TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, November 20, 2024
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 177 N Main St. Telephone (541) 676-9228. Fax (541)
676-9211. E-mail: editor@rapidserve.net or sykeschris@hotmail.com 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
Annalynn Black ............................................................................................ 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 $15
Obituaries
Gary Lee
Kemp
Lexington– Gary Lee
Kemp, 73, peacefully
passed away on October
24, 2024, at Trios Hospi-
tal after a long battle with
health challenges. Born on
June 30, 1951, in Heppner,
Oregon, he was the son of
Stanley M. Kemp and Wil-
ma (Billie) Harshman.
Gary graduated from
Lexington and Heppner
schools in 1969, then went
on to Blue Mountain Com-
munity College. In 1970,
he proudly enlisted in the
United States Army and
was stationed in Germany,
later serving in the Oregon
National Guard upon his
return to the states.
Back in Heppner, Gary
met the love of his life,
Marcia Bedortha Kemp.
Together, they built a beau-
tiful life, celebrating 50
years of marriage and rais-
ing two amazing daughters.
Gary retired in June, 2007
from the Morrow County
Road Department.
A lifelong member of
the Heppner Elks Lodge
and American Legion Post-
Ione, Gary also served as
a city councilor and en-
joyed his time at the Willow
Creek Country Club. His
commitment to community
and service was evident in
everything he did.
Gary was preceded in
death by his parents, grand-
parents, and several aunts,
uncles, and cousins. He is
survived by his wife, Mar-
cia Kemp of Lexington, and
their daughters, Tina (Phil-
ip) Joyce of Hermiston and
Toni Parish of West Pasco,
WA. Gary’s legacy also
lives on through his grand-
children: Julianna Joyce
(WSU-Pullman), Kellen
Joyce (MSU-Bozeman),
Megan Joyce (OSU-Cor-
vallis), Madison Parish
(Woodbury-Burbank), and
Natalie Parish (Tri Cities
Prep-West Pasco). He is
further survived by his
brother, Steve Kemp of Pat-
terson, WA, his sister, Sher-
ry Kemp of Pendleton, OR,
and his brother-in-law, Tom
(Carrie) Bedortha of Pend-
leton, along with numerous
nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to
express their deepest grati-
tude to the Morrow Coun-
ty Health District, Home
Health, Lexington and Hep-
pner Fire Departments,
Pioneer Memorial Hospital,
Pioneer Memorial Therapy
Services, and Trios Hospi-
tal for the exceptional care
and support they provided
during Gary’s final months.
A celebration of Gary’s
life will take place on Sat-
urday, November 30th,
at 4:00 PM at the Hep-
pner Elks Club. In lieu of
flowers, donations can be
made to BPOE Lodge 358,
Heppner, Oregon. Join us
in honoring a remarkable
man whose spirit touched
so many lives.
Private burial Lexing-
ton Cemetery with military
honors officiated by Stuart
Dick.
Sweeney Payton Mor-
tuary has been entrust-
ed with the arrangements.
Please leave your condo-
lence messages for the fam-
ily at sweeneypaytonmortu-
ary.com.
Melba Lovena
Cecil
Obituaries
seamstress, knitter, painter,
leatherworker, and wood-
worker, Melba was known
for her quilts, paintings, and
handmade furniture. She
raised a large garden each
year and canned lots of fruit
and vegetables. Her culi-
nary skills were appreciated
by many, especially at the
Spray School where she
worked as a cook, ensuring
students and staff enjoyed
wholesome meals.
Alongside her hus-
band, Frank Cecil, Melba
was a cornerstone of their
ranch, assisting with every-
thing from driving tractors,
changing sprinklers, and
tending to livestock. She
enjoyed raising her bummer
lambs and was known to
have a bummer calf in the
basement keeping warm
from time to time. Her
life was characterized by
open arms and an open
door, always ready to offer
help or a home to those in
need. After retiring, she and
Frank cherished traveling to
Ireland, Washington D.C.,
and New York exploring
new landscapes and expe-
riences while making many
new friends. Melba enjoyed
the outdoors; camping and
fishing when time allowed.
She was often heard saying
that they could not pass a
gym if the lights were on
or a softball field in play.
