Search Archived Marriage Records
Esteban Romero Arce
Obit dated: June 28, 2003
Esteban Romero Arce, 91, of Brookings died June 25, 2003, at a local foster care home of natural causes.
Mr. Romero Arce was born in Mexico City Dec. 26, 1911, to Gonzalo Romero Velez and Lina Arce.
A graduate of the Military College and Polytechnical College of Mexico, Esteban worked his entire life as a mechanical engineer, holding many jobs in Mexico as well as in Southern California. After retirement and moving to Brookings in 1997, he work part time at the Village Smithy Shop in Harbor.
He is survived by daughters Maria Eugenia Wever of Pleasanton, Calif. and Imelda Hills of Brookings; sons Esteban Romero of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, and Guillermo Romero of Las Vegas, Nev. Also surviving are six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Mr. Romero Arce was preceded in death by his wife Coco who passed away earlier this year.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Azalea Park Foundation, P. O. Box 6867, Brookings, OR 97415.
A private Memorial Mass will be held at a later date.
Cremation is under the direction of Redwood Memorial Chapel.
Ervin Clarence Dear
Obit dated: June 25, 2003
Ervin "Erv" Clarence Dear, 81, of Brookings, died June 19, 2003, in Brookings following a long illness.
He was born Jan. 20, 1922, in Indianapolis, the only child of Ervin and Hilda (Pape) Dear. As an infant, he moved with his family to Southern California, and was raised in Los Angeles.
Ervin attended Lincoln High School, and while there met his future wife, Mary Louise Brundage. The couple was married
Nov. 9, 1940, in Las Vegas.
Mr. Dear's first job was as an upholsterer, a career that lasted a lifetime. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army infantry in the Philippines and then in Korea.
In later years, Mr. Dear was involved in the designing of restaurant seating and upholstery work, which he greatly enjoyed.
Mr. and Mrs. Dear made their home in the Los Angeles area until his retirement in 1982. They then moved to Brookings and Mr. Dear continued doing part-time upholstery work from his home, including work for local restaurants.
Mr. Dear enjoyed making wines. He was proud of the Champion Award given to him at the Curry County Fair for his exquisite wine made from wild blackberries picked in the area. His wife reports that he picked five gallons of berries at a time.
In his recreational time, Mr. Dear enjoyed making polished rock jewelry. The couple traveled extensively in their motor home, and spent several summers in Canada.
Survivors include daughters and sons-in-law Georgia and Bob Trautmann of Merlin; Debbie and Kevin Barr of Santa Paula, Calif.; grandsons Shawn, Shane and Scott Gillam. Also surviving are six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, Ervin Jay Dear.
Mr. Dear's ashes will be scattered at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard at a later date.
Cremation is under the direction of Redwood Memorial Chapel.
Edna M. Morey
Obit dated: June 21, 2003
Edna M. Morey, 90, formerly of Gold Beach, died Oct. 10, 2002.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. June 28, at the Gold Beach Presbyterian Church.
John William Gustafson
Obit dated: June 21, 2003
John William Gustafson, 89, of Brookings, died June 15, 2003, in Crescent City of natural causes.
He was born Oct. 18, 1913, in Homestead, Pa; the seventh son of immigrants Gustav and Lena (Luthur) Gustafson. He was raised in Homestead, and graduated from Homestead High school.
On Feb. 17, 1938, Mr. Gustafson and June L. McGonagle were married
in Detroit, Mich., where he was employed by Ford Motor Co. Their family eventually grew to include six children.
In 1950 they moved to Woodland Hills, Calif., where John built the family home. He then worked as a hydraulic research technician. In 1956 the family moved to Sacramento, Calif., where Mr. Gustafson worked for AeroJet General Corp., an aerospace contractor. He retired in 1976 as a propulsion systems engineer. In 1984 the Gustafsons moved to Grants Pass, where they established Mount Baldy Bed and Breakfast. Since 1990, Brookings has been their home.
