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Lymina Olive Ham
Jan. 6, 1922 — May 19, 1999
Lymina Olive (Cheney) Ham, 77, of Albany died Wednesday at her home.
She was born in Redwood City, Calif., the daughter of Lyman Oliver and Elsie Gertrude (Kennedy) Cheney, and was part of a California pioneer family.
She grew up in the Bay area during the Great Depression and earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from San Jose State College. She worked as a nurse in California and Oregon until 1952.
She married
John A. Ham Jr. in Eureka, Calif. They established a business together in Eureka and retired in 1986. Mr. Ham died July 4, 1988.
Mrs. Ham moved in 1996 to the Mennonite Village in Albany.
She belonged to Beta Sigma Phi, Soroptomist International, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Navy League, the Republican Women, The American Business Women’s Association, Credit Women International and the Albany Foursquare Church.
She enjoyed reading, writing poetry and oil painting.
Surviving are daughter Trudy Ann Ham Radke of Shedd; stepdaughter Shirley McClellan of Apple Valley, Calif.; and several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.
A memorial service for Mrs. Ham will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Grace Bible Fellowship Church with Pastors Terry Gleason and Don Bayne officiating.
Contributions in Mrs. Ham’s memory may be made to Easter Seals, in care of Fisher Funeral Home, P.O. Box 156, Albany, Ore. 97321.
Richard Smith Sr.
Dec. 30, 1926 — May 20, 1999
LEBANON — Richard H. Smith Sr., 72, of Lebanon died Thursday at Lebanon Community Hospital.
Mr. Smith was born in Helena, Mont., the son of Michael and Lydia (Blumgren) Smith. He moved to California as a child and lived in the Fort Bragg area for many years. He moved to Lebanon in 1960s.
He worked many years as a logger in California. He later was a “powder monkey” and helped to lay underground cables.
Mr. Smith was an avid fan of the outdoors and enjoyed gold mining.
Surviving are daughters Linda McCravens of Lebanon; Karen Pine of Silverton; Cindy Todd of Dinuba, Calif., and Kathy of Kenai, Alaska; son Richard Jr. of Texas; brothers Mel of Winston, Ralph of Fort Bragg, Calif, Don, Dave and Ross, all of Spokane, Wash., and Mike of Prairie City; and sisters Joyce Peterson of Roseburg and Judy Ashton of Camas Valley. There are 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Viewing will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday at Huston-Jost Funeral Home. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Lebanon IOOF cemetery, with Pastor Brent Kauffman officiating.
Contributions in Mr. Smith’s memory may be made to Lebanon Community Hospital.
Grace Bressler
March 21, 1934 — May 22, 1999
EUGENE — Grace Bressler, 65, of Eugene died Saturday.
She was born in Coburg and lived in the Eugene/Coburg area all her life. She was the daughter of Charles and Rose (Frost) Mishler.
She married
Harry Bressler Jan. 31, 1952.
Mrs. Bressler worked 19 years in production at Chef Francisco. She enjoyed fishing, bowling, gardening, crocheting and being with family and friends. She was an avid fan of the University of Oregon Ducks.
Surviving are husband Harry; son Rick of Portland; daughters Casandra Hill of Eugene, Sheryl Woodland of Pleasant Hill and Tammi Bressler of Springfield; brothers Ray Mishler of Boys Springs, Calif., and Roy and Cliff Mishler, both of Eugene; sister Erma Mishler of Sonoma, Calif.; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be until 5 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday at AAsum Funeral Home, Albany. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Alford cemetery north of Harrisburg, with Pastor Dave Nolte of Albany officiating.
Merle L. Loven
June 18, 1923 - April 10, 2007
Merle “Cowboy” Loven, 83, of Lebanon, died Tuesday. He was born to James and Elsie (Breed) Loven in Rockford, Illinois, where he lived most of his life.
Cowboy served in Germany during WWII. Upon his return, he worked for the City of Rockford in construction of water mains. He came to Oregon in 1983 and worked in rodeos as a trick roper. He loved westerns and was in The Wild West Show in his younger years. He lived at Holly’s Haven for the past nine months.
Cowboy was survived by his long time girlfriend, Joanne Simmonds of Lebanon; three children of Rockford, Illinois; a brother, a sister, and a half-brother, all of Illinois; and the residents and caregivers at Holly’s Haven of Lebanon.
Final internment will be at Willamette National cemetery in Portland. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel will be handling the arrangements.
Herman Brown
December 18, 1910 - May 7, 2007
Herman Brown, 96, of Sweet Home, died on Monday May 7, 2007.
Herman was born on Dec. 18, 1910 in Arkansas to Alexander and Elizabeth (Benningfield) Brown. The family moved to Oklahoma.
