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Serina Erspamer
Serina Muratore Erspamer, longtime resident of Hood River, Ore., passed away at a palliative care facility in Melbourne, Australia, Aug. 27, 2010. Serina was born the second of six children in Melbourne July 31, 1948, to Phyllis and Vincenzo Muratore.
Robert Erspamer, who had moved to Hood River in 1986, met Serina Muratore in 1989 while visiting Australia with his two brothers. They wrote to each other and then she came to America. After proposing at Crater Lake, he and Serina were married
at Melbourne in February of 1990.
They became proprietors of The Gift House in Hood River in 1990. The business grew, and by 1996 Serina was running four stores. Having studied fashion manufacturing in Melbourne for many years, Serina was noted for attractive window display and T-shirt designs. Her personal touch made The Gift House a much-desired shop. Serina loved to knit and garden.
Above all, Serina was generous in her gift-giving to others. She loved to share her sweet sense of humor or a little treat for a child. She never forgot to send a card or gift on a birthday or holiday.
Serina is survived by her husband, Robert, of Hood River; two sisters, Maria Muratore and Francis Giordano; brother Vince and his wife, Jasmin; mother, Phyllis Muratore, and grandmother, of Melbourne, Australia; and her most precious friend, Marlo Sagetalian, of White Salmon, Wash.
Serina had fought courageously against cancer for a year. She would be happy to know that people donated to that cause. She was laid to rest at a cemetery in Melbourne, Australia.
A memorial will be held at the Hood River Hotel Ballroom on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 5 p.m.
Bertie Downing
Bertha (Bertie) M. Downing was born to Elmer and Lillie Moilanen in Brockett, N.D., Jan. 6, 1920. She was the second of four children that would complete the Moilanen family.
When she was 6, living in Hibbing, Minn., she contracted polio and was unable to walk for about one year. When she recovered, she enjoyed a lifetime of physical activity.
Bertie loved sports and had a competitive spirit. In her early years she played tennis and basketball and swam in any available pond. Later she became hooked on golf and played as much as she could.
Her family came to Hood River by train in 1928 and settled in Odell, where she attended the local schools, graduating from Odell High School in 1938.
Bertie married
Raymond Milton Downing in 1940 in an outside ceremony at her parents' home in Odell. They were married
for 57 years.
Bertie was a homemaker, enjoying many creative hobbies such as tole painting, ceramics, weaving and sewing. She also loved gardening and flower arranging, and was part of a garden club and arrangers group. She valued her family and friends, and her gift for hospitality and cooking made holidays, birthdays and other occasions special and always tasty.
Bertie and Ray were members of the Christian Missionary Alliance Church for over 65 years, where Bertie served as a deaconess and taught Sunday school. When they built the new church, Bertie and Ray worked on planning and then painting and landscaping the new church facilities and grounds. In the last few years she has worshipped at Gateway Presbyterian church in The Dalles, delighting in the lively music.
Bertie and Ray were actively engaged in their children's activities. She was a den mother for cub scouts, planning projects and outings. She always welcomed her children's friends over to her house and took an interest in them.
Bertie and Ray had a lovely, complementary relationship. They shared a fun sense of humor and enjoyed golfing and travel. Europe, China, Mexico, and various places around the U.S. were destinations they enjoyed so much. While in Finland they flew almost to the Arctic Circle to meet distant cousins Bertie had rediscovered through old letters.
As Bertie's Alzheimer's disease progressed she was fortunate for the love and care she received from Mary Davidson, Chayo Hyskell, John Stevens and Sunshine Club at Brookside. Recently she was blessed with the care of Heart of Hospice.
Bertie was preceded in death by her parents, Lillie and Elmer Moilanen, her husband, Raymond Downing, her son Steven Downing, her sister Alice Swyers, her brother Ronald Moilanen and her niece Rhonda Moilanen.
She is survived by her sister Linda LaBounty (Jim), her son Dennis Downing (Linda), her daughter Carolyn Stevens (John), her grandson Peter Downing (Maddy), her granddaughter Jenny Ruth (Bryan) and two great-grandchildren, Olivia Joanne and Peter Dennis Downing. She also has three nieces (Kathi Pointer, Sally Moore and Sharon Phillips) and four nephews (David Hyskell and Tim, Mike and Rich Farra).
