The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current, February 21, 1996, Page 15, Image 15

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Page 16
The INDEPENDENT, Feb. 21,1996______________________________________________________________________________________ .____________
With no prior evidence of flooding, many areas of Vernonia were und
teers in all parts of town.
About 11:30 a.m., before
the town was divided but after
all roads out of town were
closed by flooding and land­
slides, a major medical emer­
gency occurred. A stroke vic­
tim needed to be transported
to a hospital. Lifeflight was
unable to respond because of
lim ited v is ib ility . The U.S.
Coast Guard agreed to send
a helicopter that could oper­
ate by instrument in the in­
creasingly heavy rain. While
waiting for the helicopter, the
p a tie n t was evacuated to
Washington Grade School,
where m edical care was
available.
A few hours later, with wa­
ter nearly three-feet deep at
the front stairs of the school,
EMTs transferred the stroke
victim back into the am bu­
lance, then drove up O-A Hill
to meet the Coast Guard heli­
copter at Spencer Field. (A
second medical evacuation
was needed later that day
and was managed in much
the same way— except the
water was deeper.)
Looking back, it all seems
so simple, but with a patient’s
life at stake, it took a lot of
telephone and radio contact,
as well as critical decision­
making.
The evacuation center at
WGS was set up without sup­
plies because the American
Red Cross couldn’t deliver
equipm ent requested for a
200 person shelter. Principal
Randy A ultm an w orked to
keep everyone as com fort­
able as possible while other
volunteers scoured the town
for groceries, sleeping bags,
blankets and pillows.
The cafeteria in the base­
ment co u ld n ’t be used be­
cause flood water was accu­
m ulatin g th e re . G ro ce rie s
w ere sent, by p icku p and
boat, from the fire hall. Volun­
teers took over in a makeshift
“kitchen” , assessed what was
a va ila b le and made sa n d ­
wiches for lunch. Hot coffee
was a v a ila b le a ro un d the
clock.
At dinner time, the volun­
teer cooks served salad, rolls
and hot, freshly-m ade veg­
etable-beef soup to 115 peo­
ple. It was a remarkable meal
considering what they had to
cook with — an electric grid­
dle, one crock pot and an an­
cient microwave oven.
Before dinner, when it ap­
peared that the shelter would
run out of bread, two volun­
teers braved high water at the
Senior Center to see if they
could locate surplus bread
that had been delivered the
day before. The bread was in
boxes on a table in the Cen­
ter dining room. Although the
w ater was higher than the
table top, the table floated
and the bread was high and
dry, still in the boxes!
Later, bedding was handed
out and room assignm ents
made. There were some fam-
The INDEPENDENT, Feb. 21,1996
er 2' - 4' of water as 500-year flood boundaries are breached
«s*
I
Looking east across Rock Creek from Park toward Grant.
A
.ir
Only the railing of the stairway to the Rock Creek swimming pool is out of the water.
___
Less than a foot of the five-foot fence posts around the Anderson Park horse arena
remained above water.
DEQ sets free hazardous waste pickup in Vernonia
High water at the corner of Grant and “A ” Streets.
ily groups, some couples and
many single people. Relative
s tra n g e rs (and about 12
dogs) shared the floo rs of
cla ssroo m s. Some people
stayed awake all night, others
(including this writer) slept.
RYLVIA GRENIA
Rylvia “Babe” Grenia, 90, Aloha,
died February 12, 1996, at a Beaver­
ton care hom e. Funeral services
were held Feb. 16 at the Donelson,
Sewell and Mathews Chapel in Hills­
boro, with Chaplain Roy Hemphill of
American Legion Post #104 in Aloha,
officiating. Entombment was at River­
view Abbey Mausoleum in Portland.
Mrs. Grenia was bom January 3,
1906, in Forest Grove, to Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Eberly. She was raised
and educated in Banks.
She married Leslie J. Grenia in
1922. They lived in Vernonia until
1942, when they moved to Aloha.
