niece.
Gentis’ hobbies included building antique clocks, wood-
working, computers and electronics. He will be greatly missed
by his family and friends. A celebration of life will be an-
nounced at a later date.
Symbri and Lily Shelton
Symbri Dove Shelton, age 3, and Lily Elizabeth Shelton,
age 1, died Nov. 30 in Prairie City because of a residential
fire. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec.
15, at the Harvest Church in Baker City with Pastor Brad
Phillips officiating. Financial contributions may be made to
the family through Gray’s West & Company Pioneer Chap-
el, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814. To leave con-
dolences, visit grayswestco.com.
Mildred (Millie) B. Goe
July 29, 1923 – November 29, 2017
Madelyn ‘Lynn’ Hinson Epler
Jan. 14, 1934 - Dec. 3, 2017
Madelyn “Lynn” Hinson Epler, 83,
passed away Sunday, Dec. 3, in her
own home, where she’d been lovingly
cared for during her last years by her
husband of almost 63 years.
She was born Jan. 14, 1934, in Old
Hickory, Tennessee. Her family moved
to Richland, Washington, in June 1944,
when she was 10. She grew up in Rich-
land where both she and her husband-
to-be graduated from Columbia High
School in 1952. Upon graduation, she went to work for General
Electric, while her future husband entered the U.S. Air Force to
participate in the Korean War.
Two years later, on Dec. 21, 1954, she married 2nd Lt. Rich-
ard J. “Dick” Epler to join him at his first duty station in Nash-
ville, Tennessee.
Within eight years, they had four children. Over the next 24
years, she enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom. Her talent for
homemaking was especially evident during the Christmas sea-
son with lights, decorations, the scent of freshly baked choco-
late chip cookies, candles and music. She could often be heard
singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” while cooking break-
fast.
In the following 35 years, she and her husband first built
their dream home on 60 acres southeast of Mt. Vernon, then
bought a motor home to journey all over the lower 48, and into
Canada and Alaska.
She was loving and generous, and her priorities were her
faith and her family. She will be missed.
She is survived by her husband; four children, Sherri Epler
Fitzgerald, Jim (Susan) Epler, Mike (Dua) Epler and Rob (Ja-
mie) Epler; 11 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Epler’s memory can be made
to Blue Mountain Hospice, through Driskill Memorial Chapel,
241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.
About Obituaries
Mildred B. Goe (Millie) aged 94, passed away on Wednesday, November 29 in Hood River, Oregon. She was
born July 29, 1923, in Whittier California to Frederic “Irwin” Bowerman and Marjorie Osborn Bowerman.
Millie is survived by her middle daughter, Terri Stone of Hermosa Beach,CA, her granddaughter Whitney (John)
McSwain of Scottsdale, Arizona and grandson Adam Stone of Hermosa Beach, CA; her only son Bill (Marlee) Goe
of Hood River, grandson Aaron (Shannah) Goe of Parkdale, 2 great grandchildren, Cale and Sadie, grandson Kerry
Goe of Bend, Oregon, granddaughter Tara Goe of Pittsburgh, PA and grandson Eric Fritz of Eugene Oregon. She
was preceded in death by her oldest daughter Angela Fritz and her husband Gary Fritz, her parents and her
brother George (Mary) Bowerman of Longview, WA as well as many other relatives.
Millie graduated from Odell High School in 1941. She received a Bachelor’s degree from University of Oregon.
and a Master’s Degree from Portland State University.
In the course of her life, Millie taught home economics (cooking, sewing and food preservation) as well as
business education (typing, shorthand, personal and household finance and bookkeeping) at Hood River High
School, Wy’East High in Hood River, Reedsport High School, ending her teaching career in Monument, Oregon .
The number of texts, emails and Facebook posts the family has received since her passing attests to the fact that,
while she was strict, she was a well-liked and respected educator. “She was my favorite teacher” was heard by the
family over and over.