Melba enjoyed watching
the Spray Eagles in various
sports. She also traveled to
watch her grandchildren
and great grandchildren in
their school events, 4-H,
and rodeo.
Melba is survived by
her daughters, Jan Stro-
eber (Don) and Judy Al-
ford (late Web); extended
family Tim (Tammy) Wal-
lawine and Kay (Craig)
Braseth; grandchildren,
Shelley (Mark) Hill, Cin-
dy (Brett) King, Chris-
ty (Mike) Correa, Jason
(Besty) Alford, and Justin
Alford. Her legacy extends
to her great-grandchildren,
Shelbi, Cassidy, Colton,
Makenzie, Morgan, Sierra,
Lily, Keili, and Cheyenne;
and great-great-grandchil-
dren, Gracie, Beau, Paisley,
and Paxton. She also leaves
behind her siblings, Fairy
Mae Caldera, June McClel-
lan, Dwanye Caldera, and
Marvin Caldera; dear friend
Ellie Mann; and numerous
nieces and nephews that al-
ways stayed in touch. Mel-
ba was preceded in death by
her husband, Frank Cecil;
parents, Alfred and Elsie
Caldera; siblings, Frank
Caldera, Dean Caldera,
Otho Caldera, Pat Morrin,
and Juanita Medlock; and
son-in-law Web Alford.
A graveside service
was held at the Haystack
Cemetery in Spray, Oregon,
at 11:00 a.m. on November
11, 2024. A celebration of
life and dinner followed
at The Rock in Spray, OR.
Melba’s life was a testament
to her kindness, resilience,
and the deep love she had
for her family and friends.
She will be profoundly
missed by all who knew her.
Memorial contributions
may be made in Melba’s
honor to the Spray Ambu-
lance, PO Box 155, Spray,
OR 97874
Death Notice
Frances L. Morris
“Frances L. Morris, 84
of Arlington, passed away
on Nov. 12, 2024. Services
will begin at 11 am on Sat-
urday, November 23, 2024
at the Arlington Methodist
Church with a graveside
and reception following.
Sweeney Payton Mortuary
is handling the arrange-
ments (sweeneypaytonmor-
tuary.com).
Karen J. Olsen (Winter)
Karen J. Olsen, born on
December 11, 1957, passed
away at the age of 66 on
November 16, 2024, after a
courageous three-year bat-
tle with cancer. Surrounded
by her loved ones. Karen
requested no memorial ser-
vices be held, in accordance
with her final wishes.
Good News Only by Doris Brosnan
Cori Jo Lindsay, daughter of Joe and Leanne Lindsay,
will be hanging up her pointe shoes after her “farewell”
performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker
next month at the Bob Clapp Theater at BMCC. Cori
Jo has been in Ballet since she was three. Some of her
lead roles have been the Sugar Plum Fairy, Scarecrow
(in Wizard of Oz), and Cinderella. She is now a massage
therapist so she will not have enough time to commit to
ballet, but she will continue to help the Pendleton Ballet
Theatre behind the scenes. Her performances will be on
Dec 5 th and 6 th at 7PM, 7 th and 8 th at 2PM.
The Paytons, who recently moved to Heppner, are
great examples of adopting and adapting to a new home
and community, and last Saturday’s football game offered
one example: Joshua’s and Rachel’s voices were among
the loudest encouragements from the stands, every bit
as enthusiastic as relatives of the players and long-term
residents. They even know the words to the cheers! (That
might be because their daughter, Rebecca, has attended
the camp for “junior cheerleaders” and continues her
interest by following the cheers with movements and
pompoms.) The Paytons’ son, Lucas, also seems comfort-
able with his new life, which appears to include a new
“bestie” he joined during the game. Heppner is fortunate
to have such upbeat, interested, and interesting citizens!
Good luck to the Mustangs this Saturday when they
will play St. Paul in the State Semi-final Championship
football game!
Hats off to the Heppner-Ione cross-country runners
who represented their schools at the State Championships
in Eugene. In the field of 69 women runners, OSAA lists
Riley Archer, Brooklyn Hendricks, Kadie Henrichs, Hai-
ley McDaniel, and Lily Nichols, who placed 6 th, just 40+
seconds behind the first-place runner. And Jake Wilson
was listed among the top 69 men runners. Impressive
endurance!
