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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2018)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2018 DEATHS OBITUARIES Helen J. Hastings Frank Delion Ramirez Irrigon June 4, 1936 - Feb. 27, 2018 Hermiston April 2, 1919 - March 1, 2018 Helen J. Hastings, 81, of Irrigon died Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018, in Stanfield. She was born June 4, 1936, in Berlin, ND. A graveside funeral service was held Saturday, March 3 at 3 p.m. at the Hermiston Cemetery. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements. Sign the online con- dolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com. Frank Delion Ramirez to work until retirement in of Hermiston, Oregon, 1976. Frank enjoyed fishing was born on April 2, 1919, in Allende Coah, Mexico. and raising a huge garden. He was also a good He died on March pool player, loved 1, 2018, at his home to make tamales and in Hermiston at the spend time with the age of 98. crew at the HT. He Frank married loved his wife, chil- the love of his life, dren, grandchildren Romana Hernan- and great-grandchil- dez, on January 10, dren dearly. 1948, in Mitch- Ramirez ell, Nebraska, and Frank is sur- vived by sons Frank was married for 68 Ramirez II (Kathy), years. They lived in Hillsboro, Ore., Sydney, Nebraska, and Tom Ramirez before settling in (Michelle), Herm- Hermiston in 1964. Ore.; daugh- Frank came to the iston, United States in 1926 ters Joan (John) Raw- at the age of 6, living in son, Damascus, Ore., Texas shortly before mov- and Marian (John) Ell- ing to Nebraska. His fam- wanger, Hermiston, Ore.; ily was poor and Frank 14 grandchildren; and 12 was not able to complete great-grandchildren. Frank’s family wishes school but instead worked on a large beet farm, weed- to express their deep- ing, driving tractors and est appreciation to Karen trucks to help earn money. Krein for her endless care He also worked in a tailor and compassion. Frank was preceded in shop, mending and alter- ing clothing. death by his wife Romana, Frank joined the Army his daughter Annette in 1941, serving during Quick, and his four sisters WWII for three and a half Otila Blanco, Vera Hernan- years before his honorable dez, Esther Betances and discharge. He was based Amparo (Mary) Vargas. Recitation of the Holy in France and Italy during World War II and was an Rosary will be held on ambulance driver, carry- Friday, March 9, 2018, at ing wounded soldiers to 11:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the ambulance, caring for Angels Catholic Church, them until reaching the Hermiston, Oregon, with hospitals. The war ended Mass of Christian Burial and he met his future wife following at noon. Burial in the fall of 1945. Romana with military honors will was 17 and Frank was 26. follow at the Hermis- They married in 1948, ton Cemetery, Hermiston, and in 1950 Frank started Oregon. Please sign the online working at the Sioux Army Depot in Sidney, condolence book at burns- Neb.; he was transferred mortuaryhermiston.com Burns Mortuary of to Umatilla Army Depot in Hermiston, Oregon, in Hermiston, Oregon, is in 1964 where he continued charge of arrangements. Penny L. (Perry) Hoisington COURTESY OREGON STATE POLICE About 20 vehicles crashed Saturday night on Interstate 84 east of Pendleton, shutting down the westbound lanes for more than 12 hours. 20-vehicle wreck near Pendleton By PHIL WRIGHT STAFF WRITER Oregon State Police con- tinues to investigate the series of crashes on the icy interstate near Pendleton that injured nine people Sat- urday night. Five suffered serious injuries, according to state police. Ground and air ambulances took victims to St. Anthony Hospital, Pend- leton, and Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Richland. State police Lt. Mike Turner in Pendleton said having vic- tims in hospitals in different states adds another layer to a complicated investigation. “We’re just continuing to try to put all the pieces together,” Turner said. Oregon State Police have not confirmed the identi- ties of the victims. Turner said Monday that OSP has received media questions about a fatality from the crash, but no agency or hos- pital involved has confirmed any deaths. At this point, he said, state police do not have information of anyone dying at the scene or afterward. State police reported 20 vehicles — seven semi-trac- tors and 13 passenger cars — were involved. Turner explained there was not one large pile-up but instead separate crashes on the westbound side of Interstate 84 near milepost 223, about 13 miles east of Pendleton. The preliminary inves- tigation revealed speed and black ice helped create a domino effect resulting in the multiple collisions. Around 6:20 p.m. a pas- senger car stopped on the roadside because a crash already was blocking traf- fic, according to the daily log from state police, and a semi-trailer lost traction on the icy road and slid into the car. The semi pushed the car into