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Florence Hammer
Florence J. Hammer passed away at Anita's care home in Parkdale, Ore., on May 10, 2010. Florence was born Oct. 7, 1906, in White Sulphur Springs, Mont., to Murray and Ethel Johnston and was 103 years of age at the time of her passing.
Florence's parents were cattle ranchers, living in a log house several miles from any roads or neighbors. The first born in a family of six, Florence learned to care for herself and her siblings who followed. Florence attended the first school in Shannon, Mont., which was a log cabin.
In 1922 when Florence was 16, part of her family traveled to Oregon in a Dodge via the Columbia River Highway, which was unpaved and full of ruts. They had car trouble and her mother became ill.
The family camped for days until her mother was well enough to travel. They settled in Salem, Ore., where Florence later attended Willamette University.
On Sept. 24, 1927, Florence married
Herman Hammer. In October of 1928 her daughter Lois was born. They had two daughters, Loree and Lois. Loree died at the age of seven months.
Herman and Florence became farmers, clearing many acres of land by pulling stumps with teams of horses and hand raking the ground to remove the roots left behind. The couple grew grain and later potatoes, which they sold to local businesses under the 'Hammer' brand. Florence worked at Paulus Brothers cannery in Salem in the 1940s.
Florence and Herman loved to fish for steelhead at Hebo, flounder at Sand Lake and striped bass near Coos Bay, where her daughter Lois and son-in-law Ed lived in Coquille in the late 1940s. In winter she enjoyed sledding with the best of them down her long, curvy driveway or through a cherry orchard and over a wooden bridge in The Dalles.
The Hammers purchased a small farm in Woodburn, Ore., containing a small walnut orchard. Florence harvested the walnuts, then dried and shelled them one at a time, and sold them to Pine Grove Grocery in the 1970s
Herman passed away in 1961. Florence worked for Birdseye in Woodburn. In the late 1960s Florence lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Lois and Ed Neufeldt, in the Pine Grove area of Hood River, Ore. Florence loved to garden and weeds didn't stand a chance with her around. Her much-used shovel is a tribute to her hard work.
She accompanied her brother Dave and wife on a trip to New York seeing sights and special Broadway shows. She made several trips to Mexico to visit Ed and Lois in San Carlos. On one trip she had to 'walk the plank' to cross over the washed-out driveway, to get to the airport on time.
Later, with health failing, Florence moved to Hawks Ridge then on to Anita Allen's care home in Mount Hood, Ore.
Florence got to enjoy probably more birthday cakes than the average person and elected to 'pinch' out the flame instead of the usual practice.
Florence is survived by her daughter, Lois Neufeldt; three grandchildren, Roger Neufeldt, Doug Neufeldt and Peggy Jo Leslie, all of Hood River; six great-grandchildren, Jason Neufeldt, Stefanie Hughes, Jane Osborne, Teresa Ellifritz, Chase Drum and Grant Drum; and five great-great-grandchildren, Cailey Hughes, Madeline Hughes, Alex Ellifritz, Emilie Ellifritz and Aaron Osborne.
Memorials can be made in Florence's name to Hospice of the Gorge or the Pine Grove Fire Department and sent in care of Anderson's Tribute Center.
A service to honor Florence is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, May 15, at Anderson's Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; 541-386-1000. Graveside rites will follow at Pine Grove cemetery.
Jeanne Petersen
Jeanne M. Petersen went to be with her Lord and Savior at the age of 83 in Hollister, Calif., at Mabie Northside Convalescent with her husband and family at her bedside, after a long battle with Alzheimer's.
Born in Lynn, Mass., she has been a Hollister resident for the past eight years.
Jeanne was quite a character, always wanting to make you laugh. Her love for Jesus was evident in her life, even to the very end.
Jeanne is survived by her husband of 59 years, Paul Petersen; her children: Jim Petersen (Patty), of Salinas, Calif., Jon Petersen, of Sacramento, Calif., Janice Beeghly (Dan), of Gresham, Ore., Julie Brigantino (Chris), of Hollister, and Joe Petersen (Jeannette), of Lodi, Calif.; 18 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one on the way.