Mr. Gustafson enjoyed fishing and hiking, but his real passion was running. He began running at 50 when his doctor told him to "take it a little easier." Soon he became a marathon runner and at 65, ran five marathons in one year. The annual Medford Pear Blossom Run was one of his favorites. John also enjoyed walking the Pistol River Beach with his friend, David Fourtier.
Mr. Gustafson is survived by his wife of Brookings; three daughters, June C. Shaw of Florida, Mary Jo Anderson of Brookings and Leona R. Haberstro of New York; two sons, Jonathan A. Gustafson and Douglas M. Gustafson, both of Brookings; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren..
He was preceded in death by his parents, six brothers and his youngest daughter, Grace A. Liddy.
Arrangements under the direction of Redwood Memorial Chapel and Crematory.
Philip C. Stockwell Sr.
Obit dated: June 21, 2003
Philip C. Stockwell Sr., 75, of Brookings, died Saturday, June 14, 2003, at Providence Medford Medical Center.
He was born Nov. 25, 1927 in Compton, Calif.
He married
Joyce M. Hickman, Aug. 31, 1946, in Lakewood, Calif. Mr. Stockwell lived in Brookings 11 years, moving from Lake Almanor, Calif.
Mr. Stockwell was a restaurateur owning and working with restaurants in Central and Northern California.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Shriner in the communities he lived in. He enjoyed his gun collection, hunting, air races and history.
Survivors include wife, Joyce M. Stockwell; son, Philip C. Stockwell Jr.; daughters, Diedre Duggan, Dayne Soares, all of Brookings; daughter and son-in-law Diana and Charles Schultz Sr. of Redding, Calif.; grandson, Charles Schultz Jr. of Redding; granddaughters Jessica Schultz of Oakland, Calif., Kelsey Duggan of Corvallis. Also surviving are three grandchildren. A private family memorial service will be at a later date.
Arrangements under the direction of Grants Pass Funeral Alternatives and Crematory, Grants Pass.
Mark Stephen Johnson
Obit dated: June 18, 2003
Mark Stephen Johnson, 49, of Brookings, died unexpectedly at his home earlier this week of natural causes.
Mark was born Dec. 7, 1953, in Whittier, Calif.
He was proud of his Native American and Irish ancestry, and participated in tribal customs in Northern California.
He was a talented sculptor, entrepreneur, and had been employed as a tile contractor. He was active in the Cape Ferrelo Volunteer Fire Department.
Mr. Johnson revered nature. He had spent several years in Alaska, which he had greatly enjoyed. He was an accomplished taxidermist, a hobby he had taken up as a child.
Survivors include cousin, Greg Bynum of Fallon, Nev.; children, Jonathan, Thomas and Michelle Bynum; companion Rosemary Mitchell of Brookings, her daughters Theresa Kruse and Tiffany Perkoski-Viazanko and her husband Richie Viazanko, all of Brookings; grandchildren, Christina Kruse, Jessika Gonzales, Mitchell Pruitt, of Brookings.
He was preceded in death by his parents, an uncle, and his grandmother, Della Ruth Bynum.
A viewing will be open to family and friends 1-7 p.m. Thursday, June 19, at Redwood Memorial Chapel. A memorial service will be at 7 p.m. Friday June 20, at the Best Western Beachfront Inn conference center, 16008 Boat Basin Road, Harbor.
A memorial fund for Mark has been established. Donations may be made to the Cape Ferrelo Fire Department, P.O. Box 4068, Brookings, OR 97415.
Arrangements are under the direction of Redwood Memorial Chapel.
Mike Okie
Obit dated: June 18, 2003
Mike Okie, 65, of Gold Beach, died last week at his home.
He attained three college degrees, including a degree in botany. He studied plants and flowers of the area, and of the United States. He took several trips to South America to study plant life there.
