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LEONARD YOUNCE
Leonard Alonzo Younce, 83, former All-Pro lineman with the New York Giants who ended a long football career as a coach in Joseph, died March 26, 2000 in Portland after a brief illness.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 1, at 11:30 a.m. at St. John's Christian Church, 8044 N. Richmond Ave., Portland.
After playing at Roosevelt High School in Portland, he went on to win All-Coast football honors at Oregon State. He then began a seven-year career with the Giants in the NFL, retiring in 1948.
Younce was an assistant coach at Oregon State from 1949-54, and then spent six years as an assistant at Regina and Edmonton in the Canadian Football League. He also assisted at Portland State University and with the semipro Portland Loggers before moving to Enterprise in 1973.
He married
Zelta Varney Nov. 24, 1973. He loved to play golf and they spent many hours playing cards with family and friends.
He finished his coaching career with Joseph High School, where he was head coach in 1992.
JANICE DOWNING
Janice Mae (Marks) Downing died March 17, 2000, in her home in Portland after a long illness with liver disease.
Janice was born May 23, 1943, in Enterprise to Walter Clement and Roseland June (Roberts) Marks. She is survived by a daughter, Melissa Dudley of Portland; uncles (and spouses), Mark and Addeline Marks, Charles and LaValle Roberts, Ivan and Agnes Roberts; aunts, Mary Lee and Kenneth Farnsworth and Helen Windsor, all of Enterprise, and Lillian Burnham of West Valley City, Utah; and numerous cousins. She is also survived by her former husband, Kenneth Downing and his wife Bernice of Portland, who cared for her through the last months of her illness.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Tommy, son Billy and sister Linda Miller.
Cremains will be interred, with a graveside service planned in May at the Enterprise cemetery.
The family asks that donation be made to: Parents of Murdered Children, 14427 South Forsythe, Oregon City OR 97045.
DON KOOCH
Wallowa County native Don Kooch passed away March 18, 2000, in Lewiston, Idaho.
Don was born Dec. 27, 1913, to Mr. and Mrs. Burl Kooch on Alder Slope. In the winter of 1918 the family moved to Cambridge, Idaho, for two years where Don started school. They returned to Wallowa County, first moving to a place on Hurricane Creek, then to a place at the end of Century Lane, and finally to their home in the house where Reid and Linda Kooch now live.
Don went to school at Hurricane Creek and Alder Slope, and then in the fifth grade moved to Enterprise. He rode horseback or in a one-horse buggy until he was old enough to drive. The roads back then, had ruts and were not graded. He played football on the Enterprise High School football team; it won the Eastern Oregon championship in 1931. He graduated from high school in 1932 and stayed home to help with the farm work.
Don was drafted into the service Feb. 16, 1942, and built airstrips in the Fiji Islands. He received a medical discharge Feb. 5, 1944.
Don married
Maxine Himelwright Feb. 12, 1944. Don and Maxine have two children, Jim Kooch and Kathleen Kooch Hanna.
A wheat farmer, Don served on the Federal Land Bank board of directors from 1959 to 1968 and the Wallowa County Fair Board from 1974 to 1986. He was selected as a honorary member of the Wallowa County Stockgrowers in 1983 and Father of the Year in 1979. He was the general chairman of the Wallowa County Fair for several years. He donated many hours of service to the fairgrounds and the Cloverleaf Hall when it was enlarged. The 4-H Leaders Association and the Pomona Grange honored him for his service to 4-H and FFA. He greatly enjoyed doing what he could to help the community and especially the youth.
Survivors include wife, Maxine A. (Himelwright) Kooch of Enterprise; son, James D. Kooch of Hermiston; daughter and son-in-law, Kathleen and Bruce Hanna of Hillsboro; brother, Kenneth Kooch of Enterprise; sister and brother-in-law, Bonnie and Robert Goebel of Milton-Freewater; and five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Donation may be made to the Wallowa Memorial Hospital Foundation or 4-H and FFA in care of the Bollman Funeral Home, 315 W. Main St., Enterprise, OR 97828.
Funeral services were held Wednesday March 22, at 2 p.m. at the Bollman Funeral Home chapel, with vault internment following at the Enterprise cemetery.