Visitation will be at Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home Sunday, June 13, from 3-5 p.m. Family and friends may gather at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Monday, June 14, at 9:45 a.m. to attend a funeral Mass commencing at 10 a.m. Private graveside services to be held at San Joaquin Valley National cemetery in Santa Nella on Tuesday.
Remembrances may be made to Hazel Hawkins Hospital Mabie Northside Convalescent Hospital, 900 Sunset Drive, Hollister, CA 95023.
Arrangements are under the direction of Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home, 870 San Benito St., Hollister, CA 95023; 831-637-3757.
Floyd Branson Jr.
Floyd Franklin Branson Jr., 85, passed away Feb. 18, 2010, at the Hood River Care Center in Hood River, Ore., with family by his side. Floyd was born Sept. 2, 1924, in Miami, Okla., to Floyd Sr. and Cleo Martin. He was raised in Miami, Okla.
In his youth he worked for his father driving taxi and later for the Goodyear Tire Factory. After high school he attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and played semi-pro baseball while in Oklahoma.
Floyd served our country proudly during World War II in the U.S. Navy and was stationed in various locations, serving as a pharmacist mate.
On Dec. 7, 1943, he married
Marcellia Spicer, and to this union were blessed three children, Rena Jo, Elizabeth June and Floyd III. The family moved to Hood River, Ore., where Floyd was a foreman for Martin-Marietta Aluminum plant in The Dalles for 21 years. Marcellia passed away in 1981.
In August 1987 Floyd married
Winona Scraper who is affectionately known as 'Nokie.' He and Nokie enjoyed each other's company and spending time with family and friends.
Floyd enjoyed collecting stamps and coins, reading and Sunday drives with Nokie. He and Nokie were active members of Hood River's First Baptist Church.
Floyd is survived and will be dearly missed by his wife of 23 years, Winona 'Nokie' Branson, of Hood River; three children, Rena Jo Lamm (and Dick) of Knoxville, Tenn., Elizabeth Reardon, of Portland, Ore., and Floyd Branson III (and Laurie), of Hood River; 10 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, first wife and two brothers, Gene and Bob.
Memorials are suggested to First Baptist Church in memory of Floyd and sent care of Anderson's Tribute Center.
A service to honor Floyd is planned for 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at First Baptist Church of Hood River with a reception to immediately follow. Interment will be at Mountain View cemetery. Pastor Bruce Parker will officiate and military rites will be performed by the Oregon Honors Team.
Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center (Funerals, Receptions, Cremations), 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; 541-386-1000.
Verda Hart
Verda White Deos Hart, a life-long resident of the Hood River Valley, passed away Feb. 19, 2010, at Edgewood Memory Care in Beaverton, Ore., with family by her side.
Verda was born May 20, 1921, in Hood River, Ore., to William Edward and May Elma White Petri, where she was raised and attended school. She graduated from Odell High School in 1940.
On Nov. 16, 1940, she married
Alva William Deos and to this union were blessed three children, Penelope, William and Elizabeth. The family enjoyed camping, fishing and boating. Verda and Al also enjoyed square dancing. Alva passed away on Aug. 11, 1984.
Verda worked for Diamond Fruit Growers.
On Dec. 25, 1986, she married
Merrill A. Hart. Together they traveled the United States and Mexico in their RV and also enjoyed square dancing. Merrill passed away July 18, 2004.
Verda was involved in 4-H as a leader; she enjoyed gardening, sewing and quilting. She had a special fondness for children and spent many volunteer hours helping grade school children in Odell learn to read. She was a member of the Hazel Rebekah Lodge 156 in Odell and the Wy'east Whirlers square dance club.
Verda is survived and will be dearly missed by her children, William Deos and his wife, Shirley, of Las Vegas, Nev., and Elizabeth McKenzie and her husband, Roger, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; four grandchildren: Heather Renk, Royce Renk, Dawn Perrine and Kelly Deos; and 10 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Glenda Salsbury, and a brother, Edward Petri.