Memorial gifts can be sent to Heart of Hospice, the local food bank or the Alzheimer's research.
A celebration of Bertie's life is planned for noon Friday, Sept. 17, at Anderson's Tribute Center. Friends who would like to visit with family are invited to do so Thursday evening from 4-6 p.m. at Anderson's during a time of viewing. Entombment will precede her service at Idlewilde Mausoleum.
Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center (Funerals, Receptions, Cremations), 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; 541-386-1000.
Merlin Parmiter
Merlin Leroy Parmiter was born Dec. 1, 1944, in Pueblo, Colo., to Eloise V. (Warner) and Merl Leroy Parmiter. While growing up in Colorado, he worked in construction with his father and on Aug. 30, 1964, Merlin married
Joyce Linda Higginson in Grand Junction, Colo.
The couple moved to Missoula, Mont., in 1967 and settled in the Gorge area in 1971.
Throughout his life, Merlin held many positions, including manager of a department store, operating a service station, working as a mechanic for Western Auto, and finally the owner of his business, A-Z Paving Co.
He enjoyed drag racing and working with his son on their race car. A rock hound, he liked to shine rocks in his rock tumbler, and he was always working and remodeling his house.
Going to the coast and cooking were other things Merlin enjoyed. He had a great love for cats and kids and received a lot of joy from his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Merlin passed away at his home in Odell, Ore., on Sept. 20, 2010, at the age of 65. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, of Odell; son Merlin Parmiter Jr. and daughter-in-law, Karen, of Odell; daughters Denise Parmiter and her significant other, Tony Madewell, of Hood River, Crystal Parmiter Michaud and her husband, Keith, of Hood River, and Dana Geary and her husband, Jeff, of Klickitat, Wash.; brothers and their wives Larry and Kay Parmiter and Norman and Barbara Parmiter, of Missoula, Mont., and Daryl and Darlene Parmiter, of Great Falls, Mont.; sisters and their husbands Judy and Syl Spino, of Klickitat, and Sheryl and Larry Smith, of Long Beach, Calif.; 10 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by sister Louise Brown and his father, Merl.
A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Tucker Road Baptist Church in Hood River. Please call Gardner Funeral Home at 509-493-1323 for service time.
Nancy Schramm
Nancy Jessamine Schramm, 93, passed away April 23, 2010, at her home in Oregon City, Ore. Born Feb. 19, 1917, to George and Jessamine Ogden, she was raised on an apple orchard in Odell and attended Odell High School, graduating in a class of 20 students, never missing a reunion.
She attended the University of Oregon where she met and later married
Ken Schramm, a law school student. After raising her two children, Nancy became an avid environmentalist and active volunteer.
For more than 40 years, she was a committed member of the Willamette Falls Hospital Auxiliary. Her interests included helping with Loaves and Fishes and Feed the Hungry programs at her church, and belonging to the Oak Grove Garden Club.
Nancy is survived by her son, Richard Schramm, and his wife, Patricia, of Portland; daughter Sally Miller, of Madras; her three grandsons: Phillip and Brian Miller and Alex Schramm; and her niece, Jeanie Ogden, of Seattle, Wash.
Memorial gifts may be made to William Temple House in Portland or the Children's Clothes Closet at St. John's Episcopal Church in Milwaukie.
Donna Roberts
Donna Elaine Ingram Scheer Roberts was born April 2, 1933, to Millard Lewis Ingram and Helen Cress Ingram in Delano, Calif. She passed away Sept. 26, 2009, and was 76 years of age at the time of her death.
Donna went to school in Leggett, Calif., and graduated from Ukiah High School in Ukiah, Calif., in 1951. She was active in cheerleading, drama, band, choir and student council, and sang with a trio on the radio after graduation.
Donna worked as a telephone operator and as a waitress in Cascade Locks, Ore., and at Alice's in Hood River and the Hood River Inn; she also worked as a floral designer at Hood River's The Height's Floral. She was the first woman to work a share at Co Ply plywood mill in Stevenson, Wash.
Her proudest accomplishment was raising three children: Rhonda M. (Norlund) Hess and her husband, Randy, reside in Monterey, Calif. Grandchildren Brad, Andy, Eric, Tyler and Adam also reside in Monterey. Heather is stationed at NAS Memphis, Tenn., and Ryan is stationed at Pt. Mugu, Calif.
