A2
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 8, 2022
DEATH NOTICES
Carolyn Elliott
A celebration of life for Carolyn Elliott will be held from 2 to
5 p.m. on June 25 at the Seventh Street Sports Complex, 105 NE
Seventh Ave., John Day. Please bring a story or memory, a pot-
luck dish of your choice and a lawn chair.
November 16, 1936
Romayne “Mike” Raymond Emmel, age 86, of Prairie City, Or-
egon entered into Heaven on May
24th, 2022 at his home with his
loving family by his side.  A grave-
side service will be held Saturday,
June 11th, 2022 at 11:00 AM at the
Prairie City Cemetery with Pastor
Dave Hoeffner officiating.  A recep-
tion will follow at the Prairie City
Teen Center.
Mike was born November 16,
1935 in Clearbrook, Minnesota to
Walter and Lena (Wisdahl) Emmel.
He attended grade school in Clear-
brook, then the family relocated to
Kenmare, North Dakota where he
attended middle school. He went
on to high school in Kingfisher, Oklahoma where he completed
through the 10th grade. Mike always had an interest in turning
wrenches so he spent two years at A&M Tech studying Diesel
Mechanics in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
In September of 1955, Mike entered the US Army. He was
stationed in Darmstadt, Germany and rose to the rank of Staff
Sergeant 4 in the 95th Engineering Battalion Motor Pool.
On July 3, 1960, Mike married Winona “Helen” Satterfield in
Social Circle, Georgia. The young couple began their long and
wonderful union as self employed ranchers that year. He truly
loved the ranch life and only partially retired in 2016.
Mike was very active in his community. He was a member
of the Brick Store Community Club, the First Baptist Church of
Social Circle, GA where he served as a Sunday School Teacher
and as an Ordained Deacon. When he moved to Prairie City, he
became a member of the Prairie Baptist Church from 1970 to
2022 where he had also served as a Sunday School Teacher and
Deacon. He served on the Prairie City School Board for 8 years,
the Prairie City Rural Fire Dept. for a year and was a Prairie City
FFA Alumni from 1982 to 2022.
He enjoyed working cattle and studying the Breeding Genetics
and Conformation of Cattle. He even became Artificial Insemina-
tion Certified in both Georgia and Oregon.
Mike was a very talented man. He once built seven chicken
houses for 40,000 laying hens. He also built their family home on
the ranch using materials from the Bates Gymnasium. When he
wasn’t ranching or building, he could usually be found working on
machinery, hunting or fishing.
Mike is survived by his wife Helen Emmel and brother Wayne
Emmel of Prairie City, and three children; Darrell Emmel, Denise
Harmon and Douglas Emmel and their families.
He was preceded in death by his parents Walter & Lena Emmel
and their youngest son, David Lewis Emmel.
Mike’s family would like memorial contributions made to
Merek Kmièk or to the Prairie City Teen Center or through the
Prairie Baptist Church. To offer online condolences to Mike’s fam-
ily, please visit www.driskillmemorialchapel.com Paid for by the
family of Mike Emmel.
Sabrina Cay Sintay Larsen
March 21, 1967 ~ May 12, 2022
Sabrina Cay Sintay Larsen
passed away peacefully at home,
surrounded by family, on May
12th, 2022, after a courageous
battle with brain cancer and leu-
kemia. Born in Wallace, Idaho on
March 21, 1967, Sabrina was the
fourth of nine children. She was
an excellent athlete, competing
on high school, state, and college
teams in basketball, cross-coun-
try, high jump, and triple jump.
She won a state basketball
championship and placed first at
state in high jump. She received
a Bachelor’s degree in Elemen-
tary Education from Brigham
Young University in 1990.
She met her sweetheart Glen at BYU and they were married in
the Cardston, Alberta temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints in 1987. They lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for
several years before moving to Issaquah, Washington where they
continued to raise their five children. Sabrina was an amazing wife
and mother and she dedicated much time to her family.
