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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2021)
A2 FAMILY Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, September 15, 2021 OBITUARIES Rodney Gary Potter Stanley Powell Aug. 2, 1933 – Sept. 7, 2021 Rodney Gary Potter, beloved father and husband, was born Aug. 2, 1933, in Ione, Washington, to Ray Potter and Esther (Applegate) Pot- ter. Rodney resided in Mt. Vernon with his beloved wife, Sharon Thomas Pot- ter, in their home overlooking the beauti- ful Eastern Oregon mountains. He is sur- vived by his four children, Marc Potter, Paul Potter, Steve Potter and Sheila (Pot- ter) Blacketer. He was accepted into the arms his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sept. 7, 2021. LaFollette’s Chapel was in charge of funeral arrangements. July 4, 1934 – Sept. 6, 2021 Stanley Duane Powell, age 86, of Mt. Vernon, passed away on Sept. 6, 2021. Stanley was born in Prineville, Oregon, to Virgil and Elda Powell on July 4, 1935. He married Lavaughn Smith of Kenne- wick, Washington, on May 10, 1957. They met while he was stationed at Camp Hanford. After he was discharged from the Army, they moved to Prineville, where he worked at Ernie’s Sport Shop. In 1959 they moved to Day- ville, Oregon, where he started his own logging company. When his sons Mark and Brett were old enough, they worked alongside him. Stanley and Lavaughn were able to purchase 40 acres in Mt. Vernon, Oregon, and build a home they have lived in for 46 years. Stanley “Skip” was a strong-willed man. He enjoyed many things: hunting, fi shing, bowling, playing pool, team roping, play- ing guitar. He could tell hunting stories with the best of them. He tried his hand at breeding and racing quarter horses, a few cows and hay. Stanley is preceded in death by his parents, Elda and Virgil Powell, and son Todd Vance Powell. Stanley is survived by his spouse, Lavaughn; children Mark Powell and his wife Julie of Mt. Vernon, Oregon, daughter Tammy Powell from Grants Pass, Oregon, and son Brett Powell of Salem, Oregon. Stanley is survived by his sister Winona White and her hus- band Ash; brother Larry Powell and his wife Pauline; along with numerous nieces and nephews. Stanley has fi ve grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. In lieu of fl owers, the family has asked that a donation to hos- pice of your choice is appreciated. No service is planned at this time. Alvin ‘Al’ Basil Cummings Dec. 4, 1949 – Aug. 23, 2021 Alvin “Al” Basil Cummings, age 71, of John Day passed away Aug. 23, 2021, at his residence. A graveside service will be held at a later date. Al was born Dec. 4, 1949, to William Otis Cumming Jr. and Edna Offi cer in Prairie City, Oregon. He was a veteran of the United States Navy and worked as an electrician alongside his father at the family-owned business Cummings Electric. Al had many hobbies throughout his life he enjoyed volunteer- ing his time in his community at such place as the Cant Ranch, Fox Church, Grant County Fairgrounds and the John Day Library. He liked to study the history of Eastern Oregon, was an NRA instructor, loved animals, especially dogs, rode motorcycles and was a pilot. He knew many of the older people in Grant County along with many of the old stories. He would embellish them or trade names for entertainment purposes. He enjoyed riding along with his friends in their log trucks or other rigs throughout any season. Al was preceded in death by his parents, William and Edna, and his brother David. Survivors include his friends, many people of Grant County and elsewhere who appreciated his personality and his helpfulness. Malheur National Forest reduces fi re restrictions Blue Mountain Eagle Carol Joy Coombs July 15, 1957 ~ August 28, 2021 Carol Joy Coombs, of John Day, passed away unexpectedly in Bend, Oregon on Au- gust 28, 2021, at the age of 64. She was born in Canyon City on July 15, 1957 to Gerald and Joyce Schouten. She was the first grandchild of Dick and Elsie Schouten and was the absolute apple of their eye. She graduated from Grant Union H.S. in 1975. Shortly after graduation, she met the love of her life and soulmate Bill Coombs. De- spite some scepticism and warnings from a senior family member, they married just 3 months later, on September 5, 1975. Prov- ing this relative wrong, they spent the next 46 years together as best friends, happily married and raising their family. Carol