In addition to her parents and husbands, Verda was preceded in death by her daughter Penelope Sue Renk, in 1995; sisters Mae Chorney and Loragene Williams; and brothers Norman, Herbert, Gordon and Kenneth.
Memorials are suggested to the SMART reading program, where she volunteered as a reader to many Odell children, and sent care of Anderson's.
A service to honor Verda is planned for 1 p.m. Feb. 25 at Anderson's Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031, with a reception to follow. Graveside rites with mausoleum entombment will follow at Idlewilde cemetery. Rev. Royal Ewing will officiate.
Tony Doroski
Anthony Joseph 'Tony' Doroski passed away peacefully at his home Feb. 18, 2010, with family members by his side. Tony was born Nov. 20, 1930, in Grand Gorge, N.Y., to Joseph Doroski and Blanche Kasmer Doroski.
After graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and served for four years, including a year in Korea, before being honorably discharged.
Upon returning home he married
Mary Elizabeth 'Betsy' Moore on July 16, 1955. The young couple moved to Stamford, N.Y., where he worked at Catskill Craftsman.
Tony fell in love with the Columbia River Gorge while visiting family in Mosier. After purchasing an orchard in Hood River Tony brought his family to Oregon.
Tony had many hobbies and interests including hunting, fishing, square dancing, model airplanes, record and book collecting and finding treasures at estate and yard sales; but mostly telling audacious stories with a straight face, much to delight of family and friends.
He is survived by his wife, Betsy; sons Kevin (BethAnn), Daryl and Keith (Isabelle); daughter Mary (Russell) Haskins; 15 grandchildren and five great-grand-children.
Catholic funeral rites for Tony will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1501 Belmont Ave., Hood River, with military rites by the Oregon Honors Team.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society and sent care of Anderson's Tribute Center.
Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center (Funerals, Receptions, Cremations), 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; 541-386-1000.
Margaret McNeel
Margaret 'Maggie or Peggy' Louise (Cole) McNeel died on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010, at her home in Vancouver, Wash. Margaret was born June 6, 1929, at Trout Lake, Wash., to Raymond and Isabelle (Patterson) Cole.
She was naturally athletic, excelling in softball and pingpong during her school years. Margaret worked for the Coate family during high school and traveled with them across the country after graduating in 1947.
Margaret married
Robert McNeel Sr. on Aug. 31, 1947, at Trout Lake. After living for a short while at Roy, Wash., and at various locations in Trout Lake, in 1959 they settled with their six children on the Halse dairy farm.
When they were young, Margaret gathered her children on the couch and read to them 'Heidi, ' and other books; the youngest leaning against her shoulder peering at her finger pointing to the words. The older ones were assigned to look up words in the dictionary. She also taught them how to embroider; and though she didn't have time to sew herself, both boys and girls learned to use the sewing machine.
Her children remember stopping with their mom by the road to pick dogwood in the spring, exploring old homesteads to find asparagus, and collecting colored leaves in the fall. Every year she trimmed the pink climbing rose that encircled the kitchen window, taking care to preserve a wren's nest.
Twice a day she milked the cows, and still put home-baked bread on the table. There was always so much work to do that her children were amazed at how fast her fingers flew when they sat with her in the shade, snapping boxes full of green beans from the garden.
After raising her children on the dairy farm - including silently and successfully hounding them all into going to college - Margaret divorced and then lived and worked at Spokane, Wash. Later she moved to Seattle, Wash., to work at Robert McNeel & Associates.
In her semi-retirement years at Vancouver, Wash., she was an avid reader, played the keyboard, journaled daily, and was an energetic hiker traveling on Volkswalks to New Zealand, Iceland, Alaska and the Maritimes in eastern Canada. She was active in local hiking clubs, helping scout out new places to hike.