another semi, and a third commercial vehicle tried to avoid the crash but clipped the car. The car had at least two occupants, according to state police, and an ambulance took them to a hospital. The collisions stacked up after that, and multiple agen- cies responded, including the Pendleton Fire Depart- ment, Umatilla County Fire District, and the Uma- tilla Tribal Fire Department. The Oregon Department of Transportation closed I-84 westbound lanes until 8 a.m. Sunday and many were stuck in traffic for hours before being escorted off the interstate. Juliaetta, Idaho Aug. 26, 1947 - March 4, 2018 Penny L. (Perry) Hoisington, 70, of Juliaetta, Idaho, died Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Pilot Rock. She was born Aug. 26, 1947, in Grand Coulee, Wash. Arrangements are pend- ing with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Sign the online con- dolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com. Pamela L. Cearns Stanfield April 19, 1956 - Feb. 26, 2018 Pamela L. Cearns, 61 of Stanfield died Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Richland, Washington. She was born April 19, 1956, in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, March 3 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Stan- field Moose Lodge, 615 W. Coe Ave. Arrangements are with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Marvin L. McKenzie Sr. Hermiston May 14, 1926 - March 2, 2018 Marvin L. McKenzie Sr., 91, of Hermiston, died Friday, March 2, 2018, in Hermiston. He was born May 14, 1926, in Hermiston. A service is pending. Arrangements are with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Sign the online condolence book at www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com. Marilyn L. Pfnister Hermiston Sept. 19, 1931 - Jan. 17, 2018 Marilyn L. Pfnister, 86, of Hermiston died Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, in Hermiston. She was born Sept. 19, 1931, in Laird, Colorado. A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 10 at 3 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Wit- nesses, 2260 N.E. Fourth St., Hermiston. Arrangements are with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Sign the online condo- lence book at www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com. BIRTHS Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston FEB. 18, 2018 HAYDEN — Kaylee Kathleen Hayden of Stanfield: a girl, Madeline Susan Hayden. FEB. 20, 2018 BENSEL— Danielle McAtee and Ryan Bensel of Pilot Rock: a boy, Bentley Mathew Bensel. FEB. 22, 2018 CHICK — Darcie Chick and Eric Chick of Heppner: a girl, Dixie Dawn Chick. FEB. 23, 2018 PURKERSON — Katherine Purkerson of Hermiston: a boy, Laiken Myles Purkerson. FEB. 24, 2018 SANCHEZ CORTES — Juanita Cortes Luna and Adolfo Sanchez Villa of Hermiston: a girl, Clarissa Gracie Sanchez Cortes. Heppner man jailed in Gilliam County after crash CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office purchased an ATV with snow tracks to add to its snowmobile division and for use in search and rescue. New rescue ATV gets workout on first day HERMISTON HERALD The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office got a new toy this week and began putting it to use right away. The office purchased an ATV with snow tracks for its snowmobile patrol divi- sion, using grant funds from the Oregon State Snowmo- bile Association. Tom Roberts, the coun- ty’s emergency manager, said the vehicle is useful because it can travel on dif- ferent types of terrain and also haul a heavy payload. On Wednesday morning the search and rescue divi- sion was sent out to find a plane that had crashed in the snowy mountains east of Milton-Freewater. Roberts had the ATV fueled up and took it the mountains, and soon after the search and rescue team found the pilot and pas- senger near Government Camp — cold and wet, but uninjured. HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A5 RECORDS As the response team was returning from that call, the Umatilla Tribal Police Department called and asked for help finding a pos- sibly suicidal man near Pov- erty Flats near Pendleton. Using the ATV, searchers found the man and returned him to safety. “Within the first few hours of having this type of vehicle, we’ve already demonstrated its value to the Sheriff’s Office,” said Jim Littlefield, Umatilla County undersheriff. “While the vehicle’s primary mission will be for snow patrol use, it also has the capacity to be used in many other situ- ations and can help us save lives.” Roberts said a similar vehicle was borrowed from Walla Walla to respond to the 2012 bus crash at Dead- man Pass that required trav- eling up and down steep ter- rain, and he’s glad to have one at his disposal in Uma- tilla County. THE DALLES — Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office reported Daniel Joseph Coiner, 37, of Heppner, faces multiple charges after crash- ing a car that caught fire. On Saturday, Feb. 24, at about 11:25 p.m., a