RECORDS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2019
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A5
OBITUARIES
Robert W. ‘Bob’ Brinkley Jr.
Ann Marie (Elliott) Leonard
Hermiston
Hermiston
July 19, 1957 — October 23, 2019
Sept. 27, 1934 — Nov. 23, 2019
Robert W. Brinkley Jr. (Bob) was born on and the athletic director together and
July 19, 1957, in Torrance Calif. He was a said, “We need fundraisers for this pro-
longtime resident and business owner in gram, why not put on tournaments?”
Hermiston, Oregon. Bob left his earthly With Bob’s vision the first annual Turkey
journey doing what he loved to do. God Shoot Golf Tournament began. The Tur-
called Bob home on October 23,
key Shoot Golf Tournament is
2019, at the age of 62.
now in its 15th year. In mem-
Bob was on a hunt early that
ory of Bob, the tournament
morning, and in his view was
will now be “The Bob Brinkley
a large herd of elk coming up
Memorial Turkey Shoot Golf
on them. If you knew Bob, you
Tournament.”
knew there was nothing more
Bob loved anything that had
thrilling to his heart. One his
to do with being outdoors: hunt-
favorite things to say was, “Get
ing, fishing, camping and golf-
ready, here they come.”
ing with family and friends. For
Bob seemed to some to be a
Brinkley
the past several years he fell
little rough around the edges at
in love with sprint boat rac-
times, but he had a heart of gold. Bob had ing. Years back one of Bob’s best friends,
a very private relationship with his God Rodney Cox, and his son Robbie built
and always said that being in the moun- a sprint boat that has the only Ford rac-
tains was where he felt his presence the ing engine in U.S. Bob was hooked. He
most.
decided he wanted to be a part of Obses-
Bob Brinkley opened Columbia Auto sion 049s team. Bob became a dedicated
Body 36 years ago. He obtained his busi- sponsor, partly due to the speed of the
ness degree in auto body repair at Trea- boats, but mainly because of the love he
sure Valley College in Ontario, Oregon, has for the team’s family.
where he also played college football.
Bob made relationships with many
Bob was a smart, dedicated, successful people. He had that gift. Bob gave out of
businessman who was always willing to the kindness of his heart. He was loved by
help others. Bob was very generous to his his family and friends and will be sorrow-
family, friends and his community.
fully missed.
Bob was an athlete in his day. He felt it
Bob is preceded in death by his mother,
was important to support his community, Patricia Wilson Brinkley of Fossil, Ore.
and that he did. Back in the early days Bob leaves behind the love of his life, his
he sponsored American Legion baseball, wife Karla Johnson-Brinkley of Hermis-
men’s bowling leagues, Hermiston Lit- ton; his sons Steven Brinkley of Hermis-
tle League and Grid Kids Football. He ton and his wife Angalena, Taylor John-
always sponsored his buddies and young son of Spokane, Washington, and Aaron
men in the community, making sure they Johnson of Hermiston.
Bob also leaves behind four wonder-
had a basketball or softball team to play
ful grandchildren: Garret, Kaylee and
on. He was proud to make that happen.
Over the years Bob also put on annual D’Laynee Brinkley, and Braven Johnson,
fishing derbies during the winter holi- all of Hermiston; Bob’s father, Wayne
days: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Brinkley of Libby, Montana; and his two
Year’s. He made sure that on long, cold, siblings, James Brinkley of Prineville,
winter days his relatives, friends and Oregon, and his sister-in-law Kathy, and
anyone who wanted to participate had a Joseph Brinkley of Terrebonne, Oregon,
chance to win some big bucks by catch- and his sister-in-law Wendy.
ing the biggest fish. He loved seeing peo-
Bob has many aunts and uncles, nieces
ple have a good time.
and nephews and cousins that meant the
For the past 15 years Bob’s love of golf world to him.
led him to put his heart into making sure
In honor of Bob there will be a cele-
that the Hermiston High School golf pro- bration of his life on November 30 from
gram did not lose its steam. He said, “We 2-7pm at Skip and Sherry Walchli’s Farm,
have got to do something here to make 32697 E. Loop Road, Hermiston, Oregon.
this program stay alive for these kids.”
Please share memories of Bob with his
That’s when the tide changed for family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Hermiston High School golf program.
Arrangements by Burns Mortuary of
Bob rallied parents, fellow golfers Hermiston, Oregon.
George I. Fenton Jr.
Umatilla
Feb. 25, 1931 — Nov. 21, 2019
George I. Fenton Jr., 88, of Umatilla and cultivated roses. He continued his love
passed away on November 21, 2019 in of gardening and antique cars throughout
Kennewick, Washington. George was his life.
a longtime Umatilla resident, where he
In 1966, they began a family with the
served in the public schools and
birth of their eldest daughter,
on the city council.