After retirement, Millie relocated to Eugene to assist with the care of her eldest daughter. During that time she
became very active in the Sight and Hearing Association, due to her increasing diminished hearing. After Angela’s
death, she returned to the Hood River Valley.
Millie was a very active member of the Methodist Church during her lifetime. She organized and participated in
numerous activities such as the Walk to Emmaus, Wallowa Lake Retreats and was for many years the secretary of
the Board of Methodist Women for the Oregon/Idaho Conference. Additionally, Millie participated in weekly
bible study, prayer groups, and was a long-time active member of the Hazel Rebekah Lodge. She could always be
found at every church or Lodge bazaar donating food and items for sale, as well as selling to the visiting folks.
A life-long desire to learn new and interesting hobbies led Millie to take up photography in 1994, after the family
teased her that she always cut off heads in photos. She returned to the University of Oregon and took classes
learning how to shoot pictures that were truly enjoyable. The new interest in photography led Millie to enjoy
travelling to such places as Ireland, serving as a kibbutz volunteer in Israel, visiting Jerusalem, riding camels in
Egypt, camping throughout Canada, deep sea fishing for salmon in Alaska, building homes in Guatemala and
Mexico and also visiting Hawaii and Australia. Millie also escorted, after her retirement, a group of teenagers,
cross country by bus, to visit the sights of Washington, DC and New York (heaven forbid!). Her daughter met her
in NYC and can attest to the fact that it truly was a challenge.
Millie moved back to her family home on Odell Highway in 1998, creating beautiful flower and vegetable gar-
dens that were enjoyed by everyone who passed by her house. She studied and became a Master Gardener. She
gardened well into her 94th year. She had huge gardens which she grew and gave most of the produce away to
family, FISH Foodbank and her fellow members of the church. She created a beautiful memorial garden for her
oldest daughter, Angela, under the big tree on her property. Most days found her outside pulling weeds, planting,
picking, and sharing with the community at large. Her energy was unstoppable. During this time, she also pur-
chased a piano and organ, teaching herself to play and sing the songs and hymns she so loved (though she never
shared this talent with the family).
Millie enjoyed playing bridge with her group of women for nearly 60 years. She also bowled until her eyesight
would no longer allow her to play (she wasn’t that great of a bowler to begin with, but the eyesight became her
downfall). Those of us who knew her well knew her love of butterflies, rainbows and sunflowers. Also, there
wasn’t a day that she didn’t praise the beauty of Mt. Hood right in her back yard.
Ultimately her participation in bowling, bridge, driving and gardening became limited due to blindness caused
by macular degeneration, but her spirit remained strong. She signed up for a Macular Degeneration Study at
Casey Eye Institute, knowing full well that whatever was discovered during trials wouldn’t help her, but her hope
was that it could help her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in years to come.
The family would like to thank Providence Hospice of the Gorge for the care and comfort in
her final weeks and also the staff and residents of Parkhurst for their support and kindness.
Millie left detailed instructions for her children to celebrate her life at 1:00 p.m., Saturday,
December 9th, 2017 at Wy’East Community Church (the little brown church in Odell – 3422
Odell Hwy., Odell, Oregon) and her body will be laid to rest at Idlewilde Cemetery in a
separate private ceremony.
At Millie’s request, Memorial contributions may be made to Wy’East Community Church in
Odell. Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center (Funerals • Recep-
tions • Cremations) 1401 Belmont Avenue, Hood River, Oregon 97031. Visit
www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.
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 email, editor@bmeagle.com;
fax, 541-575-1244; or mail, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845. For more
information, or to inquire about a paid memorial, call 541-575-0710.
C ORRECTION
In last week’s paper, Grant Union’s new girls basketball head
coach Casey Hallgarth’s previous coaching experience was
listed incorrectly. Hallgarth was previously the head coach of
Elgin’s boys basketball team. The Eagle regrets the error.
Baker City
2830 10th St.
541-524-0122
Every other Monday
in John Day
170 Ford Rd.
541-575-1311
Paid for by the family of Millie B. Goe
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