SHARON WART
Former Wallowa County resident Sharon Kay Wart, 57, of Mc Minnville passed away March 13, 2000, at her home.
Sharon was born Dec. 5, 1942, in La Grande to Roy Shepard and Lida Dora Boyd Hulse.
She was raised on a farm in Wallowa and graduated from Wallowa High School in 1961. She married
David W. Wart on Dec. 29, 1961, in Wallowa. She spent her married
life living in various places in Oregon, including Wallowa, Enterprise, Imnaha and a tent in the Wallowa Mountains.
In 1964 she moved to Florence and lived there until 1971 when she moved to Sheridan and in 1998 she moved to McMinnville.
She was a homemaker and the mother of three children. She was a member of the Church of Christ in McMinnville where she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. She was a member of T.O.P.S. and served on the board as president. She enjoyed her family first and foremost. She also enjoyed Christmas and entertaining people.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Dale Hulse; sister, Vera Mitchell; and one granddaughter.
She is survived by husband David Wart, daughters Davida Brenden and Deanna Smith and son, Danny, all of McMinnville; brothers, Duane of La Grande, Gary and Harold of Wallowa; sisters, Elaine Durrer of Tillamook and Marlene Sarrett of La Grande; and five grandchildren.
Services were held March 18, 2000, at the Chapel of Macy and Son. The Interment was held at the Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery in McMinnville.
Contributions may be made to Church of Christ Sharon West Memorial Fund c/o Macy and Son Funeral Directors, 135 North Evans, McMinnville OR 97128.
HOWARD REECE
Howard S. "Dick" Reece, 79, a resident of the La Grande community recently of Cornelius, died Tuesday morning, March 14, 2000, at his home in Aloha.
Private family interment will be held at a later date.
Howard Samuel Reece was born on March 15, 1920, in Enterprise. The son of the late Wilbur and Rilla (Bonner) Reece. He was raised and received his education in the Joseph community, graduating from Joseph High School in 1938.
He joined the United States Navy in 1940 and served during WWII. Dick was honorably discharged on Oct. 11, 1945, as a Motor Machinist Second Mate.
Dick was united in marriage to Hazel Hepburn on Feb. 25, 1946, in Weizer, Idaho. Following their marriage they made their home in Joseph until 1966 when they moved to Milton-Freewater. In 1967 they moved to Elgin where they made their home until 1979 when they moved to La Grande. Dick was preceded in death by his wife Hazel in 1999 after celebrating over 53 years of marriage together.
Dick was a former logger. He also sold insurance for Forest Industries for over 15 years. He was a self-taught carpenter, having built two homes for his family and remodeled several others. He also built the first bowling alley in Joseph. Dick retired in 1982.
Survivors include: a son Rick Reece of La Grande; a daughter, Pat Van Arsdale of Cornelius; one sister Alta Daggett of Enterprise; and four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The family suggests that contribution go to the Alzheimer's Association, 1311 NW 21st Ave, Portland OR 97209, or to a charity of one's choice, in his memory.
ROBERT BEST
Robert W. Best Jr., 70, formerly of Independence, died Saturday March 4, 2000, at the Veteran's Hospital in Roseburg. He was born in Patterson, Ark., on March 16, 1929. He was the son of Robert W. Best, Sr. and Nettie Best, who both preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his daughter, Kimberly Dawn, and his step mother, Rose Mary Best. He married
Luella Jacobs in 1952; they were later divorced. In 1981, he married
Patricia Best, who survives him. Additional survivors are daughter Jennifer Schroeder of Dallas, four sons, Gerald of Beaverton, Walter and Joel of Monmouth, and David of Salem; three sisters, Donna Burke of Philomath, Barbara Teal of Dallas and Margaret Bender of Albany; three brothers, Richard and Steve of Dallas and Bobby of Salem; three step daughters, Wyllajo Martin ane Mayde Evans of Medford and Jeanne Heinz of Burns; 13 grandchildren and seven step grandchildren; two great grandchildren and 14 step great grandchildren.
