TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 6, 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
Obituaries
independent woman
Shirley Hazel willed,
as she spent her working
(Wilkinson)
years as a sheep and cat-
tle rancher along Willow
Rugg
Creek and throughout
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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: In Morrow County $35/year.
Outside Morrow County $40/year. In County Senior Rate (65 years or older) $30/
year. 9 month Student student subscriptions $35/year.
Chris Sykes ...............................................................................................Publisher
Andrea Di Salvo ............................................................................................ Editor
Cindi Doherty.........................................................................................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 $5.50 per
column inch. Cost for classified ad is 50¢ per word. Cost for Card of Thanks is $15 up to 100
words. Cost for a classified display ad is $6.00 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
Judith “Judie”
Lue Spaulding
Laughlin
Judith “Judie” Lue
Spaulding Laughlin, 82,
of Heppner passed away
peacefully on August 24,
2023, at Chinook Place
in Madras, OR. A funeral
mass will be held for Ju-
die on Saturday, Septem-
ber 30, at 11 a.m. at St.
Patrick’s Catholic Church
in Heppner. A graveside
interment for Judie and
Butch Laughlin will follow
at the Heppner Cemetery,
followed by a luncheon at
the St. Patrick’s Parish Hall.
Judie was born No-
vember 23, 1940, in Long
Beach, CA to Bette Simp-
son Spaulding and Carl F.
Spaulding, Jr. Carl was in
the Army and was stationed
in Long Beach when Judie
was born. They moved to
The Dalles, OR in 1946,
where she attended grade
school and junior high. She
took piano lessons as a child
and regretted not continu-
ing with that skill, only to
replace it with her love of
dance at an early age. She
took dance lessons from
Eleanor Borg in The Dalles.
Judie graduated from
Heppner High School in
1958, where she had moved
in her sophomore year. She
quickly became a loved
member of the class and
was cheerleader for the
Heppner Mustangs. The
class of 1958 was a very
close-knit group and stayed
that way throughout their
lives, raising their children
together even if they moved
out of Heppner.
She was married to
William W. Brannon and
had a daughter Tamila Kay
in 1958. They soon di-
vorced, and Judie and Tami
moved to Eugene so Judie
could attend the University
of Oregon art school. They
lived with Judie’s Aunt
Barbara (Simpson) and Erv
Larsen. Her high school
classmate, Butch Laughlin,
came back into the picture,
and they married in 1963.
The family was completed
with the arrival of Lottie
Lynn in 1963 and Robert
Shane in 1964.
Judie had a love for her
family, friends and com-
munity that filled her life
to the fullest. She belonged
to Soroptimist Internation-
al, Willow Valley Service
Club, 4-Corners Snowmo-
bile Club, St. Patrick’s Cel-
ebration Committee and St.
Patrick’s Catholic Church,
where she served many of
the officer positions. She
was a 4-H Leader for many
years and even taught Shane
how to sew.
She was the office man-
ager for Heppner Cable
TV, which her father Carl
started in 1956. Judie also
worked for Columbia Basin
Electric and the Morrow
County Judge’s office.
Judie was best known
for her artistic abilities and
shared them throughout
her life. Many of the St.
Patrick’s Day decorations
used yearly in Heppner, she
made. The St. Patrick’s Day
buttons sold during the cel-
ebration, she designed and
made for many years. She
loved stamping and created
beautiful cards that were
given to family and friends
and shared with the Hospice
Program in Morrow Coun-
ty. There was nothing she
couldn’t craft, paint, sew
or draw.
Judie was proceeded
in death by her husband,
Butch, in April of this year.
They were fortunate to cel-
ebrate their 60 th wedding
anniversary in March.
She is survived by her
sister, Janice Harper of
Pendleton, and her chil-
dren, Haylee and Willie;
daughter Tami and husband
Rodney Berthold of Mosier
and their children, Jarren,
Nick and Wes; daughter
Lottie and husband Kirk
Holcomb of Madras and
their children, Melissa, Keri
and Kevin; son Shane from
Heppner; five great-grand-
children; and one great-
great-grandchild.
