FAMILY
Blue Mountain Eagle
Senior advisory council
meeting planned Dec. 14
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Senior
Citizens Advisory Council
semi-annual meeting starts at
11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 14, at
the John Day Senior Center.
New members of the
council appointed by the
Grant County Court will be
introduced. By-laws will be
presented, officers will be
elected and the area plan will
be reviewed.
The public is welcome.
For more information,
contact Frances Preston,
541-820-4463.
PRAIRIE CITY HONOR ROLL
— FIRST NINE WEEKS
Seniors
4.0 GPA: Ezra Beam,
Jesaka Culley, Brandon Hor-
rell, Sophia McLennan, Cait-
lin Willet and Jayden Winegar.
Honor roll (3.5-3.99 GPA):
Samantha Workman, Declan
Zweygardt, Katie Hire, Kevin
Duvall, Jojari Field and Abbey
Pfefferkorn.
Honorable mention (3.0-
3.49 GPA): Mikiah Kimble.
Juniors
4.0 GPA: Marcus Judd.
Honor roll: Masyn Keith
and Gavin Lopez.
Honorable mention: Han-
nah Wall, Tianna Lawrence,
John Titus, Cameron Zirkel
and Zenteyvia Locke.
Sophomores
Honor roll: Kaitlynne Ash-
ley and Laken McKay.
Honorable mention: Betty
Ann Wilson, Paige Shaw, Cait-
lin Titus and Cole Teel.
SUNRISE IN
MT. VERNON
Freshmen
Honor roll: Jasmine Hay-
zlett, Cayden Howard, Tristen
Gibson and Wes Voigt.
Honorable
mention:
Cody Reagan, Jaycee Wine-
gar, Brooke Teel and Brianna
Kimble.
Eighth-graders
4.0 GPA: Tamara Judd.
Honor roll: Clyde Holliday,
Josie Horrell, Reece Jacobs,
Arie De Groot, Eric Rausch,
Hinkle Eli and Lilly Rockhill.
Honorable mention: Skylar
McKay, Hunter Urbanowicz,
Gracie Voigt, Hagen Workman
and Zoey Beam.
Seventh-graders
Honor roll: Alexis Ander-
ton, Kaitlyn Dehart and Nich-
olas Perez.
Honorable mention: Riley
Davis, Mya Bryant, Laynie
Harmon, Ashlee Mills and
Maison Teel.
Vet clinic
offering spay
and neuter clinic
Blue Mountain Eagle
Contributed photo/Ersela Dehiya
Sunrise in Mt. Vernon.
John Day River Vet-
erinary Clinic will offer
reduced rates during a
spay and neuter clinic
for dogs and cats Dec.
15-16.
Dogs will be on Dec.
15, cats on Dec. 16.
Call
to
make
an
appointment,
541-932-4428.
Rita Meyer
December 29, 1930 ~ November 26, 2020
Rita (Howard) Meyer, age 89, was a beloved
wife, mother, and Grandmother. She passed
away on November 26, 2020, at her residence
with her family by her side. A private family
graveside service will be held at the Canyon
City Cemetery, with a memorial service for the
public to be announced at a later date.
She was born Rita May Howard on December 29, 1930, at a midwife’s
house in Stanley County, South Dakota. During the Great Depression,
her family moved frequently and lived for several years in a sod house
near Wanblee, South Dakota. She graduated from high school in Huron,
South Dakota, where she met Alfred (Al) Meyer in choir class. The two
were married in Huron in February 1951 and remained together until his
death in 2006.
Rita worked at Hughes Aircraft in Venice Beach, California, while her
husband Al was serving in the Navy during the Korean War. She also
worked at the Oregon State University Controller’s office and then at a
Chiropractor’s office until her first son’s birth.
During her husband’s career with the U.S. Forest Service, the Meyers
lived in various towns in Oregon, including Corvallis, La Grande, Enter-
prise, Unity, Joseph, and John Day, where she lived since 1971. She was
an avid piano player and spent many years teaching and playing the pia-
no at the Nazarene Church. She loved to sing and was a wonderful cook.
Grant Union, Humbolt schools back to on-site education
Many students are back in the
classroom.
Grant Union Junior-Senior High and
Humbolt Elementary School returned
to on-site education Monday, according
to Grant School District Superintendent
Bret Uptmor.
The decision was based on the number
of COVID-19 cases and case positivity as
well as the impact COVID-19 has had on
kids and staff and how many have been ill
or quarantined, he said.
Uptmor said current data indicates
Grant County’s case positivity rate
dropped from 16.8% two weeks ago to
around 7.8% last week and is now hov-
Eagle file photo
Grant School District Superintendent
Bret Uptmor.
ering around 3.8%. Uptmor said the local
health department was supportive of
moving back to on-site education.
Uptmor said they know some people
may be nervous going back to school, but
OBITUARIES
Samuel Alphonso Lindsey
Clifford E. Smith
March 29, 1939 – Dec. 2, 2020
Clifford Earl Smith of Long Creek, Oregon, was born on
March 29, 1939, in Dead Ox Flats, Oregon, near Ontario to parents
Gordon and Clara Jacobson Smith. He died
on Dec. 2, 2020, in Hermiston, Oregon,
at the age of 81 years. Clifford was raised
for a good part of his childhood in Prairie
City, Oregon, where he graduated from high
school in 1957. He then joined the United
States Army, serving from 1958 until his
honorable discharge in 1962. He then
attended Treasure Valley Community Col-
lege before transferring to Eastern Oregon
College where earned his BA in English.
