7:2+HSSQHU*D]HWWH7LPHV+HSSQHU2UHJRQWednesday, February 14, 2024
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of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
U.S.P.S. 240-420
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Obituaries
Josie June
Proctor
Josie June Proctor, born
on April 5, 1980, in Uma-
tilla, Oregon, passed away
at age 43 on January 31,
2024 at her home in Sisters,
Oregon. Josie grew up in
Heppner, Oregon.
At an early age, Josie
loved the outdoors. From
the time she was a toddler,
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with her dad Mike near
their home in La Grande,
Oregon.
In elementary school,
Josie was known to save
her allowance for outdoor
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purchases was a sling shot,
which she often used to
shoot stink bugs with BBs
in the pasture outside her
house. She was especial-
ly proud to buy herself a
Huffy brand light purple
mountain bike at Coast
to Coast in Heppner. She
spent hours riding her bike
around town, with friends,
and in the warehouse of
the family business, Green
Feed and Seed in Heppner.
Josie’s passion for biking
continued throughout her
entire life.
Josie spent many hours
after school and on week-
ends at Green Feed and
Seed while growing up.
She and her siblings liked
to design in their dad’s
leather shop. Josie often
helped with the plants in
the store nursery, which
became a passion for her as
she grew up.
Josie was an active
member in Morrow County
4-H. In 4th grade, she raised
a bottle-fed bummer lamb
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her by her 4-H leader Sue
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to fair that summer as her
market lamb, she was a
member of the Ewes R Us
4-H sheep club. Her hard
work and kindness to oth-
ers earned her the Becky
Smith Memorial Award,
which was an honor as it
was named in memory of
her cousin. Josie also par-
ticipated in 4-H cooking for
many years, as a member of
“The Munchers” Cooking
Club, led by her mom Kay
Proctor.
Josie was active in
FFA, earning the Green-
hand of the year award at
Heppner High School. This
award hangs proudly in
Josie’s garden shed today.
Serving as FFA President
her Senior year, her project
was building and creating
perennial test gardens in
front of the feed store’s
greenhouse.
Josie spent many sum-
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Oregon. She started as a
lifeguard, teaching swim
lessons, and eventually
helped manage the pool.
Her commitment to swim-
ming and teaching lessons
went beyond her love of
the water. She often said it
was rewarding knowing she
was teaching children skills
that would be lifelong. Her
patience, creativity, spunk,
and sense of humor served
her well as a kid’s swim
instructor. Josie’s legacy in-
cludes a lifetime of teaching
kids how to swim, which
was important to her.
Josie enjoyed driving
the family 1966 Mustang.
She had some fun in that
car. But Josie wanted some-
thing of her own. She pur-
chased herself a single cab
blue 2-wheel drive Chevy
SLFNXSIURP:ULJKW&KHY-
rolet in Fossil. She loved
that pickup and was proud
to buy it for herself. One of
her favorite memories was
driving it to the mountains
to stay at Ditch Creek cab-
in, near Penland Lake with
friends.
In the fall of her senior
year, Josie was crowned
homecoming queen at half-
time of a crowded football
game. This came as a sur-
prise to her, but not to her
friends and family as she
was a friend to and liked
by all.
After graduating in
1998 and earning several
nice scholarships, Josie
headed to Blue Mountain
Community College in
Pendleton. One year there,
one year at Oregon Institute
of Technology in Klamath
Falls, then on to earning
her Associate Degree at
Mount Hood Community
College in Gresham, Or-
egon. Portland State Uni-
versity was next, earning
her Bachelor’s Degree in
Anthropology.
Josie met her husband
Josh Keyes on a ski trip
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2003. The two both lived in
Portland at the time. Josie
and Josh married in 2006
on the beach of Cabo San
Lucas, Mexico.
In 2005, Josie was
joined by her sister Julie
as a roommate and fellow
student at Portland State.
Josie graduated Portland
Death Notice
Obituaries
State University in 2006
with a Bachelor’s in An-
thropology. Josie adopted
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this time. The two shared
many adventures hiking
and exploring together.
In 2009, Josie and
Josh welcomed their oldest
daughter Clover, while liv-
ing in Portland. Josie loved
being a mom. Clover joined
her on many outdoor adven-
tures, including hiking in
the Columbia River Gorge
to waterfalls and riding
behind Josie in a little bike
trailer through Portland.
Josie, Josh, and Clover
moved to Sisters, Oregon
in 2013. They purchased
property next to her in-laws
Tom and Peggy Rheuben.