Mrs. G renia and her husband
owned and operated the Babe & Les
Restaurant and Bar in Vernonia for
several years. In 1943, she worked
A Trustedftfome In '}uniraiService’
¿Fuilen-<R ose
mortuary cfiapefj, fnc.
For the first time, Rock Creek overflowed into Vernonia Drug, causing major damage.
TREHARNE CAFE 6« DELI
(Formerly Sunnyside)
W e a re o p e n a g a in w ith th e s a m e g o o d fo o d a n d frie n d ly s e rv ic e .
BREAKFAST ALL D A Y - DELI TRAY5 T O CO • D A ILY SPECIALS
SEE OUR NEW M E N U ITEMS, TO O !
HOURS: M O N -S A T 6 A M - 3 PM , SUN 7 A M - 3 PM
58360 Nehalem Hwy. S., Vernonia • Phone: 429-5461________
...■"
Page 17
.....J.............=====
We would like to thank our valuable customers for their patience and sup­
port during our first opening and re-opening. We are here to stay!!
We would also like to extend a very special after-flood thanks for the loving
support from our spouses - Frank, Dean, Lanny & Skee. We could never
have done it without them.
Come see us,
GERI, TERESA, CHRIS & ROSE
OFF
'Jamrfy OcunaJ £ OparaiaJ
RUBBER
BOOTS
Bring in this ad or mention it when you purchase any
regular priced men’s, ladies’ or child’s boots
HILLSBORO
256 E. Main
640-5866
DERREL & DEANN ROSE
JEFFREY & DEBRA ROSE HOYT
TINA ROSE REYNOLDS
AARON DUYCK
Attendant RAYPELSTER
• Funeral & Cremation Services
• Pre-Arrangement Counseling
• Qranite/Bronze Memorial Markers
24 HOUR PERSONAL SERVICE
2308 Pacific Av Frst Grv...357-2161
741 Madison Av Vem....... 429-6611
Ctvo C onvenient
B o c a l ions Co S e rv e ^ o u
Cn B ooing ClCemory o f
ASTORIA
2 3 9 14th S t
325-3972
SEASIDE
600 Broadway
735-9491
SYLVIA “BABE” GRENIA
Jan. 3 ,1 9 0 6
Feb. 12, 1996
Services Held
In the morning the water
was gone. In its place was
MUD! It was time to start as­
sessing damages.
The next issue of The IN­
DEPENDENT will look at the
clean-up and the damages.
as a cook for the Oregon Forest Ser­
vice at Wilark. In 1951 she began
work at The Shack, now known as
The R e e d v ille C afe, w here she
worked until she retired in 1986.
She was a member of American
Legion Auxiliary Post #104 in Aloha.
Mrs. G renia was pre ced e d in
death by her husband, Les, in 1953;
three brothers, Bill, John and Chick
Eberly; three sisters, Edith Raymond,
Bessie McNutt, and Florence Eberly.
Survivors include her son, Dale
of Aloha; three grandchildren; two
great-grandchildren; several nieces
and nephews.
Fuiten-R ose Chapel o f Forest
Grove was in charge of a rrange­
ments.
DALE E. WALTRIP
Dale Eugene Waltrip, 38, Port­
land, died February 14,1996. Private
services were held. Disposition was
by cremation.
Mr. W altrip was born July 16,
1959, in Chino, Calif. He had lived in
Portland for the past eight years.
He was a self-em ployed tattoo
artist for 20 years.
S urvivors include his parents,
William Waltrip of Myrtle Point and
Margie Post of Antioch, Calif.; daugh­
ter, Janet Waltrip of Morro Bay, Calif.;
sisters, Donna Doney of Portland,
Leslie Waltrip of Stockton, Calif., He­
len Waltrip of Clearlake, Calif.; broth­
ers, William R. Jr. of Vernonia, Glenn
of Novato, Calif., and Gary of Oak
Harbor, Wash.