Jonnie Joann Fenton. Kristle
George was born near Harper,
Starr Fenton followed the follow-
Oregon, February 25, 1931, to
ing year. He was also an amateur
Hazel Star Northrup Fenton and
photographer and took hundreds
George I. Fenton. He was the
of pictures of his family and Pine
youngest of six children. George
Valley throughout the years.
routinely told dramatic sto-
In 1978, he became Umatilla
ries of early ranch life. He viv-
Junior-Senior High principal.
idly remembered the fresh water
In the Umatilla Public schools,
Fenton
spring on the ranch and meals
he moved through many admin-
with the ranch hands. How-
istrative positions, retiring as
ever, as the Great Depression
Umatilla School District super-
worsened the family moved to
intendent in 1996. He served on
Ontario, Oregon.
various committees for the Ore-
George attended school in
gon School Activities Associa-
Ontario, where he played football and tion and was active in the Oregon Small
baseball. He also worked for the Moore Schools program.
Motel, the City of Ontario, and the local
He was involved in various community
movie theater. He graduated in 1949 and groups include the Lions, Elks, Kiwanis,
briefl y attended the University of Oregon Veterans of Foreign Wars and Phi Delta
and Eastern Oregon College in La Grande Kappa.
before being drafted during the Korean
Following his retirement, George was
War.
elected to the Umatilla City Council and
He served in the U.S. Army from 1951- began serving in January of 1997. One of
1953, completing his basic training in his proudest accomplishments was the Vet-
Camp Pendleton California. He served in eran’s Memorial at the Pioneer Memorial
the Sixth Infantry Division where he was Cemetery in Umatilla. He served on the
a clerk-typist at Ordnance Battalion Head- council until 2015, including short peri-
quarters in Nancy, France. He was honor- ods as mayor pro tem. He was active in
ably discharged as a sergeant.
the Hermiston Methodist Church, bring-
Following his military service, he used ing his budgeting experience to the fi nan-
GI benefi ts to complete his bachelor’s cial committee.
degree at Eastern Oregon College of Edu-
During retirement, he spent hours with
cation. At EOC, he met his beloved wife, his family and grandchildren. He was a
Joyce Joann Kroenlein. George gradu- constant fi xture at sporting events with his
ated in 1957 and began work in Halfway, camera. He deeply loved and cared for his
Oregon.
family. He lost his beloved wife, Joyce, in
He and Joyce continued to see each 2006. He was also preceded in death by his
other and married June 14, 1958, in Weiser, parents, two brothers and three sisters.
Idaho. Both taught in Pine Valley schools.
He is survived by two daughters, Jonnie
George often reminisced about those early Fenton of Richland, Washington, and Kris-
years when Pine Valley School quadrupled tle, husband Marvin Wyant of Umatilla;
in size due to the construction of dams on two grandsons, Jacob Vandever of Tigard,
the Snake River.
Oregon; and Justin Vandever of Umatilla,
George enjoyed his time in the class- Oregon; many nieces, nephews, cousins
room, teaching business and social sci- and extended family members.
ence as well as coaching. He earned a mas-
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m.
ter’s degree in business and social science Saturday November 30, 2019, at the Herm-
from EOC in 1960 and became the princi- iston First United Methodist Church (191
pal of Pine Valley High School in 1961. He E. Gladys Avenue Hermiston, Oregon).
continued to pursue additional education, Burial will be at 11 a.m. Monday December
including post-graduate work at the Uni- 2, 2019, at Evergreen Cemetery in Ontario,
versity of Nevada, Reno-Las Vegas in edu- Oregon. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is
cational administration, fi nishing in 1964. in care of fi nal arrangements.
He and Joyce enjoyed an active outdoor
Family suggests memorial donations
life, fi shing and hunting in the Wallowa to the George Fenton Scholarship Fund
Mountains near Halfway. George loved at Banner Bank. To leave an online con-
being outdoors and working on antique dolence for the family, please go to www.
cars. In Halfway, they raised a huge garden burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Ann Marie (Elliott) Leonard of Herm-
iston, Oregon, was born on September 27,
1934 in Bozeman, Montana, to parents,
Jerry and Myrtle Bean Elliott. She died on
November 23, 2019 in Hermiston, Oregon,
at the age of 85 years.
Her family moved to Butte,
Montana, when she was a small
child and then to Portland, Ore-
gon, when she was in the fourth
grade. Ann attended St. Fran-
cis of Assisi grade school and
St. Mary’s Academy where she
graduated in 1952 as salutato-
rian. She attended Marylhurst
College on a nursing scholarship Leonard
for one semester.