On Dec. 25, 1929 he married
Joanna Summerhill, and they had four sons. They moved to Tularosa, New Mexico, where he worked in a sawmill until the depression hit in 1930. They moved to Glover, Oklahoma, and he worked for a farmer for 50 cents a day, six days a week, plowing fields by hand with mules. In 1935, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the WPA, he learned to run heavy equipment and worked for the Oklahoma Highway Department building roads.
He joined the Oklahoma National Guard, and then enlisted in the US Army in May 1944, and was stationed in Europe. During his tour there, he was an assistant tank driver and machine gunner for the 774th Tank Battalion under General George Patton's 5th Army. He was in the Battle of the Bulge and saw many atrocities during that time, including Nazi concentration camps and Hitler's "Hideout". He was honorably discharged Nov. 6, 1945.
There being no work available upon his return home, he went to Oregon with friends looking for jobs. Joanna became ill and passed away, and Herman brought his sons to Oregon where he met and eventually married
Josephine Sewell on April 16, 1949. She brought two daughters to the union, and Herman and Josephine had four children together. He worked for Bauman's Sawmill in Foster, Oregon until it was displaced by Foster Reservoir, and then continued on in its new location near Lebanon.
He retired due to an injury in 1972. He and Josephine moved onto property owned by his son, Ted, and kept very busy cutting firewood, cutting brush, feeding and watering livestock, and mowing the five-acre lawn with a push lawnmower. He was finally convinced after about 15 years to use a riding lawnmower. He continued all these chores up until he was 90 and his health would not permit. He loved the outdoors and had much pleasure in watching the deer that would come to feed on the property. He loved to fish, hunt, and garden good food. He also had a love for new cars.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Josephine; sons, Herb, Hershel, and Herman Jr.; and daughter, Joan. He is survived by his sons, Ted Brown, Roy Brown, and William Brown, and daughters, Rubye Stone, Isla Wagner, and Frieda Gibson. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A funeral service wil be held at 1:00 pm Thursday at the Sweet Home Assembly of God Church. Viewing wil start at noon at the church prior to services. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling services.
Albert E. Riesen
May 4, 1934 — May 23, 1999
Albert E. Riesen, 65, of Albany died Sunday at home.
He was born in Colville, Wash., to Albert and Norma (Sage) Riesen. He attended a two-room grade school in Harvard, Idaho, graduated from high school in Pullman, Wash., and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical metallurgy from Washington State University.
At WSU he was president of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity; president of Crimson Circle, a senior men’s honorary; and served in the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He was a student body officer and was named Outstanding Senior of the 1957 graduating class.
He did his graduate work at Ohio State University and spent three years as an Air Force officer at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. In the Air Force he worked on materials properties.
He married
Maureen Mooberry on June 8, 1957, in Pullman. After living in Ohio, they moved to Albany in 1960.
Mr. Riesen was an engineer, vice president of marketing and vice president of manufacturing for Wah Chang. He became the company president in 1986 and retired in 1996.
The Wah Change employees honored him at his retirement by naming the company fitness center for him.
Mr. Riesen enjoyed hunting and fishing, spending time at his cabin on the Alsea River, golfing, and Western dancing.
Active in Albany community affairs, he was a past president of the Rotary and the Woodpeckers. He was chairman of the Red Cross Board, served on the Albany General Hospital Board and was a director of the Chamber of Commerce.
He was chairman of the Oregon Graduate Chief Executives Roundtable and served on the Oregon State University Engineering Advisory Board.
He was named Albany First Citizen in 1978.
Mr. Riesen was a board member of Associated Oregon Industries and in Albany belonged to the United Presbyterian Church, the Elks and Eagles lodges, Spring Hill Country Club and the Albany Tennis Club.
Surviving are wife Maureen; son Jon of Southbury, Conn.; daughter Laura Walker of Gresham; sister Mary Lee Tenwick of Pullman, Wash; and grandchildren Audrey, Andrew, Claire and Anna.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the United Presbyterian Church, with Pastor Glenn Edwards officiating. Private burial will be at Willamette Memorial Park.
Contributions in Mr. Riesen’s name may be made to the Jack Mooberry Memorial Scholarship Fund at Washington State University; to the United Presbyterian Church of Albany, or to Benton Hospice. They may be sent in care of Fisher Funeral Home, P.O. Box 156, Albany, Ore. 97321.
Shirley Lee Jordan
Sept. 10, 1940 — May 24, 1999
Shirley Lee Jordan, 58, of Albany died Monday of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
She was born in Detroit, Mich., the daughter of Fred and Ann (Schreider) Carlson. She grew up in Beaverton, graduated from Beaverton High School and attended Oregon State University for two years.
She moved to Portland, where she was a homemaker. She moved to Albany in 1991 and married
Paul Jordan on Feb. 14, 1992.
Mrs. Jordan enjoyed gardening, painting, golfing, cooking and spending time with her grandchildren.