She welcomed their second
daughter Canyon Spring
in 2016. Over the years,
Josie’s daughters wore
walking paths from their
door to their grandparents’
door, as they walked back
and forth daily. Josie felt
blessed to live where she
not only had a beautiful
view of the Three Sisters
mountains but was also
surrounded by wonderful
friends.
Josie began to develop
their property to farm as a
garden and founded Clover
Canyon Farms in 2017. As
owner and operator, Josie
sold her organic produce at
local markets and through
her weekly crop shares.
Canyon could often be
found in the garden, helping
her mom. She shares her
mom’s love for the garden.
Josie spent many win-
ters working and skiing
at HooDoo. She loved the
people she worked with
and was so proud of her
daughter Clover, who start-
ed to work for HooDoo this
winter season. On Josie’s
last drive to visit HooDoo in
January, she was tickled to
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her daughter Canyon a job
in the future too.
Josie could be found
spending her spare time
camping, skiing or in the
mountains, as an avid
mushroom hunter. She
taught her girls to leave the
first mushroom found of
the season unharvested, as
a thank you and respect to
the earth.
In 2023, Josie entered
some of her farm produce in
the Deschutes County Fair
and won big. She was very
excited and proud. Josie
was also proud to watch
Clover raise and show 4-H
market lambs at Fair. At her
very sickest, she was out-
side helping Canyon plant
her garlic for next year’s
fair entry. She prioritized
her girls; she was a beauti-
ful and dedicated mom.
Near the end of her
days, Josie sent a text that
said, “My Favs”. Her fami-
ly asks you to think of Josie
as you encounter or experi-
ence her “faves”. May we
all live with her zest for life.
“My Favs”
•bird : Kestrel
•tree: Tamarack
•lake to swim in: Big Lake
•water to cold plunge: Me-
tolius River.
•little family lake day:
Round Lake & swim out
to the little dock, then hang
out at the shore and let the
millions of minnows nibble
your toes.
•fav time in the woods:
foraging for cool yummy
stuff, sometimes solo &
sometimes with friends/
family.
•love language: growing
good food and feeding it to
people.
•best tasting water: any-
thing from a mountain
spring.
•best way to know the thrill
that you’re alive: take phys-
ical risks in doing some-
thing fast and scary and so
fun, like riding a bike down
a wicked trail, skiing with
best friends, swimming
hard laps with a team of
good people.
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dad.
•doing something silly and
fun on a 4-wheeler.
•talking about cool rocks.
Josie fought hard and
became her own advocate
for her battles against breast
cancer and squamous cell
carcinoma.
Her message to all re-
garding medical issues that
you don’t feel heard on
is BE LOUD, BE PER-
S I S T E N T, b e l i e v e i n
yourself and LISTEN TO
YOUR BODY.
Surviving family mem-
bers include, her daughters
and lights of her life Penelo-
pe Clover, 15 years old and
Canyon Spring, 7 years old;
husband Josh Keyes: par-
ents Mike and Kay Proctor:
Sister Julie Proctor Baker
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In-laws Tom and Peggy
Rheuben; Brother-in-law
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non, children Marlin and
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Rheuben; Brother-in-law.
Ta s m a n R h e u b e n ;
Brother-in-law Jackson
Rheuben; and many be-
loved aunts, uncles, cous-
ins. Josie was proceeded in
death by brother Roy Proc-
tor, grandparents Juanita
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and Lucille Kostecka, uncle
Clarence Proctor, and cous-
in Rebecca “Becky” Smith.
A memorial mass will
be held on Friday, February
23, 2024, at 11 am, St. Ed-
ward the Martyr Catholic
Church, Sisters, Oregon,
followed by a memorial
luncheon at the parish hall.
Donations in memory
of Josie can be made to:
Saving Grace
1:0LOZDXNHH$YH
Suite 100 Bend, OR 97703
3KRQH
Isaiah 41:13 - “For I, the
LORD your God, hold your
right hand; it is I who say to
you, “Fear not, I am the one
who helps you.”
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McConnell
John R. McConnell,
65, of Heppner died Friday,
February 9, 2024, at his
home. He was born April
15, 1958, at Dickinson,
North Dakota. A graveside
service will be held at 2
p.m. Saturday, February
17, 2024, at the Lexington
Cemetery, Lexington, Or-
egon. A memorial service
will be held at a later date.
Sweeney Mortuary is in
care of arrangements.
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