A2
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Parade mainstay refl ects on accomplishments
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
S
eventy-two-year-old
Kelly Collins has
seen and done a great
deal over the course
of his time in Grant
County.
Nowadays, Collins can be
seen driving an old Suburban
with a sign in the windshield
urging anybody he passes to
“eat beef.”
Before that, Collins was
a longtime fi xture in local
parades as a color guard, car-
rying the American fl ag while
riding horseback. He was
also a member of the sheriff ’s
mounted patrol and search and
rescue team.
And once he even stopped a
runaway stagecoach. That inci-
dent happened in August 2009,
when a wagon train organized
to celebrate the 150th anniver-
sary of Oregon statehood was
nearing Prairie City. The driver
had stepped down to fi x a trou-
blesome bit, and the horses ran
away with the coach.
Collins raced after them on
his own horse and managed to
stop the runaway team. At the
time, Collins was credited with
possibly saving the passengers’
lives, according to an article in
the Blue Mountain Eagle.
Grant County Neighbors
NAME: Kelly Collins
AGE: 72
RESIDENCE: Canyon City
CLAIM TO FAME: Known for riding
horseback in local parades, carry-
ing the American fl ag
Collins was born in Grant
County and left the area fol-
lowing the collapse of his par-
ents’ marriage. His journey
to becoming a well-known
presence in Grant County
started with an unfortunate
accident at the Pendleton
Round-Up in 1978, when he
was knocked off his horse and
hit his head. The mishap left
him thinking he’d spend the
rest of his life paralyzed.
Collins relocated to Grant
County following that acci-
dent, a move he said would not
have happened had he not got-
ten injured. Collins rehabbed
his injury over the next sev-
eral years, which ultimately led
to him volunteering to be the
color guard at various parades
throughout the county and
joining the sheriff ’s depart-
ment in 1984.
Collins estimates he’s
been the color guard in more
than 100 parades from 1984
until his fi nal parade in 2016.
For Collins, the decision to
be a color guard at parades
throughout the county was
never about accolades or
recognition.
“I did not do what I did
leading parades for the glory
of it. I did it because I was
search and rescue and a spe-
cial deputy for the sheriff ’s
department. I did it because
I was proud to be in that uni-
form and be associated with
the sheriff ’s department,” he
said.
“And I always had a good
horse.”
Of all the things he’s done
since his return to Grant
County, the thing he is the
most proud of is being a mem-
Lutheran minister returns to John Day
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — A Lutheran
minister who recently retired
after 50 years of service at
churches in Oregon and Wash-
ington is returning to his Grant
County roots, and members of
the community are invited to wel-
come him back.
Pastor Mark Bertermann of
Bethlehem Lutheran Church in
Kennewick, Washington, marked
his 50th year in the ministry on
June 26, when he presented his
retirement message. He began
his pastoral career at Redeemer
Lutheran Church in John Day in
May 1972 and served there until
1980, when he moved to Portland
with his wife and three daugh-
ters to pastor Beautiful Savior
Katherine (Katie) Margaret
Herburger Johns
November 4, 1937 ~ August 6, 2022
Katherine (Katie) Margaret Her-
burger Johns was born on November
4, 1937 to Cedric and Sally Herburger
in Canyon City, Oregon. She joined
two brothers, Dave and Jack.
Katie attended school in Ashland
and Rogue River, Oregon. She attend-
ed beauty school in Medford, Oregon
after high school. Following her par-
ents to Mount Vernon, she worked as
a beautician in John Day.
She married the love of her life,
Jack Johns, on September 12, 1959.
They had three daughters, Deena
Marie (Steve), Brenda Lee (Alan) and
Kathie Kay (Randy). Katie was Grand-
ma Katie to her valued and very loved
grandchildren, JR Moore, Thomas Moore, Kyle Christy, Justin
Burke, Emma Burke and Tyree Burke. She also had two great
grandchildren, Heather and Kyle Moore.
Katie was a very talented lady. She was a wonderful wife,
mother and grandmother. Her talents were many, which included
sewing, painting, quilting and cooking. She loved to always have
a project in the works.
Katie was active in the First Christian Church of John Day
alone with the Community Church of Fox. She was President of
Aglow Christian Women and was a speaker throughout Oregon
at Aglow meetings. Katie was the president of the Grant County
Cowbells, Vice President of the Oregon Cowbells and a 4-H leader.