Contributions in Jud-
ie’s memory can be made
to the National Alliance
on Mental Illness, 147 SE
102 nd Ave., Portland, OR
97216; American Heart As-
sociation, 4380 S Macadam
Avenue #480 Portland, OR
97239; the St. Patrick’s
Catholic Church Memo-
rial Fund, PO Box 633,
Heppner, OR 97836; or a
charity of your choice.
Sweeney Mortuary of
Heppner is in charge of ar-
rangements. You may sign
the online condolence book
at www.sweeneymortuary.
com.
Funeral Notice
Sharon E. Arntt, 81, of
Hermiston, formerly of
Heppner, died July 3, 2023,
in Hermiston. She was born
December 24, 1941, in
Portland, OR. A memorial
service will be held at 10
a.m. on Saturday, Septem-
ber 9, at St. John Episcopal
Church in Hermiston.
Sweeney Mortuary of Hep-
pner was in charge of ar-
rangements.
Bentz to hold town
hall tonight
U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz annex in Heppner.
will hold a Morrow Coun-
Members of the public
ty town hall tonight, Sept. are invited to bring their
eastern Oregon. Morrow
6, at 5:30 p.m. at the Mor- questions and concerns to
County Livestock Growers
row County Fairgrounds
this event.
Association named Shirley
as “Cattleman of the Year,”
or alternatively, “Livestock
Grower of the Year,” in
1969.
Shirley was later fea-
The Morrow County include PCP appointments
tured in the 2011 book
Republicans will meet at and 2024 budget construc-
“Tough by Nature: Portraits
6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 14, tion.
of Cowgirls and Ranch
PCP positions are open
at the Don Adams Con-
Women of the American
ference Room in the Mor- for Lexington, Boardman
West” by Linda Lanker.
row County Government and Irrigon. Individuals
In addition to sheep, cows
Center, Irrigon. Precinct interested in one of these
and horses, Shirley owned
Committee Persons (PCPs) positions are encouraged to
and loved a great number
and anyone interested in the attend this meeting to learn
of cattle and herding dogs
county Republican Party about the positions. PCP
over the years, sometimes
are encouraged to come and appointments can be made
having as many as five or
during MCRP meetings.
join the discussions.
six accompanying her in her
The Republican Par-
MCRP will look at
signature flatbed pickup.
the 2024 election calendar ty is open to individuals
Earlier this year, Shir-
year and begin planning interested in conservative
ley was featured in the
for events and candidate ideals and values. The Re-
Summer 2023 issue of
support. The group will publican Party platform can
Range magazine as part of
finalize participation and be found at https://oregon.
the “Confessions of Red
representation at the Ore- gop/. For more information
Meat Survivors” article.
gon Republican Platform on the Morrow County
Shirley intermittently
meeting in Pendleton Oct. Republican Party, contact
attended All Saints’ Epis-
19-21. Other agenda items mocoreps@gmail.com.
copal Church throughout
her long life.
She was preceded in
death by parents Bercia
Morrow Soil and Wa-
To join via Zoom or
Wavel (Ball) and Frank ter Conservation District conference call, please con-
Wilkinson, sister Fran- (SWCD) will meet Tues- tact the SWCD beforehand
ces (Wilkinson) and Walt day, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. at at 541-676-5452.
Oslund, brother Richard the Ag Service Center in
Meetings of the Mor-
“Dick” and Virginia Wilkin- Heppner.
row SWCD are open to the
son, and daughter Gedola
public.
“Jody” Rugg, among oth-
ers.
She is survived by
daughter Jill (Rugg) and
Dick Schoenberg of Ken-
newick, WA, granddaughter
Josie (Camarillo) and Tom
No appointment
Congdon of Roseburg, OR,
needed!
niece Carol Sue (Oslund)
Hanson of Gillette, WY,
Ask the pharmacist
niece Pamela (Cochell)
about Covid
and Mark Wunderlich of
Vaccine
Updates!