Mr. Okie had fished the Rogue River years before he moved to the area in 1994. After his retirement from McDonald Douglas as an engineer and test pilot, he moved to Gold Beach.
He became involved with all aspects of the workings of the Indian Creek Hatchery, and his knowledge, experience and talents were a valuable resource.
He was multi-talented in many aspects. He learned fly-tying and was a fly fisherman; he also made many of his rods and most of his lures. He also made a wooden drift boat and used it on the Rogue River, Pistol River, Hunter Creek and anywhere he could find water. He enjoyed woodworking and created many items in his home.
Mike volunteered at the Historical Museum in Gold Beach and was knowledgeable in the history of Gold Beach, the Rogue River and early mail boat operations.
He was a gourmet cook and enjoyed fine dining, classical music and fine wines.
He is survived by his friend, Richard Watson of Gold Beach.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 19, at the Gold Beach Seventh Day Adventist Church, 94191 Third St., Gold Beach; Pastor Jim Bolin officiating
Memorial donations may be made to Curry County Home Health and Hospice, or to the Indian Creek Hatchery.
Cremation was under the direction of Redwood Memorial Chapel and Crematory.
Philip Stockwell
Obit dated: June 18, 2003
Philip C. Stockwell Sr., 75, of Brookings died Saturday June 14, 2003, at Providence Medford Medical Center, in Medford.
Arrangements are pending at Grants Pass Funeral Alternatives.
Russell Marston Jackman
Obit dated: June 14, 2003
Russell Marston Jackman, 81, of Brookings, died June 10, 2003, at the Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford.
He was born Oct. 17, 1921, in Ipswich, Mass., to Wilfred and Lois Russell Jackman. In 1944 he married
Betty Loveless in Reno, Nev.
Mr. Jackman served in the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1945, achieving the rank of aviation ordananceman, second class. After military service, Mr. Jackman did carpentry and shipbuilding. Prior to his retirement, he was a supervisor of maintenance at the University of New Hampshire. He was a past member of the First Congregational Church in Mass. The Jackmans came to Brookings 12 years ago, after residing in Mass., and Calif. He enjoyed woodworking, boating, camping, fishing and the ocean, his family said.
He is survived by his wife; son and daughter-in-law Terry and Sue Jackman of Kingston, N.H.; daughter and son-in-law Judy and Bill Woodard of Seabrook, N.H.; sister Nancy Hay of Newburyport, Mass.; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; three nieces and a nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Gloria Sheehan, daughter Debbie Jackman, grandson Wayne Knowles.
A memorial service will be held in Newburyport. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Francis Cheney Family Place, 2882 State Street, Medford, OR 97504.
Arrangements are under the direction of Rogue Valley Funeral Alternatives of Medford and Grants Pass.
George Gibbons
Obit dated: June 7, 2003
George Thomas Gibbons, 88, of Salisbury, Md., died May 31, 2003, at University Specialty Hospital in Baltimore of respiratory failure.
He grew up in southern Calif., was proud to be a Marine from 1933 to 1937, and for most of the next 40 years worked for Douglas Aircraft Company, starting as a sheet metal worker and retiring as a member of the McDonnell Douglas Board of Directors.
After retirement, he and his wife moved to Brookings, which he affectionately referred to as Shangri-La.
He had a great life, filled with family, love, friends, adventure, satisfaction, and success. He was beloved and cherished, his family said.
Surviving him are his wife of 65 years Laura Gibbons; daughter and son-in-law Judy and Chris Cupas; son Tim Gibbons; grandson Ryan Smethurst and wife Christi; grandson Shea Smethurst; great grandson Vaughn Smethurst; and sister-in-law Donna Riefer. A son, Denny, preceded him in death in 1957. In addition to his family, he also is survived by his dearest friend of 75 years, Fred Moyer.
At his request, there will be no formal funeral service, flowers or contributions. His ashes will be scattered across the sea.
