TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 11, 2023
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
SEARCH OLD COPIES OF THE HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES ON-LINE:
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/
Published weekly by Sykes Publishing 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: editor@rapidserve.net or david@rapidserve.net. Web site:
www.heppner.net. Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Times,
P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $31 in Morrow County; $25
senior rate (in Morrow County only; 65 years or older); $37 elsewhere; $31 student
subscriptions.
Chris Sykes ...............................................................................................Publisher
Andrea Di Salvo ............................................................................................ Editor
..................................................................................................................Advertising
All News and Advertising Deadline is Monday at 5 p.m.
For Advertising: advertising deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Cost for a display ad is $5.25 per
column inch. Cost for classified ad is 50¢ per word. Cost for Card of Thanks is $10 up to
100 words. Cost for a classified display ad is $6.05 per column inch.
For Public/Legal Notices: public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Dates for publi-
cation must be specified. Affidavits must be requested at the time of submission. Affidavits
require three weeks to process after last date of publication (a sooner return date must be
specified if required).
For Obituaries: Obituaries are published in the Heppner GT at no charge and are edited to
meet news guidelines. Families wishing to include information not included in the guidelines
or who wish to have the obituary written in a certain way must purchase advertising space
for the obituary.
For Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor MUST be signed by the author. The Heppner
GT will not publish unsigned letters. All letters MUST include the author’s address and phone
number for use by the GT office. The GT reserves the right to edit letters. The GT is not
responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will
be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
Obituaries
Beverly Jean
Ann Davidson
Flint
Bev landed on her in-
laws’ farm, near Scholls,
OR, in
1965 af-
ter she
married
Harlan
Flint.
“ I ’ v e
found my
home,”
she said. It was on the farm
that she died, Dec. 10, 2022,
from cancer. Her husband,
daughter Sadie, and dear
sister Anita were with her.
She was 78.
She was born Jan. 23,
1944, in Grass Valley, CA,
to Robert Davidson and
Mildred Pollard Davidson.
The family settled in Mor-
row County after World
War II. At Heppner High
School (class of ‘62), Bev
excelled in speech and dra-
ma, as a dance club member
and choreographer. “It’s all
about the music,” was her
life-long mantra.
Bev graduated from
Portland State University
with a speech degree in
1967. She taught PE and
coached gymnastics in Bea-
verton for 13 years. Bev
was an early member of
Sunset Athletic Club, where
she played ladies tennis for
many years (4.0 flights).
Bev developed as a
commercial florist—the
profession she claimed
when asked—and as a
master cake decorator. In
retirement, she produced
sunflowers to sell at the
end of the farm’s lane, and
wreaths by the hundreds to
adorn every Christmas.
On Mid Valley Farm,
Bev spoiled many pets and
had abundant room for
horses, which she saddled
up over 30 years. She and
her beloved horse, Adi-
da, spent 23 years with
the women’s drill team in
competitions and parades.
Bev once choreographed
a technically-difficult,
award-winning drill for the
Team of Four during which
the horses performed with-
out bridles.
Bev and Harlan were
active members of the Toe
Draggers Square Dance
Club where Bev was the
club cuer from 1989-2020.
She developed her own
cueing shorthand and cho-
reographed, led and taught
round dances: waltzes,
foxtrot, rumba, cha cha,
and more. Dancers agree:
Bev’s cueing had a flare
and earned a following.
She also “made the Singer
sing,” sewing costumes and
flags for the riding club and
square dances.
Bev’s creativity was a
thing of beauty, and a joy.
She was a lifelong teacher
and mentor, showing family
and friends how to live with
courage, kindness, spunk,
ingenuity and a willingness
to try new things at any age.
She read books of every
genre and collected rosaries
from around the world.
Beverly’s survivors are
husband, Harlan Flint, and
their daughter, Sadie with
her husband, Peter Pittock
Lynn, and their son, Oscar.
Other survivors are siblings
Dora Sue Viall, McMinn-
ville, OR; Robert Davidson,
Jr. (HHS ‘61) and wife,
Patricia, Milwaukie, OR.;
Gregory Davidson (HHS
‘74) and partner, Robert
Woods, San Francisco; and
Anita Davidson (HHS ‘75)
and partner, Sue Hawkins,
Portland, OR. Two genera-
tions of nieces and nephews
fill a list.
She was preceded in
death by her parents, Rob-
ert in 1992 and Mildred
in 1980, and by a brother,
Herbert, in 1997.