Who has paused long enough to list the retail busi-
nesses in Heppner? The list starting at the north end of
town at Pettyjohn’s and going south – or vice versa –
might surprise some people. This Friday, designated “Pink
Friday,” will encourage us to show support for our local
businesses by “shopping at home” from 3 PM to 7 PM.
Then the crowds are encouraged to head for Heritage
Park and the Ag Museum at 7, for the lighting of the Park
trees and the voices lifted in seasonal songs echoing from
the museum.
A new opportunity for veterans to gather with veter-
ans and to talk to the veterans’ services representative now
occurs on the 2 nd Wednesday of each month: A free lunch
at noon will be provided at the new “Innovation Hub” on
Willow Street (the renovated building that once housed
the Gazette Times and many, many years ago, City Hall).
Watch for signs about town, GT information, and
social media - if you are a participant - about the many
entertaining holiday-season events coming in December!
One example: included in renewed events will be a house/
yard-decorating competition!
Yes, many readers enjoy the Good News of pleas-
ant happenings contributed by others, and they will en-
joy yours when you take a few minutes to send to dbros-
nan123@gmail.com or call 541-223-1490. Those few
minutes – birthday-wedding-anniversary happenings,
visitors, trips, witnessing acts of kindness – can brighten
a day! Here’s hoping that good news comes to everyone
reading this.
Lunch
& Dinner
Menu
Fall Food Boxes
Specials 11/21 - 11/27
Thursday - Frito Burrito with Chips
Friday - Ham & Pepper jack Hoagie with
Chicken Dumpling Soup
Saturday - Pork Fajita Salad
Sunday - Hot Dog with Chili Fries
Monday - Pulled Pork Nachos
Tuesday - Grilled chicken Hawaiian Burger
with Jojos
Tuesday night 6-9 pm $2 Hard Shell Tacos
Wednesday - Hot Pastrami Sandwich with
Potato Salad
To pick up a box enter the
parking lot off Gale Street,
stop outside the back door
and we will bring a box
out to your car. This will
help keep the line moving.
If you are unable to pick-
up a box you may call the
church office an ask for a
delivery 541-676-9970.
Please leave your name,
phone number and phys-
ical address for delivery.
May this be a bit of nourish-
ment to those that receive
this gift.
Hopeful Saints Min-
istry will be giving away
Food Boxes this Sunday,
November 24th from
2-4pm. Hopeful Saints is
located on the Corner of
Church and Gale Streets in
Heppner. We have filled 30
boxes, each box contains a
variety of canned and boxed
food items, some hygiene
April 19, 1928
items and a ham. One box
November 5, 2024
per family or individual can
Melba Lovena Ce- be picked up at the back
cil, aged 96, passed away door of the church between
peacefully on November 5, 2-4pm. No early pick-ups.
2024, in Heppner, Oregon.
Born on April 19, 1928, in
Heppner, Oregon, Melba
was the oldest of 10 chil-
dren. She was a beloved
figure in her community
and an integral part of her
family’s life. It has been
said many times by her
family members that they
wish they could be half the
person Melba was. She was
compassionate, loving, un-
derstanding, hardworking,
and had a quiet sense of
humor.
Attention Lexington Residents!
Melba spent her early
years attending schools
The weekend of November 23rd a door to
in Heppner, Kinzua, and
door income survey will take place to help
Spray, Oregon, completing
fund our new well sight.
her education in Spray. She
married her best friend and
love of her life Frank Cecil
For any questions call Autmun Crumpton
on March 17, 1944. Togeth-
541-989-8515 at Lexington Town Hall.
er they raised two daughters
Jan and Judy. Throughout
her life, she was deeply
involved in a variety of
crafts and activities that not
only brought joy to her but
also benefited those around
her. An adept gardener,
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THE
UNDERGROUND
OASIS
BREAKING THE BONDAGE OF ADDICTION
AND FINDING FREEDOM IN CHRIST
WE MEET Friday NIGHTS at 7 PM
Fellowship Hall at the
Heppner SDA Church
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cards
are in!
Great
stocking
stuffers!
217 North Main St.,
Heppner, OR
Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426
murraysdrug.com
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm • Sat 8am-6pm •
Pharmacy- Mon-Fri 9am-6pm