Sabrina was active in her church congregation, serving dil-
igently in programs that resulted in lifelong friendships. She
especially loved working with children, youth, and women orga-
nizations and made a tremendous impact on all she met. Sabri-
na loved all people and always sought out those who needed a
friend or special help. She loved the outdoors and enjoyed many
adventures with her husband and family, exploring mountains,
waterfalls, lakes, canyons, and much of the earth’s beauty. She
passed on her love of reading, gardening, and the outdoors to
her children.
Diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer in December of
2016, Sabrina underwent several surgeries and many treatments.
She fought valiantly for over five years and enjoyed many trea-
sured memories with family and friends. In late March of 2022,
Sabrina was diagnosed with untreatable acute leukemia and elect-
ed to spend her remaining time with family at home on hospice
care. Her children, parents, and siblings were able to visit during
this time, as well as many precious friends.
Sabrina is survived by her husband Glen Larsen; children Bri-
an (Amy) Larsen, Kirsten (Ashton) Dyck, Andrew (Taylor) Larsen,
Angela, and Maren; grandchildren Soren, Katherine, Rockwell,
Andrew, Theodore, and Madison; parents George and Susan Sin-
tay; and siblings Sindy (Kirt) Montague, Sonna (Brad) Smith, Sal-
lie (Everal) Roberts, Shaun (Nathan) Brown, Sara (Eric) Jensen,
Steve (Erin) Sintay, and Shane (Lauren) Sintay. She was preceded
in death by her brother Scott (Nicki) Sintay. Paid for by the family
of Sabrina Larsen. #servelikesabrina
LOCAL BRIEFING
George Kent
Hettinga
George Kent Hettinga, 77,
of Pilot Rock passed away
on May 29 near Dayville. A
graveside service with mili-
tary honors will be held at the
Dayville Cemetery in Day-
ville on June 25 beginning at
11 a.m. Memorial contribu-
tions may be made to a char-
ity of choice through Drisk-
ill Memorial Chapel at 241
S. Canyon Blvd., John Day,
OR 97845. To leave an online
condolence for the family of
George, please visit www.
driskillmemorialchapel.com.
Mike Harer
Mike Harer, 73, of Dale
died Jan. 14. A graveside ser-
vice with full military honors
will be held at noon on Sat-
urday, June 11, at the Long
Creek Cemetery. A lunch will
follow immediately after at
the Long Creek Seventh-day
Adventist Friendship Hall. All
who knew Mike are welcome
to attend.
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JOHN DAY — All offi ces of the Malheur
National Forest will reopen to walk-in visitors
starting Monday, June 3, the agency announced.
The offi ces have been closed except by
appointment for much of the past two years as
a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.
Visitors can still call and make appointments
to purchase maps, passes and permits.
The following offi ces will be open to walk-in
visitors from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday:
Supervisors Offi ce/Blue Mountain Ranger
District, 431 Patterson Bridge Road, John Day,
541-575-3000.
Emigrant Creek Ranger District, 265 High-
way 20 South, Hines, 541-573-4300
Prairie City Ranger District, 327 SW Front
St., Prairie City, 541-820-3800.
Waterfowl barred
from wildlife rehabs
SALEM — Many wildlife rehabilitation
centers around the state have stopped accepting
waterfowl due to the spread of avian infl uenza
among wild bird populations.
Because waterfowl can carry the virus with-
out showing any obvious symptoms, allow-
ing them into rehab facilities can pose a risk to
all the birds in the facility, according to a news
release from the Oregon department of Fish and
Wildlife and Portland Audubon.
Both young and adult waterfowl can carry
the virus. If you fi nd healthy baby ducks or
geese without a parent nearby, it is best to
leave them alone until the parent returns.
Injured ducks and geese can be brought to an
ODFW offi ce for euthanasia, but people are
asked to call ahead before doing so.
If you see dead or sick wild birds, don’t han-
dle them, the agencies advise. Instead, report
the incident to your local ODFW offi ce, call the
Wildlife Health Lab at 866-968-2600 or email
Wildlife.Health@odfw.oregon.gov.