Clifford was united in marriage to Reiba
Carter on Aug. 16, 1964, in Long Creek, Oregon. He worked as a
timber faller and later as a substitute teacher where he enjoyed con-
necting with students. He had served on the Long Creek City Coun-
cil and as mayor. Clifford enjoyed hunting, was an avid sports fan,
playing city league basketball into his 60s, and supporting his chil-
dren and grandchildren in their sporting events and other activities.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Reiba Smith, Long
Creek, Oregon; daughters, Treina Smith Slatt, Hood River, Oregon,
and Treila Smith, Monument, Oregon; son, Rykeir Smith, Vancou-
ver, Washington; brother, Tim Smith, McMinnville, Oregon; sisters,
Sharon Leasy, Pilot Rock, Oregon, and Joyce Authier, Prineville,
Oregon; eight grandchildren, Treiquella, Peiyton, Tayleir, Aubrei-
anna, Teigan, Zandeir, Lillien and Preston; and numerous nieces,
nephews and cousins.
Clifford was preceded in death by his parents, and infant son,
Ryan Smith, sister, Bev Baldrige, and a brother, Morse Smith.
A graveside funeral service with military honors will be held on
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, at 12 noon at the Long Creek Cemetery,
Long Creek, Oregon.
Those who wish may make contributions in Clifford’s memory
to the Long Creek ambulance.
Please share memories of Clifford at burnsmortuaryhermiston.
com.
Gary ‘Hawk’ Grant
Gary “Hawk” Grant, 73, of Monument passed away Nov.
28. No services are planned at this time. Memorial contribu-
tions may be made to a local charity of one’s choosing. Nis-
wonger-Reynolds Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Visit the online registry at niswonger-reynolds.com.
Oct. 11, 1932 – Dec. 5, 2020
Samuel Alphonso Lindsey was born Oct. 11, 1932, in Gran-
geville, Idaho, and passed away Dec. 5, 2020. He lived in Prai-
rie City.
Sam came to Oregon in 1944. Sam married Mona Dianne
in 1984. Sam is proceeded in death by his parents, William and
Bessy Lindsey; stepson Shannon Dains; and grandson David
Jacob Lindsey. Samuel is survived by his wife, Mona, and sev-
eral step-children, grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.
Iva Speelman
Jan. 31, 1938 – Dec. 3, 2020
Iva Speelman, 82, of Prairie City, Oregon, passed away on
Dec. 3, 2020. She was surrounded by family in the comfort of
her own home with her loving husband,
Ken, right by her side. A celebration of
life will be held in the spring.
Iva was born Iva Estella VanLeu-
ven in Baker City, Oregon, on Jan. 31,
1938. She met and married Ivan Andrew
in 1953. Together they had four chil-
dren. Iva later married Ken Speelman, to
whom she has been devoted for the last
44 years.
Iva is preceded in death by her par-
ents, Della and Roy Howe, and her sis-
ter Pat Seigrist.
Iva is survived by her husband, Ken Speelman; her children,
Ivan (Vickie) Andrew, Elaine (John) Livran, Valeria Andrew
and her husband, Chuck Cason, Duane (Trace) Andrew; her
stepchildren Rod Speelman, Kendra (Kaipo) Raiser and Scott
Speelman; her brother Duane (Sherry) VanLeuven; and her sis-
ter Diane (Gary) Wright. Iva was also survived by many grand-
children, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren
who lovingly referred to her as Grandma Froggy (because of her
incredible collection of decorative frogs). There are also many
nieces, nephews and great-nieces and -nephews who loved Iva
very much.
Iva’s family would like to thank her dear friends Ed and
Nancy Akers for their help and support over the last several
months.
Memorial contributions in Iva’s honor can be made to Blue
Mountain Hospice through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S.
Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.
To leave an online condolence for the family or to view pho-
tos of Iva, visit driskillmemorialchapel.com.
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She was preceded in death by her husband Alfred, her son, Nathan, and
her parents, Guy G. Howard and Esther T. Thorne of Huron, South Dako-
ta; siblings, Vernita, Margaret, Barbara, James, and Bernard.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Grant County Food Bank
through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR
97845. To leave an online condolence for Rita’s family, please visit
www.driskillmemorialchapel.com.
Paid for by the family of Rita Meyer
CCB#175517
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the schools have gone through additional
cleaning and made sure that every safety
protocol was in place.
“We’re just making sure that when
they show up on Monday, we’re still in
school in a safe manner,” Uptmor said
last week.
Uptmor said, when the district made
the decision to transition to comprehen-
sive distance learning, it was a tough
decision to make.
However, he said he is grateful for the
community’s help and willingness to step
up.
“To know that our community stepped
forward to help us get back on-site... that
appreciation is so heart-felt, I don’t even
know how to reach out to everybody and
say thank you,” Uptmor said.
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
She is survived by her son David (Hope) Meyer of John Day, Oregon;
daughter, Susan (Michael) Brannon of Portland, Oregon, and grandchil-
dren, Trianna Brannon and Michael Brannon Jr.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2020
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