TWO • Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 28,2005
Obituaries
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Eleanor Virginia
Blevins
Heppner
G A ZETTE-TIM ES
U.S.PS. 240-420
Morrow County's Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
Published weekly and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner.
Oregon under the Act of March 3,1879 Periodical postage paid at Heppner. Oregon
Office at 188 W Willow Street. Telephone (541) 676-9228. Fax (541) 676-9211 E-
mail: ednorli* rapidservc.net or davidc» heppner net Website: www heppner net. Post­
master send address changes to the Heppner Gazette Times, P.O. Box 337, Heppner.
Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $25 in Morrow County: $19 senior rate (in Morrow
County only; 62 years or older); $31 elsewhere; $26 student subscriptions
David S y k e s....................................................................................................Publisher
Betty Mac Tasish ................................................................................................ Editor
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meet news guidelines. Families wishing to include information not included in the guidelines
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St. Patrick’s Senior Center news
For the first senior center meal of 2006, meat loaf,
mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, peaches, com
bread, rolls, cupcakes and ice cream will be served. Mem­
bers of the Christian Life Center will serve the lunch.
The writer has not yet received the official 2006 list
of churches whose members and constituents volunteer for
serving and clean-up each week. It does give an opportunity
for the center’s board to extend its appreciation for those
special people who appear promptly and are gracious in their
reception of guests. Their presence each week is a sign of a
spirit of cooperation established by the center in its effort to
fulfill its mission. At each mealtime these volunteers add to
the atmosphere of hospitality typifying the kind of support
the center offers to members of the community.
Chairperson Corol Mitchell reports that more than
70 people were served Christmas dinner at the center on
Christmas Day. Participants came early to enjoy hors
d’oeuvres and visit with one another. Many stayed late to
enjoy the conversation. Volunteers assisted with set-up, serv­
ing and clean up.
The children of Bill and Winifred Cox, in memory
of their parents who were among original organizers and
supporters of this fine addition, provide the main entree for
this special meal. The Willow Creek Bakery furnished the
rolls for the Christmas Day dinner.
Ym r
/rom wm/onr
at
Peterson’s
Ga*/G,
Judy,
f l
B onnâ,
and Rondad
Petersons
H eppner
H EPPNER ELKS 358
676-9181
"Where Friends Meet"
142 North Main
- Saturday ; December 3/st -
JXEW Y E W 'S E Y E
P .1 R T Y
*
Ham and Crab Feed Dinner
starting at 6:00 p.m.
Music with Matt Howard
starting at 8:00 p.m.
Party Favors!
Cfor c u rre n t E lk * m em ber* o n ly )
\
:
E lean o r V irginia
Blevins, 66, died December
19, 2005 at her home in Uki-
ah.
A graveside funeral
service was held Friday, De­
cember 23, 2005, in Ukiah.
M rs. B levins was
bom September 29, 1939, in
Heppner to Ed and Eleanor
Gonty. She was a 1957 grad­
uate o f H ep p n er High
School.
She m arried Terry
Blevins after graduation. The
couple moved to Ukiah in
1964 where they owned and
operated two service sta­
tions. Mr. Blevins preceded
her in death in 1982.
She was employed
by the Battle Mountain Store
and the U.S. Forest Service.
She was an active member
of the community and served
on the school board for 10
years.
She is survived by
d au g h ters, Pat Brady of
Lake Stevens, Washington,
and Pam Arbogast, Ukiah;
brothers, Ray Gonty of Se­
attle, Tom Gonty, Heppner,
and Charles Gonty, Chan­
tilly, Va.; and four grandchil­
dren.
Memorial contribu­
tions may be made to Ukiah
Quick Response, P.O. Box
57, Ukiah, 97880
Burns Mortuary of
Pendleton was in charge of
arrangements.
Leland Edward
Kestler Sr.
L eland
E dw ard
“Lee” Kestler Sr., 76, died
at his home in Irrigon on
December 21, 2005.
A graveside service
was held on Tuesday, De­
cember 27,2005, at the Her-
miston Cemetery.
Leland Edward Kes­
tler Sr. was bom on August
2, 1929, in Stockville, Neb.,
to Leslie and Edith Dehut
Kestler. He was raised in
N ebraska and lived there
until m oving to the W il­
lamette Valley in the early
1950s.
He was united in
marriage to Deloris White-
head on March 7, 1953, in
McMinnville. They settled in
M orrow C ounty in 1975
where they have lived since.
Mr. K estler was a
farmer and cut custom hay
for many years. He was a
member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and enjoyed horses,
tractors and most of all, time
with his grandchildren.