In 1991, he retired from Boise Cascade in Independence after 32 years of working there. He served in the U.S. Army in Japan and Korea where he received a purple heart medal. He enjoyed traveling, raising Koi fish, and ballroom dancing. He was a member of the Salem American Legion and Eagles club.
Services were arranged by Conger Morris Funeral Directors of Medford and the service was held at the National cemetery in Eagle Point on March 10, 2000.
Contributions in his name may be made to the Alzheimer's research, or the Roseburg Veteran's Hospital.
VERNE COLVIN
Verne Benjamin Colvin, 93, of Payette, Idaho, passed away at a Boise hospital on March 10, 2000. Memorial services were held at the First Baptist Church on March 14, 2000. Pastor Bill Slabaugh officiated under the direction of Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel of Payette.
Colvin was born at Ritter on Nov. 14, 1906. He was the son of Benjamin and Idella E. (Tyrrel) Colvin.
He was raised on cattle ranches in eastern Oregon and eastern Montana. After graduating from high school at Miles City, Mont., the family moved back to the old ranch in eastern Oregon. He attended the Behnke Walker Business College for two winters.
On Aug. 23, 1930, he and Cecyl Porter were married
at Long Creek. They were happily married
for almost 63 years. Joe and Beryl, their two children, were born in Joseph.
In 1931, they moved to a cattle ranch at Long Creek. They lived there for six years, then moved to a ranch in Wallowa County, where they ranched for 23 years. They sold the ranch in 1960. He started working for the First National Bank in Feb. 1961, and retired in Nov. 30, 1972. He and Cecyl traveled for two and one half years then settled in Payette.
He was past master of the Long Creek Lodge AF & AM #90, past patron of the Lorraine chapter #20 OES, past master of Imnaha Grange, past president of the Wallowa County Stockgrowers Association; and vice-president of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association. He served on the Oregon State Board Advisory Board; Wallowa Round-up Association; Lake County Fair Board; as treasurer of the Lake County Livestock Association, and on various boards of the First Baptist Church of Payette.
He is survived by his two daughters, two grandsons, one granddaughter, two great grandsons, one great granddaughter and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to WEC International for Karen Solterbeck-Leavitee Missionary Fund, P.O. Box 1707, Ft. Washington, PA 19034.
KAYE BROWN
B. Kaye Brown, 63, of Wallowa passed away March 11, 2000 at Wallowa Memorial Hospital.
Funeral service will be held March 16, (today) at 2 p.m. at the Elgin Seventh-Day Church. The arrangements are being taken care of by the Bollman Funeral Home. Contributions can be made to the Elgin Seventh-Day Adventist Church in care of the Bollman Funeral Home.
Internment will be held at the Wallowa cemetery.
Born Bonnie Kathleen Harvey on July 1, 1936 to Edgar E. and S. Vinita Harvey in Springfield, Md., her family moved to Washington state and she graduated from high school in Wenatchee, Washington, in 1954. She graduated from cosmetology school a year later. During that time she met and Thomas Edwin Brown. They were married
at Couer d' Alene, Idaho on Nov. 10, 1956. The couple made its home in Wenatchee where their children Mark Thomas and Rhonda Camille were born. In 1965 they moved to Clear, Alaska, where Kaye was highly involved in the state operated school for eight years. In 1973, they purchased a cattle ranch north of Elgin and became members of the local Seventh-Day Adventist Church. In 1996, they moved to Wallowa to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Survivors include her husband Thomas E. Brown of Wallowa; son, Mark T. Brown of Aloha; daughter, Camie Bartlett of Joseph; sister, Erlene Behrens of Okanogan, WA; two grandsons, Rolie and Clark Bartlett of Joseph.
She was preceded in death by both parents Edgar E. and S. Vinita Harvey.
Ethel Cromwell
Ethel Daniels Cannon Cromwell died on Feb. 28, 2000 at her home on Mount Tabor in Portland. Cromwell was born on Sept. 29, 1908 at Pratts Mill, N.M., the second of four daughters born to William Arthur Daniels and Caroline Gellermann Daniels. The family moved to Oregon where Ethel attended school in La Grande, Summerville and Enterprise. After graduating from Enterprise High School she married
Raymond Cannon and lived in Wallowa, Oregon. She managed the telephone office and was sometimes on duty 24 hours a day. She knew most of the subscribers personally but was always efficient and business like while she met the communication needs of the community.