Heppner, OR, and other ex-
tended Wilkinson relatives
217 North Main St.,
living primarily in Canada.
Heppner, OR
Sweeney Mortuary is in
Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426
charge of post-mortem care
murraysdrug.com
and cremation services per
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm • Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 9am-2pm
Shirley’s wishes.
Pharmacy- Mon-Fri 9am-6pm
Morrow County
Republicans to meet Sept. 14
Shirley Hazel (Wilkin-
son) Rugg passed away
peacefully in her own home
in Heppner under the care of
Pioneer Memorial Hospice
on the morning of Monday,
September 4, 2023. She was
94 years old. A casual cel-
ebration of life will be held
on Saturday, September 9,
at 2 p.m. at the St. Patrick’s
Senior Center (190 N. Main
St in Heppner) for any
who would like to attend.
Light refreshments will
be provided. Please bring
memories to share.
She was born on April
22, 1929, in Heppner, as the
third child of Bercia Wavel
(Ball) and Frank Wilkinson.
Shirley was born and raised
in Heppner and the Willow
Creek area, breaking and
riding horses on the Wilkin-
son ranch(es) from a young
age. She served on the local
rodeo court in 1947 before
being crowned Queen of the
Morrow County Rodeo in
1949, the same year that she
married George Raymond
Rugg. They raised two
daughters: Gedola “Jody”
Jean, born May 20, 1952,
and Jillene “Jill” Wavel,
born December 9, 1953.
The couple later divorced
in 1967.
Tragically, their daugh-
ter Jody passed away in a
single-car accident in Oc-
tober 1970.
Shirley gained a reputa-
tion throughout her life as a
tough cowgirl and a strong-
Morrow SWCD to meet
Starting
September 6th!
Umatilla National
Forest Public use
restrictions eased
-Continued from PAGE ONE tended at all times and
erators are required to have
an axe (minimum 2-pound
head, 26” length), shovel
(8” wide, 26” length), and
fire extinguisher (minimum
ABC 8 oz.) in their posses-
sion. Chainsaw operation
associated with commercial
and personal use firewood
permits are regulated under
the conditions of the permit
and are not impacted by this
public use restriction.
Smoking is allowed
only in enclosed vehicles,
buildings or cleared areas.
No off-road/off-trail
vehicle travel or travel on
roads not cleared of stand-
ing grass or other flamma-
ble material; no vehicle
travel on those Forest Ser-
vice roads where access has
been impeded or blocked by
earthen berm, logs, boul-
ders, barrier, barricade or
gate, or as otherwise iden-
tified in the fire order.
The public is also en-
couraged to practice safe
campfire principles when
recreating in dispersed and
developed campsites. For-
est officials recommend the
following campfire safety
precautions:
Campfires should be in
fire pits surrounded by dirt,
rock, or commercial rings
and in areas not conducive
to rapid fire spread. All
flammable material shall be
cleared within a three-foot
radius from the edge of the
pit and free of overhanging
material. Use existing pits
wherever possible.
Campfires must be at-
completely extinguished
prior to leaving.
Persons with campfires
should carry a tool that can
serve as a shovel and one
gallon of water in their
possession. The intent of
this recommendation is to
ensure individuals with
a campfire have the tools
necessary to completely
extinguish their campfire.
The public’s awareness
of the fire danger and coop-
eration is essential to a safe
fire season. Recreationists,
firewood cutters, hunters
and other forest users can
all help by closely adhering
to restrictions, operating
safely and cautiously, and
keeping up to date on the
latest orders and regula-
tions.
Regulated closures
may be in effect on State
and private lands protected
by Oregon Department of
Forestry (ODF) in northeast
and central Oregon. Please
check with your local Ore-
gon Department of Forestry
office for PURs on lands
protected by ODF.
For more information
about the Umatilla National
Forest’s Public Use Restric-
tions, contact the Umatilla
National Forest Information
Hotline at 1-877-958-9663
or visit our website at www.
fs.usda.gov/umatilla/.
DEADLINE:
FRIDAY
AT 5PM