Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 2004)
SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 11, 2004 ___ Obituaries Shirley J. Cunningham S hirley J. Cunningham, 66, of Heppner. died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004. at her home. A graveside service will be held Feb. 12 at l p.m. (MST) at Sunnyside Cemetery in Stevensville, MT. She was born May 17, 1937, at Heppner, to JJ and Eva Padberg Griffith. She grew up and attended schools at Spray. On Nov. 11, 1952, she m arried R obert E. Cunningham at Seattle. The couple lived at Seattle for 19 years before m oving to Stevensville, MT in 1971. Cunningham enjoyed bow ling, carp en try and building things with wood. Robert died in 1985 and she m oved back to Heppner in 1986. Survivors include son, R obert C unningham of E verett, WA; daughters, JoJean Johnson of Snohomish, WAand Patricia Cunningham of Boise, ID; her mother, Eva Griffith of Heppner; sisters, Beverly Denney of Wallowa, Rene Ledbetter of Heppner and Sue Gamble of Cheney, WA; brother, Don Griffith of Spray; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by son, D avid C unningham , d au g h ters, V ictoria C unningham and D ava Darvial, by her father, JJ Griffith, brother, Mac Griffith and a sister. Fay Kelsay, and by grandchildren Dough Fowler and Jason Fowler. M e m o r i a l contributions may be made to Pioneer Memorial Hospice, P.O. Box 9, Heppner, Or 97836, or to the Arthritis F o u n d atio n , 4412 S.W. Barbur Blvd., Suite 220, Portland, OR 97201. Sweeney Mortuary of H eppner is in charge of arrangements. Richard Joseph Kempas R ichard Joseph Kempas, 61, of Lexington, died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004, at his home. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., on Feb. 21, at the First Christian Church in Heppner. He was born Nov. 26, 1942, at Delta, CO, to Frank and H attie W right Kempas. The family soon moved to Roseburg where he grew up and attended school. He met Judy Kline at Roseburg High School. The couple later married and had recently celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary. Kempas was a log sca le r and w orked for Columbia River Log Scalers in Eugene for many years. He and o th ers opened and operated their own company. Northwest Log Scalers until 1993 when he retired. The couple moved to Lexington where he was employed by the City of Lexington. He liked to fix things and was never to busy to work on the car of a friend, relative or stranger whom he passed stranded on the road. He was especially happy when a grandchild visited with a special toy only grandpa could fix. Survivors include his w ife, Judy K em pas o f Lexington; sons, Joe Kempas of Medford and Jim Kempas of Lexington; brother. Chuck Kempas o f G ardner; and grandchildren, Nichole, Jesse, Taylor and Nick. M e m o r i a l contributions may be made to the First Christian Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 158, Heppner. OR 97836. Sweeney Mortuary of H eppner is in charge of arrangements. Mildred Irene Wright Mildred Irene Wright, 92, o f H eppner, died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004; at Summit Springs Retirement Village in Condon. A funeral was held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Heppner on Feb. 2, with burial following at Heppner Masonic Cemetery. She was bom Nov. 3, 1911, at Hardman, to Glenn and Evalyn Ball Farrens. She grew up and attended Burton Valley Grade School and Hardman High School. She then attended Benke-Walker Business College in Portland and Eastern Oregon Normal School at LaGrande. On April 7,1934, she married Walter M. Wright at Chehalis, WA. They moved to the family ranch on McKinney Creek near Hardman where they began raising sheep and later raised cattle. Wright was a member of All Saints Episcopal Church, the Rhea Creek and Lexington granges and the Rebekah Lodge. She was active with the Oregon State University Extension Service and had also been active in 4-H. She was recognized by the Oregon State Alumni Association for her work as a 4-H leader. S urvivors include daughters, Pat Anderson and husband Don of Arlington and Janet Litchfield and husband Dr. Ralph Litchfield of Bend; grandchildren, Tami Rietmann, Brad