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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2019)
A2 FAMILY Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, March 6, 2019 February the fourth coldest on record Blue Mountain Eagle February was the fourth coldest on record. Temperatures in John Day averaged much colder than nor- mal during the month, according to preliminary data received by the National Weather Service in Pendleton. The average temperature was 28 degrees, which was 8.1 degrees below normal. High temperatures averaged 35.9 degrees, which was 11.5 degrees below normal. The highest was 55 degrees on Feb. 1. Low temperatures aver- aged 20.2 degrees, which was 4.6 degrees below normal. The lowest was 6 degrees on Feb. 7. There were 27 days with the low temperature below 32 degrees. There were seven days when the high temperature stayed below 32 degrees. Precipitation totaled 1.48 inches during February, which was 0.73 inches above normal. Measurable precipitation was received on 14 days with the heavi- est, 0.59 inches, reported on Feb. 25. Precipitation this year has reached 2.41 inches, which is 0.68 inches above normal. Since Octo- ber, the water year precipitation in John Day has been 5.48 inches, OBITUARIES which is 0.17 inches above normal. Snowfall totaled 13.8 inches with at least 1 inch of snow reported on six days. The heaviest snowfall was 5 inches reported on Feb. 25. The greatest depth of snow on the ground was 8 inches on Feb. 27. The outlook for March from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Cen- ter calls for below-normal tempera- tures and near-normal precipitation. Normal highs for John Day rise from 51 degrees at the start of March to 57 degrees at the end of March. Normal lows rise from 27 degrees to 31 degrees. The 30-year normal precipitation is 1.27 inches. Patrick William Lee was born Aug. 5, 1947 to George P. Lee and Leslie A. Lee (Warren) in The Dalles, Oregon; he passed away Feb. 8 in Reno, Nevada. He was raised in Fossil, Oregon until 1963. His parents moved Patrick and his siblings to Goldendale, WA where he graduated from high school in 1965. Patrick went to Yakima Community College for a year and worked for Frank Beard. He then enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1968. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, Patrick got interested in saddle making from his great Uncle Wade Warren, a saddle maker for Visalia Saddlery, this would shape his life from here on out. After Patrick’s service in the Marines, he returned to Oregon where he worked on several ranches, learning to braid reins and headstalls in the evenings. It was while he was working on a ranch in Mt. Vernon that he met the love of his life, Shirley Nagel; they were married on June 25, 1976. He was given the opportunity to apprentice under Red Oster to learn the art of saddle making. Patrick would then spend the remainder of his life furthering his art with working knowledge of what a cowboy and horseman needed, also what a horse needed, and took great pride in it. Patrick rode good horses and liked to raise and train nice colts especially if they were from his beloved stud Rocky. Patrick was a cowboy, schooled in the old cowboy ways and happiest when he was on horseback. He was a friend to many and a family man. He loved to pass his knowledge on to others, as he knew a horse would greatly appreciate the effort. He is survived by his wife, Shirley R (Nagel) Lee of Susanville, CA; his daughter, Jennifer Lee Hickel of Vancouver, WA; granddaughter Iris Hickel; brother Robert Lee (Glenda); sisters Sandra Pitcher (Randy) and Kathleen Lee (Chuck Coffman); nieces and nephew Deena Pitcher, JaiDee Taruscio (B.J.), Carrie Markham (Ryan), Cady Lee, Brian Lee; and several great nephews and niece. A memorial will be held at a later date. Paid for by the family of Patrick Lee Bobetta Ann Baker Bobetta Ann Baker, 83, of John Day passed away Tues- day, Feb. 26, at Blue Mountain Care Center in Prairie City. Arrangements have been entrusted to Driskill Memorial Chapel of John Day. A graveside service is scheduled for noon Friday, March 22, at the Canyon City Cemetery. To leave an online condolence, visit driskillmemorialchapel. com. Gary Wayne Domeniconi May 19, 1943 — Feb. 23, 2019 Gary Domeniconi, 75, formerly of Canyon City, Oregon, and Napa, Cal- ifornia, passed away from congestive heart failure on Feb. 23 in Vancouver, Washington. Gary was born in Napa, California, to Florence and Adolph Domeniconi on May 19, 1943, and considered John Day their home- town. A lifelong jack-of-all-trades, he was loved and admired by all of his friends and large extended family. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann; daughters, Tracey (Mike) Domeniconi, Gina (Don) Gasser, Mandy (Rob) Olmsted; stepsons, Rob, Tom, David and Jason Olmsted; grandchildren, Aleigha, Haley, Jason, Becca and Nathan; stepgrandchildren, Kyle, Justin, Reilly, Ty, Aleena, Mad- die, Aiden, Jordan and Scout; and one great-grandson and one on the way. Gary was the owner and operator of Commercial Auto Electric for many years in John Day where he was well known for his fair business ethics, great personality and ready laughter. While living in John Day, he raised cows, goats and pumpkins. He was also known for his bright yellow Willy’s pickup that he built himself and his dog, Shadow, that went everywhere with him. Gary was a loyal friend, a kind and loving husband and father. He was a humble man so requested a small memo- rial. His fi nal resting place will be John Day, the place he loved and called home; he will be greatly missed by all. Cascadia Cremation and Burial is in charge of arrange- ments, 6303 E. 18th St., Site A, Vancouver, WA 98661, 360-213-2060, cascadiacremation.com or info@cascadia- cremation.com. David Eugene Sandersfeld Thaddeus Gean Cowan Thompson was born Easter Sunday, April 15, 1979 to Bob and Kay Cowan Thompson in Albany, Oregon. He was joined two years later by his sister, Tirza. In February 1985, the family moved to John Day where Thadd would spend the majority of his youth participating in 4-H, golf soccer, science club, National Honor Society, and hanging out with his friends. He graduated from Grant Union High School in 1997, then attended Pacific Lutheran University and graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor in Computer Science, with honors, with a special interest in wearable computers in 2001. After college Thadd worked at Hello Network in Las Vegas as a computer programmer until he started his own computer company, TGCT.net; he then moved to Florida to be near Mike and Tirza. In 2004, Thadd moved back to John Day to become part of the family business where he became the Vice President of Chester’s Market Inc. and, under Thadd’s direction, began to grow and expand the company and developed platforms for multi store operations. He worked alongside his father, Bob, who was his business partner and best friend. In August 2011 he welcomed his son Nathanial Aaron Cowan Thompson. Thadd loved to be outside and being with his family; he loved to hike, snowshoe, camp, to fish in Alaska with his dad, being at the coast, watching sunsets, and spending time with his son. Thadd’s values were honesty, hard work and dedication to family. He had a great sense of humor, loved being uncle goat, and was a loving father. He had a great smile, could always make you laugh with a witty one-liner, was always up for an adventure, enjoyed teaching and leading others, and had a great love for God. Thadd was a wonderful man and father who deeply loved his son and his family; his kindness and humor were unmatched. His last six months were filled with joy and happiness that he shared with Sylvia, Nathanial, Cooper and Jordan. Rosary at St. Elizabeth Church will be March 8th at 6:30 p.m., mass will be held at St. Elizabeth Church the following day, March 9th , at 10 a.m. with a private burial to follow. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Trowbridge Pavilion March 9th at 11:30 a.m. with a lunch to follow. Paid for by the family of Thaddeus Gean Cowan Thompson. Mary Ellen Groen, 97, of John Day passed away Saturday, Feb. 23 at Valley View Assisted Living in John Day. A funeral service is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 9 at Driskill Memorial Chapel. Vault interment will follow at 1 p.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery in Baker City. Mary Ellen was born on Jan. 3, 1922 in Baker City, Oregon to Warren B. and Vera (Storie) Powell. She had two older sisters and they lived on a ranch near Rye Valley in Baker County, Oregon. Her first year of school was at Dixie, Oregon. The family was in Ludwig, Nevada at the beginning of the second year of school and she attended school there until Thanksgiving of that year, when they returned to Oregon. The remainder of her grade school years were at Rye Valley until the last six weeks of the eighth grade. The family moved to Vale, Oregon where she finished the eighth grade, four years of high school and a post graduate course. Upon completion of the post graduate school, and in the fall of 1940, she started to work for the law firm of Lytle & Swan in Vale as a legal secretary for the sum of $25.00 per month. In 1942 she had an opportunity for a better job with John Caldwell at the Malheur Abstract Co. (later Land Title Insurance Co.) for $60.00 per month, a career that lasted for 40 years. She was a member of the Vale Womens Club and served as their secretary/treasurer for several years. She served as chairman of the 1945 Christmas Seals for the Vale area and chairman of Oregon Chest Drive for Malheur County in 1949. Also, she performed as a dancer in five Home Talent Shows presented by the Vale Womens Club. In the fall of 1949, L. A. (Vern) Groen was hired as a draftsman for the title company and he convinced Mary Ellen that he was the one for her. They were married on Aug. 4, 1951. They both continued to work for the title company. Vern had a son by a former marriage and Mary Ellen formally adopted him in 1956. In 1952 they moved to Baker City to manage the Baker Title Company for the McCallum family. They were there until the fall of 1957 when they again joined John Caldwell to build a new title plant for Grant County, a project that took six months. When it was completed, they moved to John Day to manage the new business. Mary Ellen didn’t work full time when they first opened the new business and, in the fall of 1958, Grace Williams, Grant County’s District Attorney, asked her to work for her, a job that lasted about four years. By that time, the Land Title Company of Grant County had purchased the Grant County Abstract Co. and Vern needed her help in the business. Vern died in 1987 and Mary Ellen continued to operate the business for six years. A couple of years after Vern’s death, the Agent’s Section of the Oregon Land Title Assn. appointed her as Sec.