Denise R. (Norlund) Kriegner resides with her husband, Bo, in Springdale, Ark. Grandchildren are Kellie, Kacie, Karlie, Katie (preceded in death) and Kenzie. Great-grandchildren: Brock, Braden, Jayden, Kameron, Karson who all reside in Springdale.
Bret L. Norlund resides with his wife, Meena, in Orangevale, Calif. Grandchildren Sarah, Eric and Emily Norlund, along with great-grandchildren Connor and Aminita, all live in the Sacramento, Calif., area.
Donna moved to Hood River, Ore., after her marriage to Edward 'Guy' Scheer, a longtime resident of Hood River. They built a log house and lived there in their park-like setting for nearly 30 years until Guy's death four years ago.
Newlyweds Donna and Jack Roberts lived in the log house until Sept. 26, when Donna went to sleep in her room and awoke in heaven.
Favorite activities Donna enjoyed were gardening, crafts, dollar store shopping, sewing, creating shadowboxes, collecting antiques, caring for her dogs, Jake and Lilo, and watching the Blazers basketball team. She traveled to Mexico, The Philippines, Hong Kong, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Paris.
A service to honor Donna is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, May 8, at Anderson's Tribute Center (Funerals, Receptions, Cremations), 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031.
George Allen
George Cameron Allen was born Oct. 25, 1922, to Charles and Della Cameron Allen in Odell, Ore., and passed away April 25, 2010, at Providence Medical Center in Portland.
George remained a life-long resident of Hood River Valley except for a period of four years that he served in the Navy during World War II. He returned to his high school sweetheart, Martha Eden, and they wed on Aug. 4, 1946.
They settled into their first home on Willow Flat, and George joined his father working in the family orchard. Together with his father, he built a new home on a rise above the orchard with a panoramic view of Mount Adams and the Hood River valley.
George was a man of few words, but he loved to tease and was devoted to his family.
He was proud of his orchard that he purchased from his parents and was a hard-working orchardist until his retirement in 1994.
He was always anxious to get outdoors after winter rains and storms gave way to a new growing season. He loved the outdoors, not only working in the orchard but also planting the family garden and tending the roses for Martha. The first rose of the season was always cut and presented to his beloved wife.
George is survived by his wife, Martha Allen, and daughters Claudia Floyd (John), Deelana Johnson (Robert) and Pamela Dean (Kevin); and three grandchildren: Brian Floyd, Andrea Floyd and Natalie Johnson. George is also survived by his older brother, Joe Allen.
Military honors were given during the April 30 services held at Anderson's Tribute Center with interment at Idlewilde cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in George's name to the Odell Volunteer Fire Department and send in care of Anderson's Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031.
Kathryn Crippen
Our cherished mother, Kathryn Simmons Crippen, age 84, passed away in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, July 14, 2010, surrounded by her loving family. She was born Kathryn Mae Simmons in Romeo, Mich., (Bruce Twp.) to Matilda Coppersmith and John Morcomb Simmons on May 20, 1926.
Cassie had a happy childhood growing up in Detroit, Mich. She completed her bachelor's degree at Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University) in home economics education. She taught for a couple of years at the Airport Public Schools in South Rockwood, Mich.
One summer, before finishing college, Cassie was working in Mackinaw City and met her husband-to-be, Edward Filmore Crippen, a medical school student at the University of Michigan. They married
on June 19, 1948, in Ann Arbor, Mich. They eventually moved to Mancelona, Mich., where her husband practiced medicine. They had five children there.
Ed returned to graduate school in Ann Arbor in public health and then took on positions in public health and medicine. They were in Cap Haitien, Haiti, and Kathmandu, Nepal. Their sixth child, John, was born during that time.
While Ed followed a career in public health and medicine, Cassie followed along with the children. From there they moved to Mobile and Fairhope, Ala. Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., Carson City, Nev., Malibu, Calif., St. Helens, Ore., Hood River, Ore., Pusan, Korea, Hood River, Ore., Howell, Mich., back to Oregon and finally retiring to Mancelona, Mich., where they had originally started their family.