home- owner south of the mouth of Rock Creek along the John Day River woke to his pickup alarm and flashing lights, according to a writ- ten statement from the sher- iff’s office. The owner went outside and saw a man sit- ting in the driver’s seat of the pickup. “The homeowner con- fronted the subject who was non-compliant at first but eventually left the area on foot,” the sheriff’s office reported. The home does not have a telephone, so the owner and his wife drove until they had cellphone ser- vice and called 911. About three-quarters of a mile from their home they found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames. Gilliam County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home and searched for the sus- pect. Oregon State Police investigated the crash and fire, and the North Gilliam County Rural Fire Depart- ment extinguished the blaze. Two deputies and two state troopers determined the suspect was Dan- iel Joseph Coiner, 37, of Heppner. Coiner, possibly intox- icated, had driven his car off the road and got- ten stuck near the mouth of Rock Creek, accord- ing to the sheriff’s office. The vehicle caught fire and Coiner walked to the resi- dence where he entered the pickup. Law enforcement found and arrested Coiner and booked him into jail in The Dalles on several charges including criminal trespass, disorderly conduct, unlaw- ful entry into a motor vehi- cle, felony revoked driving and littering. Follow us on Facebook! Pamela Rochelle McSpadden Stanfield July 20, 1954 - Feb. 28, 2018 Pamela Rochelle McSpadden was born July 20, 1954 in Butte, Montana, the daughter of Edward and Dorothy (Landice) Berreth. She passed away in Stanfield on Wednesday February 28, 2018 at the age of 63. Pamela lived in Mon- tana and later Seattle, Washington, before mov- ing to Stanfield, Oregon, in the mid-1990s. She enjoyed being active in her community as a city coun- cil member, volunteer- ing at the Stanfield Senior Center and the Food Bank. She also enjoyed cooking, fishing, going camping, working in her yard and loved dogs. Pamela married Bob McSpadden in Pendleton, Oregon, on Nov. 14, 2001. She is survived by her husband, Bob; sons, Ryan and Rodney Minten; sis- ters, Debbie Schrader and Linda Gillot; brother, Gary Berreth; and two grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday March 7, 2018, at the Burns Mortu- ary Chapel. To leave an online con- dolence for the family go to www.burnsmortuary- hermiston.com. POLICE LOG TUESDAY, FEB. 27 1:15 p.m. — Animal abuse was reported in progress at Butte Park on Northwest Seventh Street, Hermiston. 11:47 p.m. — On Northeast Fourth Street, it was reported that there was a lot of arguing going on inside an apartment, with one person say- ing that if they called the cops, they would tell the cops that whoever reported them was on drugs. The reporter was concerned about retalia- tion from the subjects. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28 11:38 a.m.— Shots fired were reported at Columbia Drive, Hermiston. 3:19 p.m. — At the Hermiston Library on East Gladys Avenue, a caller reported that a male subject was sleeping inside by the computer stations. He was breathing really hard and another patron believed he was coming down off drugs. They asked for a welfare check. 5:17 p.m. — On North First Street by Dutch Bros., a caller saw a trans- action for a gun, in a large blue two- door pickup truck. THURSDAY, MARCH 1 1:26 p.m. — A male was report- edly trespassing in a back yard on Northwest Third Street, Hermiston. 3:23 p.m. — A male was inside a business on South Highway 395, harassing a customer. FRIDAY, MARCH 2 9:29 p.m. — A suicidal subject was reported on East Elm Avenue, Hermiston. 11:32 p.m. —An assault was reported at Northwest Spruce Street, Hermiston SATURDAY, MARCH 3 1:14 p.m. — A domestic distur- bance was reported on Southwest Oak Drive. 4:47 p.m. — On West Sun- land Avenue, Hermiston, a caller reported that a neighbor is threat- ening them and throwing buckets into their yard. SUNDAY, MARCH 4 8:19 a.m. — A caller reported a woman was parked in front of their residence playing loud music and refused to leave. 10:04 a.m. — A suicidal subject was reported at West Elm Avenue and North First Place, Hermiston. 3:01 p.m. — A storage unit was reported ransacked on North First Place, Hermiston. 6:53 p.m. — Two different call- ers reported a domestic disturbance on Northwest 11th Street but police were unable to locate. 9:50 p.m. — Five shots were reported fired at East Beech Ave- nue and McNary Street, Hermiston, which the reporter said sounded like a pistol. But officers were unable to locate the source of the shots. MONDAY, MARCH 5 8:18 a.m. — A business on Northwest 11th Street, Hermiston, asked officers to come check out a vehicle with open containers of beer sitting in the front. 2:56 p.m. — An employee of a business on North First Street reported she is receiving threaten- ing calls at work. 9:07 p.m. — A suicidal sub- ject was reported on West Sunland Avenue.