Aftercare Cremation & Burial Ser­
vice was in charge of arrangements.
H azardous w astes from
households, small business­
es and a g ric u ltu re w ill be
picked up in Vernonia from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. next Saturday,
February 24. The collection
by the Oregon Department of
E nvironm ental Q uality w ill
take place at the railhead on
Weed Avenue. There is no
charge for the collection.
Flood victims are urged to
se p a ra te flo o d -d a m a g e d
chemical wastes from regular
d e b ris and ga rba ge in or
lege and worked in medical offices in
E stacada and Sandy. She was
forced to retire after a motorcycle ac­
cident in 1985.
In 1983, she married William.
Survivors include her husband;
sons, Sean Reynolds of Sandy and
Christopher Reynolds of Mist; par­
ents, William and Betty Quick of Cor­
dova, Tenn.; sisters, Diana Quick of
Cordova, and Judy Beck of Garland,
Texas.
Sandy F u ne ra l Home was in
charge of arrangements.
PETER F. MATIACO
Peter F. Matiaco, 69, died Febru­
ary 2, 1996, in Las Vegas, of cancer.
A memorial service was held Feb.
12, in Memorial G ardens Funeral
Chapel.
Mr. Matiaco was bom March 17,
1926, in Vernonia. He lived 15 years
in Rainier and was an excavation
contractor. For the past 10 years, he
had lived in Las Vegas.
He served in the U.S. Navy dur­
ing World War II.
Mr. Matiaco married Joyce Welke
in 1982.
Survivors include his wife; moth­
er, Bertha of Santa Cruz, Calif.; sons,
Steven of Forest Grove and Michael
of Medford; step-sons, Norman John­
son of Reedsport and Neal Johnson
of Bend; daughter, Linda Monte of
Forest Grove; step-daughter, Gayle
Street of Sherwood; sisters, Joyce
Bums of Santa Cruz and Gertrude
Magoff of Vernonia; 16 grandchil­
dren.
MABEL CHRISTIANSON
KATHLEEN M. OLSZEWSKI
Kathleen M. Olszewski, 46, died
February 9, 1996. The cause of
death has not yet been determined.
A memorial service was held Feb.
13, in Sandy Funeral Home. Disposi­
tion was by cremation.
Mrs. Olszewski was bom April 20,
1949, in Elyria, Ohio. Her maiden
name was Quick.
She trained as a licensed practi­
cal nurse before moving to Oregon in
1976. She studied massage therapy
at Western States Chiropractic Col­
Mabel Christianson, 87, Salem,
died February 7, 1996. At her re­
quest, no services were held.
Mrs. Christianson was bom April
3, 1908.
She moved to Salem from Ver­
nonia. She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Christianson was preceded
in death by her husband, Carl.
Survivors include her step-daugh­
ter, Norma Christianson of Portland;
step-son, Gene of Portland; brother,
M e lvin S ykes o f S alem ; s is te rs ,
around their homes. Do not
dispose of hazardous wastes
with other w astes, or take
them to the flood debris col­
lection area on Weed Street
until next Saturday.
The following flood dam ­
aged items will be accepted:
a u to m o tive p ro d u c ts (oil,
gasoline, degreasers, wax,
antifreeze, transmission fluid,
brake fluid, batteries), pesti­
cides, fuel, paint products
(paints, thinners, solvents),
c le a n e rs (spo t rem o vers,
Hazel Boyum of Mentor, Minn, and
Ruby Tronavich of Fertile, Minn.
H o w e ll- E d w a r d s - D o e r k s e n
Chapel of the Gardens, Salem, was
in charge of arrangements.
EARL PRICKETT
Earl K. P rickett, 81, Hillsboro,
died January 31, 1996, a t Tuality
Community Hospital of causes relat­
ed to a stroke. A memorial service
was held at H ills b o ro C h ristia n
Church with interment at Fir Lawn
Cemetery.