A nderson, Stephen Litchfield, Denise Becker and Julie Main; and seven great g ran d ch ild ren . She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Wright in 1976, and by a brother, Darrell Farrens and a sister, Murl Owen. M e m o r i a l contributions may be made to the South Morrow County Scholarship Trust, P.O. Box 926, Heppner, OR 97836, or to All Saints Episcopal Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 246, Heppner, OR 87836. Sweeney Mortuary of H eppner is in charge of arrangements. Raymond Wagner Lundell Raym ond W agner L undell, 87, o f E ugene, formerly of the lone area, died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004, at Valley West Health Care Center in Eugene. A funeral was held Feb. 7 at Valby Lutheran C hurch near lo n e, w ith concluding service and burial follow ing at High View Cemetery in lone. Lundell was bom July 14, 1916, at Gooseberry, to Algott and Beulah Wagner Lundell. He attended the old Gooseberry School through eighth grade and graduated from lone High School in 1934. He receiv ed a scholarship to attend Oregon Institute of Technology in Portland, but later returned home to help his father on the family farm. On Oct. 6, 1938, he married Charlotte McCabe at Vancouver, WA. In 1941, he expanded his farming operation when he m oved his fam ily to an adjacent piece of property, which became the Lundell family home. He was active in the community, involved with the REA C o-op, the O regon W heat L eague, W illow s Grange and Heppner Elks Lodge. He served on the Board of Directors and served as treasu rer for the Soil C onservation D istrict at Heppner. In 1959, Lundell was named Conservation Man of the Year for Morrow County. He was a longtime member of Valby Lutheran Church which his grandfather had helped build. He had served on the church council. In 1969, the Lundells m oved from the farm to Eugene where Lundell began w orking for the State of O regon as a S afety Compliance Office in the Accident Prevention Division. Lundell retired in 1983. He enjoyed reading, gardening and traveling. He was a collector of coins, stamps and rocks. He was said to be devoted to his family. Survivors include his wife, Charlotte of Eugene; daughters, Karen Stack of Chester, MT and Cheryle Foskett o f M oraga, CA; brother, Wally Lundell of P o rtlan d ; g ra n d c h ild re n Michelle Bahnmiller, Dara Coates, Sean Stack, Jason Stack, Christopher Foskett and Janelle Foskett; and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother, Charles Lundell who died in 2003. M e m o r i a l contributions may be made to Valby L u th eran C hurch Memorial Fund, 60492 Valby Road, lone, OR 97843, or to the United Church of Christ Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 346, lone, OR 97843. Sweeney Mortuary of H eppner is in charge o f arrangements. James W. “Jim” Neally Jam es W. “Jim ” Neally, 88, a resident of Irrigon for the past IV i years, died Friday, Jan. 30,2004, at his home. A Celebration of Life service was held Feb. 3 at Columbia View Community C hurch in Irrig o n w ith interment to follow at Desert Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Irrigon. Neally was bom Sept. 23, 1915, at Everett, WA, to Voyle and Johanna Neally. He lived in Seattle, working at Robertson Freight Line, before jo in in g the M arines in 1944. W hile serving in the Marines he met Ruth M. Rasmussen in San Francisco. F o llo w in g an honorable discharge, the couple was married on Sept. 15,1946, at White Center in Seattle. A good portion of their married life was spent living on and working on restoration of boats. In 1970, they traveled to Alaska on their man and wife troller for the fishing season. Later Neally was Port Engineer for the Indian F ishing Fleet in Metlakatla, AK. After retiring, they moved to Leavenworth, WA area where they lived for 14 years. They built a new home and lived there until 19%. Neally was a member of the Plains Community Church and served on the board, mission and other committees. Upon selling their home they moved to Irrigon where they have lived for the past seven and a half years. Neally was a member o f the C olum bia View Community Church in Irrigon, serving on the board and in other areas of service. He was also a member of the American Legion. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Ruth of Irrigon; sons, John Neally and wife, Mary Lou of Seattle and Glen Neally and wife Judy of Wauconda, IL; grandchildren; R achael, R ebecca and Christopher; and many nieces and nephew s. He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters and three brothers. M e m o r i a l contributions may be made to Columbia View Community Church or to Vange John Memorial Hospice. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements. Minnie Marie McVae Minnie Marie McVae, 92, a longtime Hermiston resident and accomplished horsewoman, died Saturday, Jan. 31,2004, at the home of her caregi ver/granddaughter, Patricia Fleming, in Irrigon. A funeral was held Feb. 5 in the chapel at Bums Mortuary of Hermiston with burial following at Hermiston Cemetery. M cVae was born March 30,1911, at Rathdrum, ID the eldest child of George and Rose (Novak) Goodrich. She lived at Warrenton before coming to Hermiston in 1946 with her husband, Stanley McVae. Stanley worked at McNary Dam and she farmed. McVae was a life member of the Umatilla Sage Riders, participating in club activities until her health forced her to retire in 1996. She was mostly known as the woman with the buckskinned ponies, “Mabel and Bessie” and their wagon. She participated in parades and w eddings throughout U m atilla and Morrow counties. Prior to having her ponies, she raised A rabian horses and participated in Sage Riders with her Arab stud, “Robin.” She was a form er member of the Eagles Lodge. M cVae enjoyed crafts, dancing, gardening, fishing, hunting and attending senior dances. Survivors include her daughter, Rose Mary Bozarth of Hermiston; grandchildren; Julia Widmar, Stanley Byrd, Lee Byrd, Pearl Cason, Toni Emmerson, Sunday Dyer, Patricia Fleming and Peggy Cooper; sisters, Dorothy Keller of Hermiston, Elsie Rausal of Hermiston and Betty Craze of Paulsbo, WA; 21 great-grandchildren; 20 great- great-grandchildren; and num erous o th er fam ily members and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Stanley M cVae, by com panion, Walter Primm, by grandsons, Mel Byrd and George Byrd, by brothers, Neil Goodrich and Walter Goodrich, by her parents, George and Rose Goodrich and by an infant son. M e m o r i a l contributions may be made to Vange John M em orial Hospice, the Umatilla Sage R iders B uilding and Maintenance Fund or to a charity of choice. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements. Wallace Amos “Wally” Fiederickson W allace Amos “Wally” Fiederickson, 76, of Irrigon, died Friday, Feb. 6, 2004, at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston. A memorial service was held Feb. 11 at Columbia View Community Church in Irrigon. Burial followed at D esert Law n M em orial C em etery in Irrigon. Disposition was by cremation. He was born May 15, 1927, at his grandmother’s home in Irrigon, to Frank and Olive Smith Frederickson. He grew up in the Irrigon area and graduated from the eighth grade at the old grade school, which is now Irrigon City Hall. He farmed with his father in the Irrigon and Hermiston area. He entered the Army in 1950 and was honorable discharged in 1952. He had worked in the lumber mill at Pilot Rock; at a fertilizer plant in Burbank, WA; and farmed his land on the Patterson Ferry Road at Irrigon while working as a pellet mill foreman for Eastern O regon Farm s. He was employed at Lamb Weston as a line mechanic in Boardman, retiring after 10 years. He later returned to Lamb Weston in Hermiston and retired from there after another 10 years. He married Grace E. Hixon on April 4,1969. Frederickson and his wife, Grace, had returned to live in the Irrigon area seven years ago. He was a member of the Umatilla Sage Riders and was on the Pony Polo Team. Survivors include his wife, Grace Frederickson of Irrigon; daughters, Kitty Ellen Lamb of Hermiston, Grace Ellen Schroeder of Sheridan and Mylinda Ronell Awmiller of LaGrande; sons, Erick Dwayne Frederickson of Amity and Clayton Curtis Frederickson of Granby, CO; 16 grandchildren; five great g randchildren; brothers, Clarence Frederickson of B oardm an and John Frederickson of Hermiston; and sisters, Alice Woods of Hillsboro and Josephine West o f Greybull, WY. He was preceded in death by sisters, S hirley Yoho, Freda F red erick so n and Bell Wheeler, by brothers, Fred F red erick so n and Roy Frederickson, and by his parents. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements. Joe B. Green Joe B. G reen, 86, longtim e certified public accountant and Pendleton’s First Citizen for 1995, died Friday, Feb. 6, 2004, at W illow brook Terrace in Pendleton. A funeral service was held Feb. 11 at the United M eth o d ist C hurch in Pendleton. The fourth of six children, he was bom Aug. 24, 1917, to Stephen Alexander and Mattie Belle Green, and was reared in Heppner. He graduated from Heppner High School in 1935. He and his wife, Anne “Nancy” Green had been married for 63 years. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1940 and became a CPA in 1945, establishing his solo p ro fessio n al practice in Pendleton in November 1947. The firm becam e Green and Green in 1963 when his nephew, Stephen Green, became a partner. Joe Green’s son, John R. “Bob” Green, became the third family partner in 1967. Joe Green retired from the firm in 1986. Green believed in com m unity service and worked for years to keep U m atilla C ounty and Pendleton a prosperous, good place to live and raise a family. He was a positive, optimistic voice, a champion of hard work, honesty and ethical behavior. In 1995, Green won the O regon Society of Certified Public Accountants G old M edal Award for co n trib u tio n s to the p ro g ressio n and the community, the fourth CPA to receive the award. Green was the first CPA from east of the Cascades appointed to the State Board of Accountancy, named to the board by Gov. M ark O. Hatfield in 1964. He was appointed to a second term in 1968 by Gov. Tom McCall. He had already assembled CPAs from Eastern O regon for a series of professional meetings when in 1965, he founded and served as first president of the Eastern Oregon Chapter of the state society of CPAs. He was granted a life membership in both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and in the state society in 1989. Green was elected to six terms on the Blue Mountain Community College Board of Directors beginning in 1972, and served as chairman four separate years during that 25- year period. He also served on the Oregon Community College Association legislative committee. G reen was a P endleton R ound-U p v o lu n teer for 45 years, including eight years as R ound-U p A sso ciatio n treasurer. He was a chairman of the Umatilla County Long- Range Planning Committee, w hich review ed county operations and in 1989, recommended improvements to county g overnm ent, including a home rule charter. He was appointed to the Charter Review Advisory C om m ittee, w hich recom m ended how to reorganize county government when the charter became effective in 1995. Green was a member of the Umatilla County Budget Committee for many years, serving as chairman several times. In a letter supporting his candidacy for First Citizen, County Commissioners Emile Holeman, Bill Hansell and Glenn Youngman w rote, “Umatilla County government has never been stronger thanks to a very large degree to one of Pendleton’s finest citizens, Joe Green.” He was a member of the Elks Lodge from the time he moved to Pendleton in 1947, and had been active in the Pendleton Rotary Club since May 1950. He had been a member of First United Methodist Church since 1948, and served as church treasurer and member of the finance committee for seven years. Green helped launch the Pendleton Federal Credit Union, which was chartered in 1976, and served on its board of directors, and for 12 years, on its supervisory board. Survivors include his wife, at the home in McKay Creek Estates; sons. Bob Green of Pendleton, Paul Green of Washington, D.C., and David Green of Parkland, FL; daughter, Joann Byrd of Seattle; sister, Ruth McCaleb of P o rtlan d ; eight grandchildren; four great g ran d ch ild ren ; and two nephews in Pendleton. M e m o r i a l contributions may be made to the Umatilla County Historical Society, directly or through Bishop Funeral Chapel, P.O. Box 325, Pendleton, OR 97801. F CUSTOM 1 BANNERS Any Size Lots of Colon Logos ft Graphics Heppner Gazette 676-9228