The most recent outbreak of avian fl u in
Oregon is currently limited to Linn and Lane
counties but is expected to spread in the com-
ing weeks, ODFW biologists say. The virus is
highly contagious among birds and can sicken
and kill many species, including ducks, tur-
keys and chickens. The risk to human health
is low.
Agencies solicit
restoration proposals
PORTLAND — The U.S. Department of
Agriculture is asking for proposals for the Joint
Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership
to improve forest health on public and private
lands, the agency announced. Proposals for fi s-
cal year 2023 should be submitted to USDA’s
Natural Resources Conservation Service and the
Forest Service by Aug. 5.
The program is part of a broader federal
eff ort to reduce wildfi re threats, protect water
quality and supply, and improve wildlife habitat
for at-risk species.
Project proposals are developed collabora-
tively by the NRCS, Forest Service and part-
ners such as county, state and non-governmental
agencies, tribal governments, utilities and indi-
vidual stakeholders.
NRCS and Forest Service national offi ces
will evaluate the proposals and will announce
the selected projects in late fall 2022.
Landowners should contact their local NRCS
and Forest Service offi ce for more information.
— Blue Mountain Eagle
Mary Ellen (Clark) Brooks
May 18, 1938 – May 20, 2022
Mary Ellen Brooks, 84, of Mt. Vernon, Oregon, passed away May
20, 2022, at her residence. A graveside ceremony, with vault inter-
ment, will be held on Friday, June 3rd at 1:00 PM at the Canyon City
Cemetery, followed by a Memorial Service at the Grant County Fair-
grounds Pavilion beginning at 2:30 PM with Mitch Mund officiating.
Mary Ellen was born May 18, 1938, in Portland, Oregon to
Harold and Wanda (Matthews) Clark. At that time the family lived
in Canyon City. Mary Ellen was later joined by sister Wilda (Clark)
Pierce and brother George “Rusty” Clark.
Mary Ellen lived in Grant County for most of her life. During the
school year, she would stay in Canyon City with Grandma Clark or
Aunt Mary to make getting to school easier. During her school days,
she enjoyed learning to roller skate, playing volleyball, attending
4-H summer school, and attending American Legion Girls State.
From the time she was old enough, Mary Ellen started working. She
worked in the school cafeteria and office during the academic year.
She babysat kids for several different families, stocked shelves and
packed groceries at the Canyon City grocery store, then went on to
a job at Morgan Truck Line. In the fall of 1955 after graduation, she
began work at the Grant Co. Bank running a bookkeeping machine.
At the age of 16, Mary Ellen graduated from Mt. Vernon High School
as Valedictorian with a 3.98 gpa. She was the recipient of a four-
year scholarship to Eastern Oregon College that she turned down.
On October 4, 1956, she was married to Robert “Bob” Brooks
in Winnemucca Nevada. They had three children; Kenneth (Cecelia)
Brooks, Rebecca (Alan) Nelson, and Mary Elizabeth Brooks; eight
grandchildren, Robin Brooks, Melissa (Sam) Helmick, Orrin (Kati)
Ledgerwood, Robert “Bob” Ledgerwood, Travis Nelson, Ryan Nel-
son, Brandy (Jason) Carruth and Levi (Vinni) Sloan-Serafini; and
ten great-grandchildren, Reagan and Rianne Pickard, Emma and
Elexus Helmick, Kaylee and Taryn Ledgerwood, Zaiden and Zuriah
Nelson, and Clayton and Logan Yoder.
After marrying Bob, Mary Ellen became a stay-at-home mom,
which meant she held a wide variety of jobs over the course of her
life. When she could and was needed, she was a ranch hand; feed-
ing cows, loading hay, riding horses, night herder, branding dinner
cook, cattle drive flagger, and trailer mover. They also owned John
Day Valley Packing, where she worked alongside the employees
in all aspects and became one of the best meat wrappers around.