Cassie embraced each new place with enthusiasm, despite the difficulty of moving and settling in. She was a devoted and caring wife and mother. She was a friend and mentor. She gave of herself freely without care for herself. She had a generous, caring and vivacious personality and many, many friends. Everyone loved her and she is sorely missed.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward. F. Crippen, M.D.; her parents, and sisters, Evelyn Simmons and Marion Burke.
She is survived by her sister, Margaret Cooper, of Michigan; her children, Janie Knieper, of Michigan, Edward Crippen, of Oregon, Frederick Crippen, of Washington, Joel Crippen, of Florida, Ember Diez, of California, and John Crippen, of Washington; and their loving spouses and children (her precious grandchildren), cousins, nieces, nephews and many friends.
She has been cremated and a memorial service and burial will take place in Lansing, Mich., in July 2011. In lieu of flowers she would have wanted donations made to the Mancelona Historical Society, P.O. Box 103, Mancelona, MI 49659; the American Lung Association (http://www.lungusa.org) or the United Methodist Church, Mancelona, MI 49659.
Edward Crippen
A child of the Depression, veteran of World War II and a member of the 'Greatest Generation, ' in the truest sense, Edward Filmore Crippen, M.D., passed away in Ann Arbor, Mich., Nov. 13, 2009, in the company of his beloved family and friends.
He was born Nov. 9, 1921, in Lansing, Mich., the second child of Margaret Jane (Aldrich) and Glenn Lawrence Crippen. He graduated from high school in 1939 in Lansing, Mich. He attended Michigan State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry in 1943.
He was inducted into the U.S. Army (anti-aircraft artillery) and served in World War II (Philippine Islands) and was honorably discharged in 1946. (He later achieved lieutenant colonel status in the USAR-MC Active Reserve in 1975.)
In 1946, he entered medical school at the University of Michigan and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine in June 1950. One summer, during his studies, he met his wife-to-be, Kathryn Mae Simmons, in Mackinaw City. In Ann Arbor, Mich., on June 19, 1948, they married
.
He did his medical internship at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich. He began private practice in Mancelona, Mich., in 1951. Besides his regular office hours he made many house calls - practicing medicine as a typical small-town doctor of that time.
From 1960-61 he returned to the University of Michigan to study public health. He received his M.P.H. and entered the field of international health. (He had specializations in international primary care programs, geriatrics, preventive medicine and international health, and was board certified in preventive medicine and family practice.)
Shortly after graduating he went to work for the U.S. State Department and was assigned to be co-director of public health in Cap Haitien, Haiti, from 1961-62.
In 1962, he was reassigned to the U.S. Agency for International Development and, from 1963-64, he served as chief of the public health division to the country of Nepal. While there he identified a smallpox outbreak and, through his efforts, averted a major epidemic.
Returning to the U.S., he served as mobile county health officer in Mobile, Ala. In 1967 he accepted a position as deputy commissioner of health for the City of Detroit. He then took a position as state health officer for the State of Nevada.
Next he moved his family to Los Angeles to serve as western regional medical director for Gulf Oil Corporation. Later, desiring a simpler life, he established a family practice in St. Helens, Ore. Shortly thereafter he bought his beloved apple and pear orchard in the Hood River Valley.
Hood River became a home base for his medical/public health consultant work while traveling the U.S. and the world: Togo, Africa; Korea; Morocco; U.S. NOAA Research Ship; Comoros Islands; Israel and Haiti. He made many, many friends.
He retired back to Mancelona, Mich. He was a proud member of the Descendants of the Mayflower Society of Michigan with roots tracing back to Mayflower passengers Edward Fuller and Myles Standish.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his oldest brother, Frank.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Cassie (Kathryn); his siblings, Frederick Crippen, of California, and Jeanne Donahue, of Michigan; his children, Janie Knieper, of Michigan, Edward Crippen, of Oregon, Frederick Crippen, of Washington, Joel Crippen, of Florida, Ember Diez, of California, and John Crippen, of Washington; and their loving spouses and children, cousins and many dear and close friends.
He has been cremated and a memorial service and military burial has taken place in July 2010.
In lieu of flowers he would have wanted donations made to the Mancelona Historical Society, P.O. Box 103, Mancelona, MI 49659; the Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Healthcare System, 2215 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 or the United Methodist Church, Mancelona, MI 49659.