Surviving are husband Paul; son Jeffery Carlson of Oregon City; daughter Jennifer Carlson of Clackamas; stepsons Michael Jordan of North Bend and Chris Jordan of Albany; stepdaughter Paula Jordan of Tampa, Fla.; brother Eddie Carlson of Beaverton; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A celebration of Mrs. Jordan’s life will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 2, at Baker Pioneer Church in Carver, with Chaplain Dan Wilson officiating.
Contributions in Mrs. Jordan’s name may be made to Evergreen Hospice, in care of AAsum Funeral Home, 805 Ellsworth St. S., Albany, Ore. 97321.
Loren H. Kief
Aug. 12, 1910 — May 22, 1999
Loren H. Kief, 88, of Albany died Saturday at the Mennonite Home of complications following a stroke.
Mr. Kief was born in Dudley, Mo., to Albert and Henrietta (Mohr) Kief. He moved to Albany as a teen-ager.
He married
Nellie Good on Dec. 24, 1938, in Albany, and they had celebrated their 60th anniversary. They farmed in Shedd and later lived in Lebanon and Goshen, Ind. They moved to Albany in 1975, after his retirement.
Mr. Kief was an auto mechanic in his own shop in Lebanon. Later he sold farm machinery in Lebanon, Albany and Salem. In Goshen he was custodial supervisor for Goshen College. Finally, he was a part-time worker for Steve Glaser Farms for several years.
Mr. Kief enjoyed volunteering for Fish Emergency Services, going to the mall daily and helping Nellie tie comforters for the Mennonite Central Committee. He belonged to the Albany Mennonite Church.
Surviving are wife Nellie; children Judy Bacher, Jewell Stanley and Jim Kief, all of Albany; and Ron Kief of Tigard; siblings Lucy Zehr, Bertha Kaufman and John Kief, all of Albany; and 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Brother Ray Kief and sisters Louise Davis and Sophie Gingrich died earlier.
Visitation will be until 5 p.m. today at AAsum Funeral Home. A celebration of Mr. Kief’s life will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Albany Mennonite Church, with Pastor Lynne Miller officiating. Burial will be private.
John F. Madarus
Jan. 9, 1925 — May 23, 1999
SCIO — Former Scio resident John Frank Madarus, 74, of Salem died Sunday at home.
He was born in Scio, the son of John and Anna (Skrha) Madarus. He moved to Bonneville, Wash., as a young man and served in the Coast Guard during World War II.
He married
Mary Almen on Nov. 17, 1947, in Vancouver, Wash. They lived in many Oregon communities, including Westfir, Klamath Falls and Madras. They later lived in Scio and Idanha.
Mr. Madarus worked in the construction industry throughout Oregon. After returning to Scio he worked for Albany Lumber and for the Army Corps of Engineers.
While living in Idanha he worked for Simpson Timber (later U.S. Plywood). He retired as manager in 1983 and the couple moved to Salem.
Mr. Madarus belonged to the American Legion and the Scio ZCBJ Lodge. He enjoyed woodworking, fishing and playing cards.
Surviving are wife Mary; brother Henry of Albany; and many nieces and nephews.
Brothers Joe and William and Sister Mary Rice died earlier.
Viewing will be from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Huston-Jost Funeral Home. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Providence cemetery near Scio, with Pastor Ron Hotrum officiating.
Contributions in Mr. Madarus’ memory may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association. They can be sent in care of Huston-Jost Funeral Home, 86 W. Grant St., Lebanon, Ore. 97355.
Lennie ‘Kit’ Scofield
May 24, 1915 — May 21, 1999
Lennie Leota “Kit” Scofield, 83, of Albany died Friday at Rovig Foster Care Home.
She was born in Gales Creek, where she attended elementary school and grew up on the family farm. She was the daughter of William and Dora (Smith) Lee.
She married
Ensel Scofield on July 18, 1932, in Hillsboro, and they farmed near Redmond. They moved to the Sweet Home area, where her husband was a logger. He died Feb. 9, 1976.
Mrs. Scofield moved to Lyons to be near her daughter and had lived several years at the foster care home in Albany.
She had farmed and had sorted potatoes for a warehouse in the winters.
A fan of the outdoors, she liked fishing, hunting, camping and looking for arrowheads. She also liked playing bingo, taking trips to Reno, playing cards and cooking. She made afghans.
Surviving are son Eugene “Buck” of Albany; daughter June Namitz of Lyons; brother Conrad Lee of Shaw; sister Lois Johnson of Gales Creek; 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Five sisters and three brothers died earlier.
A graveside service was scheduled at 1 this afternoon at Gales Creek cemetery on Northwest Potts Road, with Pastor Rich LaMar officiating. A reception was to follow at the Gales Creek Church of God.
Contributions in Mrs. Scofield’s name may be made to Gales Creek Community Church of God, 9170 N.W. Sargent Road, Gales Creek, Ore. 97117.