She taught many sewing classes and lessons. For a period, she
taught sewing class at the Long Creek School. She enjoyed giving
Tole painting lessons also.
Kathie, her daughter, learned Tole painting from her mom and
entered her paintings in 4-H for three years and they went on to
State Fair where she won Grand Champion each year.
Her daughter Brenda shared her love of cooking and they trad-
ed new recipes with each other. Katie found a recipe for poppy
seed bread and instructed Brenda how to make it, and Brenda
entered it in 4-H at the fair and her bread won Grand Champion
at State Fair.
Deena and her mom didn’t always see eye to eye, but in the
last few years they had forgiven each other and had a special kind
of love for one another.
Katie was preceded in death by her parents, Cedric and Sally
Herburger and her two brothers, Dave and Jack Herburger.
Katie was remembered at a Funeral Service that was held
Saturday, August 13th, 2022 at the Fox Community Church and
was interred at the Fox Cemetery. Memorial contributions may
be made to the American Alzheimer’s Association or to the Mayo
Clinic for Parkinson’s Research through Driskill Memorial Chapel
at 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, Oregon 97845.
To light a candle in memory of Katie, or to offer online con-
dolences to her family, please visit www.driskillmemorialchapel.
com. Paid for by the family of Katie Johns.
Lutheran Church before mov-
ing on to Bethlehem Lutheran in
Kennewick.
On Sept. 18 Bertermann
will return to John Day to lead
the 11 a.m. worship service
at Redeemer Lutheran, 627
SE Hillcrest Road. A potluck
lunch and reception will follow
at the church, and the public is
invited to attend.
People interested in attend-
ing are asked to RSVP by Sept.
14 by calling Buzz Gilmore
at 541-542-2333 or Francis
Kocis at 541-575-5840.
CORRECTIONS
The Blue Mountain Eagle strives
to ensure accuracy. If you see an
error in one of our stories, please
contact us at editor@bmeagle.
com or 541-575-0710.
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ber of the search and rescue
team for the sheriff ’s offi ce.
Collins estimates he’s been
involved in around 90 search
and rescue operations.
“Fortunately, I never had
to bring anybody out,” Col-
lins said.
“I was that close quite a
few times,” he added.
Collins also added that not
having to bring anybody out
during a rescue doesn’t bother
him because other team mem-
bers helped those who needed
it.
“They got out,” Collins
said. “That was the big reason
for going.”
Collins is now retired. Still,
he says he misses carrying the
fl ag in parades and being a
part of the search and rescue
team, though he’s not physi-
cally capable of doing those
things anymore.
“I miss it every day of
every year,” he said.
When asked what he does
to fulfi ll the urge to do the
things he used to do, Collins
said he bites his lip and shakes
his head.
“I just can’t do it any-
more,” he added.
Recently, the Grant County
People Mover honored Col-
lins by painting his picture
on its No. 29 bus. Naturally
enough, the image shows him
riding a horse and carrying the
fl ag.
Collins said he had no
knowledge that the bus was
going to be adorned with his
likeness prior to it happening.
“I am very proud of it,” he
said.
Prairie City School to host open house
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
PRAIRIE CITY — Prairie
City School District will host
an open house Tuesday, Sept.
13, at 6 p.m. for the school’s
K-12 students and parents at
740 Overholt St. in Prairie
City.
Casey Hallgarth, Prai-
rie City School District’s
superintendent, said the open
house is an opportunity for
the community meet staff and
teachers.
There is no charge to
attend the event, which will
be catered by the Oxbow
Restaurant.
Parents will be asked to
take a short survey to provide
feedback on how the school
is doing, Hallgarth said. Also,
he said, the school is ask-
Contributed photo
Casey Hallgarth, Prairie City’s superintendent.
ing families to fi ll out forms
for free and reduced-price
lunches.
Those that do, Hallgarth
said, will be entered to win
a raffl e to win a $500 or
$100 gift card to Huff man’s
Market.
After dinner, staff intro-
ductions and the raffl e, par-
ents will meet and visit with
teachers in their classrooms.