Margaret's home was a refuge for her family. On the phone she listened with compassion and offered unfailing support. By choice, she was still working part-time to the end of her life, being devoted to the care of a young boy named Seth.
Margaret is survived by her six children: Margaret Armstrong, Hines, Ore., Robert McNeel, Seattle, Wash., Martha Weekes, Vancouver, Wash., Linda Allen, Charlotte, N.C., Joyce Brooks, Washougal, Wash., and John McNeel, Vancouver, Wash.; 10 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and her siblings Robert Cole, Renton, Wash., Betty Schmid, Trout Lake, Wash., Doris Kahler, Hood River, Ore., Alice Majak, Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, and David Cole, Goldendale, Wash.
Memorial donations may be made to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/LkPadden10/smcneel).
Elmer Warren
Elmer Ray Warren, 95, passed away at his Hood River, Ore., home surrounded by family on Feb. 26, 2010.
Elmer was the firstborn of Alice Irene Maxon and Dwight Gordon Warren on their wheat ranch southwest of Pendleton, Ore., on Dec. 22, 1914. Sister Phoebe arrived two years later and finally in 1924 brother Steve.
Elmer attended one-room Mud Springs School and graduated from Pendleton High School. He worked on the farm with his dad, using horses to seed and harvest wheat. They raised cows, pigs, and chickens, as well. Dad learned to work at an early age and did not stop until well into his 90s.
Elmer, his dad and Steve enjoyed trips to the Wallowas and Blue Mountains to camp and fish. There are numerous pictures of fish and mountain vistas. There were family picnics at Emigrant Springs. Uncles, aunts, and cousins were nearby and seen regularly.
The Depression years were hard. It was difficult to make a living on the farm and Elmer's cousin Lane Monson encouraged him to come to Portland. Lane had become a fireman and felt Elmer could be one, too. In 1939 he joined the Portland Fire Bureau. He retired in 1972 as a captain.
Elmer met Maybelle Sigurdson in 1942 and they were married
on Dec. 18 of the same year. They remained married
for 67 years.
In May Elmer's firefighting career was interrupted for service in the U.S. Army. After a year of training in the States, he shipped out from New York City for England, via Scotland. He was assigned a wrecker with the 3rd armored division.
More training in southwest England and then he was shipped to France two weeks after the invasion, landing at Omaha Beach. He served three and one half years.
In November 1945 Elmer returned to Portland. In 1947 first daughter Christina Eileen was born, followed in 1950 by Shelley Gail. Two and a half years later Wendy Kay arrived, and finally, a son, Dale Edward, in 1955. By 1957 the large house Dad built on N.E. 50th Ave. was far enough along to move in.
Elmer had many interests. He was a lifelong member of the Mazamas climbing club and also enjoyed rock climbing and whitewater rafting. He took all of us on raft trips down rivers such as the Clackamas, Deschutes, John Day and Snake.
He had a woodshop in the basement. There was always something to keep him busy. On clear nights he stepped outdoors to check the stars and taught us the constellations.
Family visits and camping trips made up our summer vacations. In the 1960s we embarked on visits to Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Redwoods and Crater Lake. Dale went with his dad on many hunting and fishing trips. Later in life there were trips to Europe, the Grand Canyon, Alaska, and back to the farm.
In 1980 Elmer started to build a home in Hood River on seven acres. Now there would be no end of projects. He planted cherry trees and had a small orchard, raised a garden and enjoyed being outdoors working. Cutting firewood was an ongoing task he continued into his 90s.
Elmer is survived by his wife, Maybelle, and son, Dale, of Hood River; daughter Christina and Gerd Pollatzk, of Portland; daughter Shelley and Greg Oates, of Parkdale; daughter Wendy and Harry Low, of Mt. Vernon, Wash.; grandsons Jackson, Alex and George; and great-granddaughter, Ella Virginia Oates.
A service to mourn Elmer's passing and celebrate his life is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at Asbury United Methodist Church. Chaplain Clyde Sanda of Heart of Hospice will officiate and military honors will be performed by the Oregon Honors Team.