Most people in the county will remember her job as a swather driver
for their custom haying business. Her and that big yellow swather
covered a lot of miles every summer. She was very proud of the
fact that she had run her swather cutting hay for 41 years and had
aspirations of cutting her 14 acres this year for year 42. She also
worked as an executive assistant for Senator Ted Ferrioli for about
14 years. All of these outside jobs were done along with the daily
wife/mom tasks of cooking, cleaning, laundry, mending, baking,
ironing, etc.
Even with all of the work to be done Bob and Mary Ellen found
time to travel. Most of the time it was to visit out-of-state family
in Texas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and
Alaska. They also went on a few trips with local friends that includ-
ing Nashville, Tennessee to see the Grand Ole Opry and the next
year to Branson, Missouri. After those trips, they started a yearly
tradition with their good friends the Turners, of attending the Na-
tional Finals Rodeo. One of their final trips was when just the two of
them attended the Calgary Stampede.
Mary Ellen was very active in the community serving organi-
zations such as Friends of the Fair, the Mt. Vernon Grange, and
Timber Truckers Light Parade, she served on the county budget
committee for three years, and 14 years on the Blue Mtn. Hospi-
tal Board, helped with the local 4-H program, was the 2012 Grant
County Fair & Rodeo Grand Marshall, the 2015 ’62 Days Grand Mar-
shall, helped get the old City Hall for the Mt. Vernon High School
Museum up and running, organized people to assist with the Blue
Mtn. Nursing Home residents attending the fair, volunteered at the
John Day Chamber of Commerce office, served hamburgers at the
American Legion booth during the fair, distributed dictionaries to
grade schools in the county, and collaborated on a History of Mt.
Vernon book with the proceeds going toward the Mt. Vernon Alum-
ni Scholarship fund, put together a book about the history of the
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Wednesday ..................................................... 72/50
Thursday .......................................................... 72/50
Friday ............................................................... 67/51
Saturday .......................................................... 60/50
Sunday ............................................................. 64/45
Monday............................................................ 67/40
Tuesday ........................................................... 74/54
Malheur National
Forest offi ces reopen
Grant County Fair, and most recently received recognition from the
Oregon Fairs Association as Fair Supporter of the Year 2021.
As most of you have seen either by gifts, donations to auctions
and fundraisers, or on display at the fair, Mary Ellen had an artistic
ability most dream of. She painted numerous pictures and saws us-
ing everything from oils, pastels, and watercolor to pencil sketches.
She enjoyed her time with her paint group on Tuesdays. She was an
excellent seamstress which is evident in the beautiful quilts she has
sewn, along with clothing that was made for the family. Her knitting,
crocheting, and embroidery work will be treasured by all who have
a piece. She was always making something for a wedding, birthday,
or just because it kept her busy, as she was not someone who liked
idle time.
She was also very musically inclined. While she took piano les-
sons for several years, she also learned to play songs by ear. She
contributed to several of her grandkids, great-grandkids, and other
community children’s lessons and love of music. While the piano
was her favorite instrument to play, she could also play the banjo.
Mary Ellen was an avid reader and lover of history, as it seemed
family history was her favorite and not just her own family. She was
also a lady of strong convictions, who wasn’t afraid to voice her
opinions on matters. She was one of the first to jump in and provide
a helping hand to someone or an organization in need. She dis-
liked public recognition of her acts of generosity and selflessness,
but made sure words of praise were expressed to others when de-
served. Regardless of the sometimes-gruff exterior she presented,
she had the biggest, most giving heart of gold which is evident by
all the lives she touched. This county, friends, and family will greatly
miss the lady that kept us on our toes.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Wanda
Clark, husband Robert “Bob” Brooks, and sister Wilda Clark Pierce.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Keerins Hall Ren-
ovation Fund through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon
Blvd., John Day, Oregon 97845. Paid for by the family of Mary Ellen
Brooks.
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF J UNE 8-14
Wednesday
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PM showers
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cloudy
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