When World War II started she went to work for the federal government where she worked as a teletype operator and remained a government employee until she retired. She started her career as a telephone operator who said "Number please" and then rang the proper number manually. She later helped implement the installation and use of very a sophisticated communication system.
On April 25, 1945 Ethel married
Frank Cromwell in Jacksonville, Fla. They had one child, Mark, who still lives at the family home in Portland, where he cared for his mother since Frank's death in 1996. One of Ethel's greatest pleasures in recent years was playing with Mark's daughters, Erika Dee and Margret Ann. She is also survived by her sister, Ruth Cronin of Pasco, WA, Frances Wilson of La Grand, and by her nieces, Margaret Cronin Moore of Pasco and Sydney Aleson Macfarlane of Brightwood. Her youngest sister, Georgia Daniels Aleson Powell, died in Sept. 1999.
Ethel possessed exceptional physical beauty and intelligence and was particularly good at making plans and then following them. She collected antiques and decorative plates from Scandinavia. She also a photographer and worked on her family genealogy. Funeral services were conducted at Ross Hollywood Chapel in Portland on Monday, March 6. Interment followed at the Daniels family plot in Summerville, Ore.
Grace Ann Stephens
Grace Ann Stephens, 55, passed away March 1, 2000, in Spokane, WA, where she lived for more than 22 years. She was born to Earl and Alice Conrad on Dec. 2, 1944, in Joseph, Ore.
Survivors include son Robert Stephens and wife Mary of Moorpark, Calf.; daughters, Tonya Draper and husband Brad of Castleford, Idaho; Kris Conrad and husband Alic, Alice Taylor and husband Brandon, all of Spokane; sisters, Eunice Moylan of Spokane and Elaine Dale of Bozeman, Mont.; grandchildren, Amanda, Nick, Andrew, Jake, Tyler, Abby, Bryan, Bailee, Amber, Gabby, Ryan and Bobby, and several nieces and nephews.
Interment was be held on March 6 at Riverside Memorial Park.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cancer Patient Care of Spokane, 124 E. Trent Ave. Spokane, WA 99202.
Judith Carter
Judith Ann Carter, 83, of Enterprise died at Wallowa Memorial Hospital on Thursday, March 2, 2000.
She was born in Walla Walla, WA, on Feb. 28, 1917, to William Wallace and Mary Hollaway "Renfro" Glaspey.
She resided in Stockton, Calif., from 1952 until her retirement from nursing, moving to Enterprise in 1991 to be near family.
Survivors include husband Walt Hammond at home; daughter, Mrs. Dawson (Nancy) Neil of Enterprise; son Charles Flynn of Stockton, Calf.; six step children, five grandchildren; 14 step grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, by her brothers Richard Glaspey, and Lewis Glaspey; and sister Margaret Root.
At her request no services will be held. Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to Home Health or Community Connection in care of the Bollman Funeral Home, 315 W. Main St., Enterprise, OR 97828.
Ben Robinson
Ben Lawrence Robinson, 93, of Corvallis, Ore., passed away Feb. 23, 2000 at the Heart of the Valley Care Center in Corvallis.
Ben was born Dec. 1, 1906 in Spangle, Washington. His parents were Carl and Sophia (Grunewald) Robinson. He moved with his family to Wilsall, Mont., when he was nine years old, to grow wheat and raise cattle and sheep.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Amy Belle Robinson; sister, Florence Ayers; three brothers, Ralph, and Frances Robinson; Chester Robinson, and Lester and Carmen Robinson; niece, Marion Robinson. (France and Carmen are respective sisters-in-law).
Ben is survived by his daughters, Louise Dane of Corvallis and Elaine Hill of Oregon City; sister-in-law, Ann Robinson, Yakima, WA, six grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, one great-great grandson, four nieces and four nephews.
Memorial contributions in her memory may by made to OHSU Foundation, Parkinson's Disease Research in care of DeMoss-Durdan Garden Chapel, 815 NW Buchanan, Corvallis, OR 97330.