The family will host a
celebration of Bev’s gener-
osity of spirit early in 2023.
In Bev’s honor, a donation
to The Compton (CA) Ju-
nior Equestrians would be
in line with her interests.
And, of course, give a gift
of flowers to someone to-
day, and buy a big ol’ bunch
for yourself, too.
Robert “Bob”
Howard Smith
Jr.
Robert “Bob” Howard
Smith Jr. died peacefully
at Pioneer
Memo-
rial Hos-
pital on
We d n e s -
day, Jan.
4, sur-
rounded
by his family. He was 63
years old. A small service
will be held for immediate
family members only.
Bob was born March
12,1959, in Portland, OR,
to Doreen Parret and Robert
Howard Smith Sr. Bob grew
up in Hermiston until his
sophomore year, when his
family moved to Heppner.
Bob graduated from Hep-
pner High School, where he
met his future wife, Sheree
Marquardt. The two were
married Dec. 15, 1979.
He had various jobs
Obituaries
throughout the years, in-
cluding mill worker, secu-
rity guard and printer at the
Heppner Gazette-Times. He
became disabled in 1999.
Bob loved gardening and
yard work as well as fish-
ing, wood cutting, hunting
and being in the mountains.
In his later years, his face lit
up whenever his grandchil-
dren were around.
Bob is survived by
his former spouse, Sheree
Smith; their children, Me-
linda Smith, Robert Smith
III (Heather Smith), Tammy
Rill (Dean Rill); grandchil-
dren, Hagen and Bentley
Smith; sister, Linda Shultz;
and numerous nieces and
nephews.
Bob was preceded in
death by his father, Robert
Smith Sr.; mother, Doreen
Parret; and brother, Rick
Smith.
Sympathy cards may
be mailed to PO Box 442,
Heppner, OR 97836. You
may sign the online condo-
lence book at www.swee-
neymortuary.com.
that same love. She valued
her grandparents and the
time she was able to help
them whenever she could
while working at Lakeview
Heights, Willow Creek Ter-
race and with the Morrow
County Health District.
Kellie loved spend-
ing time with her son and
doing anything outdoors.
She loved to hunt and fish,
go kayaking and spend
time with her family in the
mountains. She was a vol-
unteer with 4-H, AWANA,
Heppner St. Patrick’s cele-
bration and Morrow County
Fair. Her involvement with
Jaxson’s wrestling team and
school activities was also
always a priority.
Kellie was preceded in
death by her grandparents,
Francis and Vonna Schutter.
She is survived by her
son, Jaxson; her parents,
John and Alita Nelson; her
twin brother, Tim Nelson
(Makaela); and her broth-
ers, John and Cody Nelson.
She is also survived by
grandparents, Stan and Lin-
da Nelson, and many aunts,
uncles, nieces and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the
family requests donations
be made to Heppner Fire
Department or Morrow
County 4-H. You may sign
the online condolence book
at www.sweeneymortuary.
com.
Pranger retires from
weed control after 33
years
(SWCD), and the family
moved to Morrow County.
“I went from college,
to doing that, to doing
this,” he said.
They spent the first
year in Ione and then
moved to Heppner and
bought a home. It’s where
they’ve made their home
Dave Pranger
ever since, raising sons
By Andrea Di Salvo
Joe and Justin in Heppner.
Morrow County’s
After several years
long-standing “weed guy,” with the SWCD, Prang-
David Pranger, retired in
er moved to a job with
November after nearly 33 Morrow County, where
years helping county resi- he was the public works
dents and farmers manage weed supervisor/coordi-
their weed problems. His
nator. There, he worked
Nov. 3 retirement was just most closely with the road
short of the 33-year mark, department.
which would have been
“After five years with
Jan. 2 of this year.
the SWCD, I felt like the
Pranger, 60, has been road department would be
in Morrow County a long a good mix,” said Pranger.
time, but he was born and One of his primary duties
raised in Hillsboro, OR.
in both jobs was to work
He graduated from Jesuit
to control noxious weeds.
High School in Hillsboro
“I felt like the county had
and then attended Oregon to take care of its road-
State University, where he sides before I could en-
graduated with a Bache-
force it on other people.”
lor of Science degree in
Pranger said he en-
Kellie Renae Nelson,
Agricultural Engineering
joyed his work because,
27, of
Technology in 1984.
in his department of one,
H e p -
It was in college that
he was basically his own
pner,
he met his wife of 37
boss.
passed
years, Anita. The couple
“I was pretty much a
away
was married in 1985.
one-man show,” he said.
on Dec.