-Treas. for a one-year term. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Can-Day Garden club, serving as the treasurer for the Auxiliary and secretary for the Legion Hall Board, and secretary for the Can-Day Garden Club, as well as working in her business. She sold the title company to Bend Title Co. in August of 1984. She loved to travel and, after she sold the business, thought she would have time to enjoy traveling. However, Roy Kilpatrick, an attorney in Mt. Vernon, Oregon asked her to work for him. She accepted his offer and started another legal secretary job in Nov. 1985, thinking she would probably work for one or two more years - it turned out to be a total of 12 years. Her son was planning a three-month trip to Alaska in his motor home and said he would like to have her join him. Roy had died in Dec. of 1992, and his son, Mike, had the law office and she continued to work for him. When she told him of her plans, he said “Mary Ellen, are you sure you want to do that?” She said, “Yes”. It was a wonderful trip. She also traveled to Europe four times, Hawaii three times, Mexico once, and visited almost all of the United States. She went on three cruises - one to Hawaii, one to Mexico and one on the Inland Passage to Alaska. Also, a river boat trip on the ‘Delta Queen’ up the Mississippi River. She was preceded in death by her husband, Vern Groen; her parents, Warren and Vera Powell; her two sisters, Eleanor VanWinkle and Dorothy Cameron; and daughter-in-law, Sue Kay Groen. She is survived by her son, Gary Groen of Lakeside, Oregon; nieces, Janis (John) Hart of Indianola, Iowa, Virginia (Monty) Thompson of LaGrande, Oregon, Lea Ann Shipman of La Grande, Oregon, Jerri (Bob) Bronson of Prineville, Oregon and Leslie (Carl) Naake of Loomis, California. Memorial contributions may be made to the John Day Elks Lodge #1824 through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, Oregon 97845. To offer an online condolence to the family, visit: www.driskillmemorialchapel.com. Paid for by the family of Mary Ellen Groen Last Week’s Temps John Day ...........................................................HI/LO Tuesday ........................................................... 21/15 Wednesday ..................................................... 48/19 Thursday .......................................................... 36/22 Friday ............................................................... 37/23 Saturday .......................................................... 34/16 Sunday ............................................................. 28/18 Monday............................................................ 27/16 24/7 F ORECAST A UTOMATED : 541-575-1122 R OAD CONDITIONS : 511; TRIPCHECK . COM NOAA W EATHER R ADIO FOR J OHN D AY 162.500 MHz May 10, 1951 — Feb. 22, 2019 David “Dave” Eugene Sandersfeld passed away peacefully in his home on Feb. 22 after a long battle with colon cancer. An interpreter position with the John Day Fossil Beds brought him to the area in the summer of 2008. He was familiar with the area, as he had worked with the Ochoco National For- est Service in the late 1970s. When he left the park service, he retired in Can- yon City where he took up the study of rocks found in the area, gems he called them. He also was an accomplished writer with seven published books on Amazon. He is survived by his wife, Debbie, of Canyon City, Ore- gon; brother, Brian Sandersfeld, of Dayville, Oregon; daugh- ter, Diana Sandersfeld; granddaughter, Samantha Sandersfeld, of Mt. Vernon, Oregon; niece Dawnya (Brian) Keary of Pay- ette, Idaho; nephews, Riley, Nathan and Garrett, of Payette, Idaho; and one niece living in Caldwell, Idaho. He was preceded in death by his mother, Estelle; father, Robert; brother, Eric; and sister, Gayle. A celebration of life will be held on May 10 at the Dayville Community Church at 11 a.m. in Dayville, Oregon. It will be potluck with ham provided; bring your stories, as there will be a time to share. Contributions to the American Cancer Society may be made through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, Oregon. To light a candle in David’s mem- ory or to offer condolences to his family, please visit driskill- memorialchapel.com. CORRECTION Thomas Smith from John Day Fire Department was not included in last week’s story about those who completed the Grant-Har- ney Training Association’s annual fi refi ghter training academy. His name was not provided to the Eagle. We regret the error. CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND PASSING OF Bob Boethin & Mickey Boethin SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH 2019 THE GRAVESIDE SERVICE IS LOCATED AT CANYON CITY CEMETERY 1:00PM RECEPTION FOLLOWING AT THE JOHN DAY ELKS LODGE 2:00PM W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF M ARCH 6-12 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Rain and drizzle Light drizzle Mostly cloudy Partly sunny Rather cloudy Clouds and sun Cloudy 47 38 34 38 42 48 45 28 23 19 22 26 23 22