Hospice benefi t races set for this Saturday
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The Blue
Mountain Hospice Center’s
annual Strut, Stride, Straddle and
Stroll/Hilton Half Marathon will
return Saturday, Sept. 10, with
its fi rst full-size half marathon in
almost three years.
In addition to the half mara-
thon, the event features footraces
of varying distances and a 13-mile
bicycle race.
According to organizer Mer-
edith Thomas, the annual event,
which got its start about 20 years
ago, is one of the hospice center’s
most signifi cant fundraisers.
Thomas said the event was
dubbed the Hilton Half Marathon
about fi ve years ago in memory of
T.R. Hilton, a longtime ambulance
crew director at the hospital.
Thomas said the money col-
lected from the fundraiser will help
off set the cost of hospice care that
some insurance companies do not
cover.
Hospice care is a type of
health care that helps terminally ill
patients with pain and other symp-
toms and prioritizes comfort as
they reach the end of their life.
Typically, Thomas said, it is
not known that insurance may not
cover hospice care until the patient
has died. As a result, Thomas said,
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Wednesday ................................................... 100/57
Thursday .......................................................... 95/57
Friday ............................................................. 101/64
Saturday .......................................................... 90/53
Sunday ............................................................. 93/54
Monday............................................................ 90/54
Tuesday ........................................................... 99/61
Angel Carpenter/Blue Mountain Eagle, File
The Cinnabar Mountain Rendezvous parade gets started with Grant County Search and Rescue volun-
teer Kelly Collins leading the colorful entries in Mt. Vernon in this fi le image from May 23, 2015.
EVENT INFORMATION
around halfway at Pine Creek Road and heads
west back to the hospice parking lot.
WHAT: Blue Mountain Hospice Center’s annual
Strut, Stride, Straddle and Stroll/Hilton Half
Marathon
WHERE: All races start from Blue Mountain
Hospice parking lot, located at 422 W. Main Street
in John Day
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 10, at 7 a.m. with all races
except for the half-marathon kicking off at 8 a.m.
Transportation for Hilton Half Marathon leaves at
6:30 a.m.
Hilton Half Marathon: The half marathon covers
a little over 13 miles, starting in Prairie City at the
water station on Pine Creek Road and heading
west on Highway 26, ending at the hospice
parking lot.
Runners in the Hilton Half Marathon will take a
shuttle to the water station in Prairie City that
leaves from the hospice parking lot at 6:30 a.m.
RACES:
Registration:
Stroll (1.5 miles): Beginning at the hospice
parking lot on Main Street, the race moves west
and turns on Third Street near Les Schwab Tires,
continues past the Grant County Fairgrounds and
then loops back to Main Street, heading west
back to the hospice parking lot.
$20 adult
Strut (4 miles): Heads east to Highway 395 (Can-
yon Boulevard), then south past the Canyon City
gas station before cutting over to Humbolt Street
and looping back to the hospice parking lot.
Stride (6 miles): Moves west out of John Day on
Highway 26 to Luce Creek Road (locally known as
the “dump road”) and loops back to the hospice
parking lot in John Day.
Straddle (13-mile bike ride): Heads east on
Highway 26 towards Prairie City, then turns
the hospice service, a nonprofi t
organization, is left with having
to tell the family the unfortunate
news.
The purpose of the fundraiser,
$15 child
$75 per family, up to eight
$150 per group/team of eight or more
Pre-registration forms can be downloaded at:
https://tinyurl.com/3mvkhruj
The registration forms can be mailed to the Blue
Mountain Home Health and Hospice Center at
422 W. Main St., John Day, OR 97845, or they can
be dropped off at the center until Sept. 8.
There is an additional $5 fee for same-day regis-
tration.
For more information, call Meredith Thomas at
541-575-1648 or email her at mthomas@blue-
mountainhospital.or.
she said, is to enable the hospice
care center to avoid these situations
altogether.
“The last thing we want is for
a family to have to deal with a bill
from us,” she said.
The money hospice raises, she
said, allows them to pay the insur-
ance directly so the families can
focus on the grief process.
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF S EPT . 7-13
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Partly
cloudy
Mostly
sunny
Sunny
Mostly
sunny
Partly
cloudy
Mostly
sunny
Mostly
sunny
90
77
84
87
81
80
79
49
46
50
54
49
49
49