After college, the
He did help out the
30, after
Prangers
moved
to
the
road
department from time
Mary Jean McCabe, 95,
a car ac-
Portland
area,
where
Dave
to
time
over the years,
Longtime Heppner resi-
cident.
worked
for
a
national
lawn
paint
striping,
driving
dent died Monday, January
Services will be held
care
company,
first
as
a
truck
and
flagging,
but
9, 2023 in Hermiston. She
at Heppner Elementary
lawn
care
specialist
and
much
of
his
time
and
work
was born January 3, 1928
School on Jan. 21 at 1 p.m.
then
as
a
branch
trainer.
went
into
finding
new
at Ione Oregon. A grave-
with a meal following the
side memorial service will After five and a half years ways to control noxious
service at the Morrow
weeds.
be held 2 p.m. Saturday, there, Dave took a job
County Fairgrounds.
with
the
Soil
and
Water
A noxious weed is any
January 14, 2023 at High
Kellie was born on
Conservation
District
-Continued to PAGE THREE
View Cemetery in Ione.
July 18, 1995, in Yakima,
A complete obituary will
WA. She attended Heppner
follow in next weeks Ga-
Schools and was very active
zette-Times.
Sweeney
in many groups. She was in
Mortuary of Heppner is in
the chess club and AWANA
470 E Main Street,
care of arrangements.
in elementary school. In
Ione, Oregon
middle and high school
YOUR AD
Kellie found her love for
Church School & Adult Study at 10:00 am
cheerleading, wrestling
COULD BE
Worship at 11:00 AM
and track. She was also in
HERE!
TSA, FBLA, FFA and 4-H.
One of the highlights of
Submit Ads
her high school experience
heppner.net
was traveling to Nashville
Call
for a TSA competition,
541-676-9228
where she competed with
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graphics@rapidserve.net
a robotic Lego lizard. Her
“You will seek Me and find Me, when
involvement in 4-H and
We also offer
you
search for Me with all you heart.”
the Heppner FFA chapter
design and
-Jeremiah 29:13
printing services
was a favorite for Kellie,
Join Us in the Search
too. She started showing
Heppner Gazette-Times
swine in fifth grade with the
Sykes Bros Printing
4-H program and continued
through her FFA years. She
was a District FFA Officer.
After graduating Heppner
High School in 2013, Kellie
enlisted in the U.S. Ma-
rines.
Following her time
with the Marines, Kellie
returned home and start-
ed fighting fires at Bruce
Young Logging. She was
a firefighter at heart even
though the work was hard.
This experience would lead
her into life-long service to
her community. She was a
trained EMT volunteer with
RAYMOND SEASTONE
the Heppner Fire Depart-
541-922-2828
ment and was extremely
dedicated to the firefighting
MORTGAGE
family.
541-676-9884
Kellie studied Geo-
HEPPNER BRANCH
sciences at Treasure Val-
541-676-9125
ley Community College
and also student taught at
Local in-house draw
Eastern Oregon University
process for your builder.
weekly, driving from On-
Local in-house
tario to La Grande while
inspections.
working towards bachelor’s
Teresa Hughes, Hailey Shultz, Mortgage Loan Officer Kaitlin Orcutt,
degree. She earned her
Desirae Ruth, and Mortgage Loan Officer Raymond Seastone.
Borrow money as
bachelor’s in Geosciences,
needed throughout
with a minor is psychology,
term of the loan.
in 2019. She recently fin-
Permanent financing
ished her master’s degree in
available.
psychology in 2022 while
working in the precision
agriculture division at Mor-
row County Grain Growers.
TALK TO US ABOUT
In 2015, Kellie re-
PURCHASING A HOME
turned to Heppner to have
OR REMODELING.
her son, Jaxson Nelson,
near her family. Her love of
family and her community
Member FDIC
was important to her, and
KAITLIN ORCUTT NMLS #1043345 / RAYMOND SEASTONE NMLS # 937744 / #414459 / RATES & TERMS MAY VARY. ALL LOANS SUBJECT TO CREDIT APPROVAL.
she wanted Jaxson to have
Kellie Renae
Nelson
Death Notice
Ione Community Church
PLAN NOW.
BUILD LATER.
Let’s start planning to
Build Your Home.