remained a Grant County resident her entire life. Carol was a loving, loyal and devoted wife, mother and grand- mother. You couldn't find a better daughter, sister, or friend, but in her role as Jerry and Krissy's Mom, she found her calling. Carol was very proud of her family. She was very protective and loved her children deeply and unconditionally, and this love was absolutely returned to her. Carol liked nothing more than to spend time with her family and friends, always ready to visit, share a story or have a laugh (and what a great laugh she had). Carol was a wonderful homemaker who filled her home with love, laughter, and great food. She was generous and inviting and would make room in her home, and in her heart, for those in need. Carol was down-to-earth and easy-going. She was very kind and never wanted to hurt or offend anyone. To know her was to love her, as Carol had a heart of gold. She was quiet and shy and never wanted to be the center of atten- tion, but to those of us who loved her, she will always be at the center of our hearts. Carol enjoyed camping, fishing, and was an avid hunter. She even outhunted Bill a few times, being the only one to fill her tag. Carol loved to go bowling and enjoyed competing locally on her bowling team. She also loved to cook, so many a Thanksgiving were spent, working off a turkey dinner, at the bowling alley. Carol loved to travel and see new places and things. The stories of her and Bill's adventures traveling, brought her great joy, so telling these stories she did. A few of them were told at Bill's expense, but always with love and respect. She was an animal lover from the start. Wherever Carol happened to be, there was at least one dog waiting at home for her to return. Her pets were always a special part of her family and treated as such. Carol was a wonderful hu- man being who will be tremendously missed by so many people and animals alike. Carol's love of cooking made her career choice perfect. Carol worked in the kitchen at the Blue Mountain Hospital for 37 years. She was hard-working and a dependable, valued employee, who got along with everyone. She started at the bottom, but worked her way to management as the Certified Dietary Supervisor. She was well respected by her co-workers and will not be soon forgotten. Carol is preceded in death by her parents Gerald and Joyce Schouten. She is survived by her husband Bill Coombs; son Jerry (Cyndi) Coombs; and daughters Kristen Coombs and Casey (Dan- ny) Komning; and 4 grandchildren, Dalaney, Ryann, Dilynn, and Levi, all of John Day. Carol had one sister, April (Aaron) Forrester of Tenmile, Oregon. Carol also leaves Donn Coombs of Yreka, Ca; Grant (Vickie) Coombs of Oakland, Or; and Mary (Tom) Elliott of Canyon City, Or. Carol is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins who loved her greatly. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date when good health returns to our communities. An announcement will be made in The Blue Mountain Eagle, with Driskill Memorial Chapel, and on social media. Donations can be made at Old West Credit Union in Carol's name. These funds will be used to create a memorial in honor of Carol at the Blue Mountain Hospital. Paid for by the family of Carol Coombs. S261347-1 The Malheur National For- est moved from Industrial Fire Precaution Level IV to an IFPL III and lowered the Fire Dan- ger Rating from Extreme to High Sept. 10. Waivers will still be required for some types of work. Under IFPL III, the follow- ing are prohibited except as indicated: • Cable yarding — except that gravity operated logging systems employing non-mo- torized carriages may oper- ate between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m., local time, when all blocks and moving lines are suspended 10 feet above the ground, except the line between the carriage and the chokers. • Power saws — except power saws may be used at loading sites and on tractor/ skidder operations between 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 Blue Mountain Eagle Wildfi re season isn’t over yet. On Sept. 9, Harney County received abundant late afternoon and evening light- ning, and two positive strikes in the Dry Mountain area north of Riley sparked sepa- rate wildfi res with surprising acreage for this time of year. Quick response from the Silver Creek Rangeland Fire Protection Association, Burns Interagency Fire Zone and pri- vate contractors kept the