He is survived by his
wife, Deloris Kestler, Irrig­
on; daughters, Sally Kestler,
Irrig o n , M elanie D ieter,
Boardman andTassie Pullen,
Irrigon; sons Roger Kestler,
Irrigon, Leland Kestler Jr.,
Stanfield, Bruce Kestler, Sa­
lem, and Rodney Kestler,
Umatilla; brothers, Kenneth
Dumer, Canby, Keith Dum-
er, Monterey, Tenn.; sisters
R ose H agen, S ilv erto n ,
Maxine Greer, Salem; 26
g ra n d c h ild re n ; 13 great
grandchildren; and numer­
ous nieces, nephew s and
cousins.
Mr. Kestler was pre­
ceded in death by his parents,
daughters, Kally Rae Kestler
and Melody Kestler, son,
Kary Kestler, and grandson,
Leland E. “TJ” Kestler III.
Patricia M. “Pat”
Rufner
P atricia M. “ P a t”
Rufner, 87, o f Hermiston
died Tuesday, December 15,
2005, at G ood Shepherd
M e d ic a l
Center.
A
c e le b ra ­
tion of her
life was
held D e­
cember
Patricia M .
28, 2005
“Pat” Rufner
at
the
H erm iston VFW Lodge,
Hermiston.
G raveside service
will be held on Thursday,
January 5, 2006 at 1 p.m. at
the Mountain View IOOF
Cem etery in G oldendale,
Washington.
Rufner was bom on
December 13, 1918, in Pay­
ette, Idaho at the family farm
to Albert and Olga Reimers
Adams. She was raised and
attended schools in Hunting-
ton, Oregon.
She graduated from
Huntington High School in
the class of 1936. She then
m oved to B oise, Idaho
where she attended cosme­
tology school and worked.
In 1939 she moved Rio Tin-
to, Nevada.
She was united in
marriage to Ralph Rufner on
M arch 24, 1940 in Elko,
Nevada. They lived in Rio
Tinto, Nevada, until Ralph
enlisted in the United States
Army. She then traveled to
Mississippi and Louisiana to
be with Ralph until he went
overseas. She then returned
to Huntington, Oregon. Af­
ter Ralph’s honorable dis­
charge he also returned to
Huntington where they lived
until 1960. They then moved
to H erm isto n , O regon,
where she has lived since.
Mrs. Rufner was a
member of the United Meth­
odist Church, the Red Hat
Society, VFW Auxiliary, and
the Eagles Auxiliary. In her
younger life she enjoyed be­
ing a mother, always supply­
ing cookies for every school
and church event.
After retiring she en­
joyed visiting with her kids,
bingo, reading mysteries,
shopping, traveling, growing
tomatoes, cooking, cards,
and playing board games.
She took up oil painting and
won the purple ribbon at the
Umatilla County Fair for her
painting. She experienced
everything from horse and
buggy to the computer age,
using the computer to e-mail
and play games.
S urvivors include
her daughter, Barbara Hut-
sell o f Heppner and four
g ran d ch ild ren ; K ristin a,
Mark, Bethany and Jorgen;
three great-grandchildren:
Lucy, Jack, and Celia; and
numerous nieces, nephews
and cousins.
She was preceded in
death by her husband, Ralph
in 1997; son, Fredrick in
1993; her p aren ts; tw o
brothers, Buck and John
Adams; two sisters, Eekie
M oor and B illie Lou
McLaughlin, and half sister,
Helen Adams.
Those who wish may
make contributions in her
memory to the Hermiston
Ambulance Program or the
American Cancer Society c/
o Burns Mortuary of Her­
miston at P.O. Box 289, Her­
miston, OR 97838.
Burns Mortuary of
H erm iston, O regon is in
charge of arrangements.
Lowell Lansing
Gribble
Dorothy Patton
Dorothy Patton, 91,
died Thursday, December
22,2005, at her home at Sun
Terrace in Hermiston.
A public celebration
of life service will be held this
spring.
Dorothy Patton was
bom on April 12, 1914 in La
Grande,
to
p a r­
ents, Vic­
to r and
Bernice
Hogan.
She was
raised and
a tte n d e d
schools in Dorothy Patton
W ashing­
ton and Oregon.
She was united in
marriage to Richard Patton
on September 5,1931. They
lived in Idaho and later
moved to Wallula, Washing­
ton in 1937. In 1952 they
moved to Cecil, Oregon and
lived there until 1986 when
R ichard preceded her in
death. She then moved to
Hermiston, where she has
lived since.