Mr. Prickett was born Aug. 11,
1914, in Banks, to Orville Nathan and
Rose (Schlegel) Prickett. He was ed­
ucated in Hillsboro and later attended
Oregon State University. During sum­
mer breaks he worked for the forest
service in fire lookout stations.
He worked for PGE before World
War II.
Mr. Prickett married Gwendolyn
Dumas in 1941 at Hillsboro.
He served in the U.S. Navy as a
radio technician during World War II.
After the war, he returned to PGE,
where he worked for 35 years as a
rural service representative, until his
retirement in 1977.
Mr. P rickett was a m em ber of
Hillsboro Christian Church, where he
served as an elder, sang in the choir,
taught Sunday school and called on
shut-ins. He belonged to Toastmas­
ters, and had been a 4-H leader.
A long with his wife, he d elivered
Meals-on-Wheels.
He was preceded in death by an
infant brother.
Survivors include his wife; a son,
Kenneth Earl of Hillsboro; two daugh­
ters, Judy Marie Arbogast of Olalla,
W ash, and Joan Susan Snow of
L eb anon, Mo; a s iste r, O ra d e ll
Griebeler of Forest Grove; a step-sis­
ter, Ruth Cunningham o f Seattle,
Wash.; six grandchildren.
Remembrances are suggested to
the Leukemia Foundation, Oregon
Chapter, 6501 SW Macadam, Port­
land; the Washington County Hos­
pice, 427 SE Eighth Ave, Hillsboro
9 7123; o r M e a ls-o n-W h ee ls, c/o
H ills b o ro S e n io r C enter, 750 SE
drain and toilet cleaners), fer­
tiliz e rs , and u n id e n tifie d
chemicals.
Do NOT bring: explosives
and radioactive wastes.
W hen tra n s p o rtin g ha z­
ardous wastes, it is important
to keep products in original
containers if possible, do not
mix p ro d u cts, and do not
transport leaking containers
of waste.
For further information call
1-800-452-4011 and ask for
Dave Kunz or Maggie Conley.
Eighth Ave., Hillsboro 97123.
Bronleewe-Bass Funeral Home of
Hillsboro was in charge of arrange­
ments.
WILFRED PULTZ
W ilfred Pultz, 61, Buxton, died
February 6, 1996, at his hom e o f
causes related to cardiac arrest. Fu­
neral services were held a t B ron­
leewe-Bass Funeral Home in Hills­
boro. In te rm e n t w as a t F ir Lawn
Cemetery.
Mr. Pultz was bom May 6, 1934,
at Willford, Ark., to Virgil and Edith
(Jones) Pultz. He received his early
education in Arkansas, then finished
in Indio and Strathmore, Calif. His
family moved to North Plains in 1949.
He moved to Manning in 1953 and to
Buxton in 1963.
He married Carol M. King in 1973
at Vancouver, Wash..
Mr. Pultz worked for Pacific Plas­
tic in West Union for 13 years, until ill
health forced him to retire in 1981.
He was a member of Valley Full
Gospel Church in Hillsboro, and the
American Association of Retired Per­
sons.
Mr. Pultz was preceded in death
by two brothers, Jerry and Rubin;
and a sister, Kathryn Willis.
Survivors include his wife; a son,
Je ffrey o f Banks; step -so n , Dale
H aglund o f P a rk d a le ; tw o s te p ­
daughters, Karen Cutright of H ills­
boro and Teri Skjeie of Forest Grove;
brother, Chester Pultz of Strathmore,
Calif; two sisters, Mildred Washing­
ton of Buxton and Shirley Musick of
Lindsay, Calif.; nine grandchildren
and one great-grandson.
Remembrances may be contribu­
tions to Tri-City Fire Department 300
Main St., Banks 97106.
Bronleewe-Bass Funeral Home of
Hillsboro was in charge of arrange­
ments.
It’s not what we don't know
that hurts, it's what we know
that ain’t so.
— Will Rogers