Silver Creek fi re at 86 acres before being fully contained on Sept. 11, according to a Forest Ser- vice press release. The Big Meadow Fire, burning in heavy timber, with limited ground access due to rocky and rough terrain, is still active at 2,600 acres and only 15% contained. Once smoke and weather conditions improved on Sept. 10, a multitude of air resources were able to fl y and provide signifi cant suppression support at Big Meadow. Very Large Air Tankers (8,000-gallon capacity), Large Air Tankers (2,000 to 4,000-gallon capac- ity), Single Engine Air Tank- ers (800-gallon capacity), a Type 3 Helicopter (180-gallon capacity, and passenger space) and a Type 1 Blackhawk Heli- copter (up to 3,000-gallon capacity) — along with Air Attack planes who coordinate and lead these resources from the air — have all been on site, dropping water or retardant to slow fi re spread and drown active hot spots. Air resources are expected to be on scene throughout the week. Ground crews will con- tinue securing control lines and mop-up from the perime- ter as containment improves. Type 2 Northwest Inter- agency Incident Manage- ment Team 7 assumed con- trol of the Big Meadow Fire and assigned staff and equip- ment on Monday. Their Inci- dent Command Post and the fi refi ghter base camp are set up in Riley for the duration. Incident management teams provide a command-and-con- trol infrastructure to take care of the operational, logistical, informational, planning, fi s- cal, community, politica and safety issues associated with complex incidents, essentially allowing local offi cials to return to normal work. A closure of both Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service-adminis- tered public lands in the Big Meadow Fire area is in place. Roads and trails within the closure are off limits to all access – hiking, biking, horse- back, ATV, vehicle, etc. – until further notice. Boundary roads along the closure remain open. Maps of the closure area are available at the BLM offi ce at 28910 Highway 20 West in Hines, the Riley Store, and Harney County Sporting Goods, and posted at entry roads in the fi re vicinity. Public use restrictions are still in place: no campfi res, personal chainsaw use, explo- sives or parking or driving off road. For more information on the Big Meadow Fire or the public land closure in the area, follow Burns Interagency Fire Zone on social media or call 541-573-4400. Leighton named to President’s List Blue Mountain Eagle Jason Leighton of John Day has been named to South- ern New Hampshire Universi- ty’s summer 2021 President’s List. Eligibility for the Presi- dent’s List requires that a stu- dent accumulate an academic grade point average (GPA) of 3.7-4.0 and earn 12 credits for the term. Southern New Hamp- shire University is a private, nonprofi t institution with an 89-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults. Now serv- ing more than 150,000 learn- ers worldwide, SNHU off ers approximately 200 accredited undergraduate, graduate and certifi cate programs, avail- able online and on its 300-acre campus in Manchester, New Hampshire. October 31, 1945 ~ September 5, 2021 Fred Waterman left us on Sun- day, September 5, 2021 at his home in Tallahassee, Florida, surrounded by his family and dog while watching his beloved Oregon Ducks win their home opener. Fred leaves behind his wife, of 38 years, Pat (Caddoo), sons; John Waterman and Travis Conn, Daughters in law; Ana Waterman and Danielle Conn, and 7 grandkids; Riley, Matthew, Nicholas, Ryan, Isabella, Na- than and Michael. He was preceded in death by his parents John and Irene Waterman, sister Verna, brother Steve and infant nephew Christopher. Born October 31, 1945 in Prairie City, Oregon and Fred was raised in John Day, Oregon. While calling Tallahassee home for the past 16 years Fred also resided in New York, Iowa, Illinois and Oregon. A graduate of Grant Union High School where he was a member of the varsity football team, Fred subsequently went on to the Uni- versity of Oregon as a member of the Oregon Ducks football team. After graduation from the University of Oregon in 1968, Fred joined the US Army and proudly served as a sergeant in the 199th Infantry – Comanche Warriors in Vietnam from 1968-69. During his time in Vietnam, he served with men who became lifelong friends and brothers. Upon honorable discharge and receiving a Purple Heart, Fred began his 37-year career with the