She was a member of
the M ethodist C hurch in
H erm iston. She enjoyed
traveling, flowers, playing
cards, cooking, sewing, and
quilting.
S urvivors include
her son, Edward Patton of
Irrigon; daughters, Esther
Dixon of Mitchell, and Don­
na Winson of Seattle; broth­
er, Floyd Hogan, Hermiston;
13 grandchildren; 28 great­
g ra n d c h ild re n and three
great-great-grandchildren.
Her husband, Rich­
ard, her parents, one broth­
er, and three sisters preced­
ed her in death.
Memorial contribu­
tions may be made to Sun
Terrace, 1550N.W. 11th St.,
Hermiston, Oregon 97838.
Burns Mortuary of
Hermiston is in charge of
arrangements.
L ow ell L an sin g
Gribble, 95, died Sunday,
December 18, 2005, at Wil­
low Creek Terrace Assisted
Living in Heppner.
A memorial gather­
ing was held on Wednesday,
December 21,2005, at Wil­
low Creek Terrace in Hepp­
ner.
Mr. G rib b le was
bom July 2, 1910 at Aurora,
the son of Lansing L. and
Albertina M. Miller Gribble.
He was raised and attended
school at Aurora before at­
ten d in g high sch o o l at
Woodbum, where he gradu­
ated in 1930.
He atten d ed W il­
lamette University and then
Willamette Law School in
Salem. Mr. Gribble lettered
all four years at Willamette
in baseball and football. He
then played semi-pro ball for
the Salem Senators and then
the Albany Oaks in Albany,
Oregon.
On D ecem ber 31,
1934, he married Dolores L.
Mills at Salem.
Mr. Gribble was em­
ployed by General Petro­
leum for many years. He also
owed a service station in
Pendleton and then p u r­
chased the business of Shell
Chemical Fertilizer in Hep­
pner. He sold that business
in 1968 and then started Ul­
tra-Sonic Predictable Main­
tenance Inc., which became
a very successful business
venture.
Mr. Gribble served
as justice of the peace in
1967-1968. He was a mem­
ber of the Heppner B.P.O.E
#358, the Pendleton Mason­
ic Lodge, and the Christian
Life C en ter C hurch, a l­
though he was baptized at
the All Saints E piscopal
Church in Heppner.
His favorite hobby
was golf, so much so, that
he helped start the local golf
course, Willow Creek Coun­
try Club in Heppner.
S urvivors include
Barbara Diggins of Pendle­
ton; sons; Doug G ribble,
Centralia, WA, and Stuart
Gribble, Issaquah, WA; six
grandchildren and 11 great­
grandchildren. He was pre­
ceded in death by his wife in
2003, his parents and an in­
fant daughter.
Memorial contribu­
tions may be made to Wil­
low Creek Terrace Assisted
Living, 400 Frank Gilliam
Drive, Heppner, OR 97836
or to Pioneer Memorial Hos­
pice, P.O. Box 9, Heppner,
OR 97836.
Sweeney Mortuary
of Heppner was in charge of
arrangements.
Are you trying to
think of something different
to do on New Year’s Eve?
Everyone is invited
to the Odd Fellows Hall in
Lexington for an evening of
cards. Cost is $5 per person
and is open to the public.
Play will start at 7
p.m . wi t h re fre sh m en ts
serv ed th ro u g h o u t the
e v en in g . P rizes will be
awarded to the winners.
Marriage License"
December
Justice Court
report
The Justice C ourt
has released the following
information: David Comiola,
65, Tucson, Violation of the
Basic Rule, 62/45 and a
Passing Violation, fine $288.
Steven Arbogast, 35,
Pendleton, Violation of the
Basic Rule 77/55, fine $180.
Michael Marsh, 19,
Otis, No Resident Upland
Game Bird Validation, fine
$159, S h o o tin g From a
Public Roadway, fine $ 189,
E xceeding Bag Lim it o f
Pheasants, fine $159.
Tiffany Greenup, 26,
Lexington, Violation of the
Speed L im it 49/30, fine
$108.
Elogbi Mustafa, 54,
Portland, Violation of the
Basic Rule 37/25, fine $108.
Susan P ro u d fo o t,
55, lone, Violation of the
Basic Rule 80/55, fine $108.
Norbert McManns,
79, P o rtla n d , U nlaw ful
Taking of a Cow Elk, fine
$159.
New Year’s Eve
card party
planned
23:
The Morrow County Mark Randolph Rickards,
Clerk’s office has issued the 24, Kennewick and Ashlie
following marriage license: Lela Cain, 21, Kennewick.