Ann was united in marriage to John
Myles Leonard on April 11, 1953, in Port-
land, Oregon. She worked for several com-
panies before the birth of their fi rst child
when she stayed at home to care for their
growing family. They continued to live in
Portland until moving to Hermiston, Ore-
gon, in 1996 where she has lived since.
Ann was a member of Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church and the Catholic Daugh-
ters of the Americas. She enjoyed the out-
doors, camping and hunting. Ann cher-
ished time with her family, especially her
grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughter, Karen
Yvonne Breese (Tom), Potlatch, Idaho; son,
Matthew “Matt” Leonard (Deanna), Herm-
iston, Oregon; son-in-law, Dennis Dixon,
Falls City, Oregon; sisters, Helen Elliott,
Garibaldi, Oregon; Barbara Les-
ter, Battleground, Washington;
Dorothy Colombe, Dallas, Ore-
gon; Davia Elliott, Troutdale,
Oregon; Patricia Sanders, Trout-
dale, Oregon; and Carol Blan-
ton, Portland, Oregon; eight
grandchildren; four great-grand-
children; numerous nieces and
nephews.
Ann was preceded in death
by her husband of 62 years, John
Leonard; daughter, Molly Cecilia Dixon;
granddaughter, Elizabeth “Liz” Breese; her
parents; brother, Joe Elliott; and sister, Rita
Joan.
Recitation of the Holy Rosary will
be held on Friday, November 29, 2019,
at 1 p.m. at Our Lady of Angels Catho-
lic Church followed by Mass of Christian
Burial at 1:30 p.m.
Burial will follow at the Hermiston
Cemetery, Hermiston, Oregon. Please
share memories of Ann with her family at
burnsmortuaryhermiston.com. Arrange-
ments by Burns Mortuary of Hermiston.
DEATH NOTICES
Sonda Kay Barber
Robert Ray ‘Bob’ Miller
Hermiston
Irrigon
April 3, 1956 — Nov. 24, 2019
June 20, 1938 — Nov. 16, 2019
Sonda Kay Barber, 63, of Hermiston,
died Sunday Nov. 24, 2019 in Hermiston.
She was born April 3, 1956, in Baker, the
daughter of Thomas and Laura (Bulkley)
Wade.
Arrangements are with Burns Mortuary
of Hermiston.
Robert Ray “Bob” Miller, 81, of Irrigon,
died Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, at his home.
He was born June 20, 1938, in Riverside,
California. At his request, no services will
be held. Arrangements by Burns Mortuary
of Hermiston, Oregon. Share memories at
www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
COURTS
Sentences
PENDLETON — The follow-
ing sentences have been
imposed in Umatilla County
courts:
FELONY
•Alejandro Gonzales, 43,
Hermiston, pleaded guilty to
Delivery of Heroin: sentenced
to 36 months Oregon Dept.
of Corrections (DOC) and 3
years post-prison supervision;
pleaded guilty to Possession
of Methamphetamine: sen-
tence to discharge.
•Carri Ann Olea, 39, Hermis-
ton, pleaded guilty to Flee-
ing/Attempt to Elude Police
Offi cer: sentenced to 180
days jail, 1 year post-prison
supervision, $200 fi ne and 90
days driver’s license suspen-
sion; pleaded guilty to Theft
II: sentenced to $100 fi ne.
•Adilene Aguilar, 21, Hermis-
ton, pleaded guilty to DUII:
sentenced to 30 days jail,
150 days jail-suspended, 3
years probation, 80 hours
community service, $3,000
fi ne, $3,250 fi ne-suspended
and 3 years driver’s license
suspension, plus court costs
and fees; pleaded guilty
to Recklessly Endangering
Another Person: sentenced to
$100 fi ne and 1 year driver’s
license suspension.
Suits Filed
PENDLETON — The follow-
ing suits have been fi led
in Umatilla County courts
(interest, court costs and
fees not listed):
•DNF Associates LLC vs. Can-
dice Carlson: seeks $2,392.30.
•IQ Data International Inc. vs.
Shawn Tracy of Hermiston:
seeks $1,976.54.
•Nationwide Recovery Service
Inc. vs. Flavia Feliciano of
See Courts, Page A6
Hearing loss can sometimes make the
holidays feel isolating or stressful.
Make the most of your time with family
and friends this holiday season.
Contact us and let us help you hear what
you are missing.
Renata Anderson, MA
Pam Wagenaar,
Administrative Assistant
2237 SW Court, Pendleton • 541-276-5053
www.renataanderson.com