Veterans Administration working at 4 VA hospitals in 4 states Ending his career in New York, Fred and Pat moved to Tallahassee, where he became a very happy retiree, learning the love of golf, joining the Killearn Country Club and enjoying new found friends while a part of the “SLUGs”. Fred adored his family, valued his friends and was a proud Vietnam veteran who was honored to serve his country when asked. Fred, per his request will be interred at the Tallahassee National Cemetery at 11:00AM on Thursday, September 16, 2021. Dona- tions can be made in his name to the Leon County Humane Society or a charity of your choice. Kelly Barber of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www. bevisfh.com) is assisting the Waterman family with their arrange- ments. Paid for by the family of Fred Waterman. S261399-1 Last Week’s Temps John Day ...........................................................HI/LO Tuesday ........................................................... 96/56 Wednesday ..................................................... 79/58 Thursday .......................................................... 96/59 Friday ............................................................... 70/50 Saturday .......................................................... 76/46 Sunday ............................................................. 78/49 Monday............................................................ 75/48 the hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m., local time. The following are permitted between the hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. local time: • Tractor/skidder, fell- er-buncher, forwarder or shovel logging operations where trac- tors, skidders, or other equip- ment with a blade capable of constructing fi reline are imme- diately available to quickly reach and eff ectively attack a fi re start • Mechanized loading or hauling of any product or material • Blasting • Welding or cutting of metal or any other spark emit- ting operation not specifi cally mentioned Public Use Restrictions on the Malheur National For- est will remain at Phase C. For more information regarding Public Use Restrictions, call 541-575-3113. Late season wildfi re reaches 2,600 acres Mary Lee (Cork) Lesley November 1, 1927 ~ September 2, 2021 Mary Lee (Cork) Lesley passed away September 2, 2021 at the age of 93 in John Day, Oregon. Her husband, Bob, preceded her in death in 2016. Mary Lee was born in Fossil, Oregon on November 1, 1927 in her grand- mother’s house which still stands to this day. She was the oldest daughter of Roy and Ouida Cork and grew up in Monument, Oregon with her sister Betty and her brother Barney. Mary Lee and Bob have been John Day residents for the past 40 years and have loved being back in Eastern Or- egon after spending time in Bend, Oregon raising their three chil- dren. They were active members at the John Day Golf Course and spent many years developing lifelong friendships with their fellow golfers. Mary Lee always felt blessed for her friends and family and of- ten said what a lucky woman she was to be surrounded by so many who loved her. She also loved the travels and adventures that she and Bob took throughout their married life. Back in the early ‘80s Mary Lee and Bob took a job mining for gold on the Yukon River in Alaska. The male miners could not believe a woman would will- ingly follow her husband to the Interior of Alaska, let alone live in a tent, cook their meals on a cook stove, and even drive a loader when extra hands were needed. Anyone who knew Mary Lee knew that she had a zest for life and was always up for any adventure that came her way. Mary Lee leaves behind her three children, Newt, Harold (Dean), and Jerri along with two grandchildren, Kimberly Young and Ryan Young, Ryan’s wife, Maureen, and three great grandchildren, Tyler, Blair and Scarlett, as well as friends too numerous to mention as everyone who met her loved her. At this time there is no formal service planned but per their wishes Mary Lee’s and Bob’s ashes will be placed together in a gravesite at the Monument Cemetery, Monument, Oregon. Paid for by the family of Mary Lesley. S261249-1 W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF S EPT . 15-21 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Sunny Sunny Partly sunny Chance of showers Chance of showers Slight chance of showers Mostly sunny 79 75 78 72 64 64 72 39 46 52 46 41 32 38