John Brasch

Formerly of Cove

1917-2004

John H. Brasch, 86, formerly of Cove died Jan. 29 at Grande Ronde Retirement Residence. The funeral will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday Feb. 5 at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., followed by burial at the Cove Cemetery. A memorial celebration will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Grande Ronde Fitness Club, 2214 Adams Ave.

Mr. Brasch was born March 11, 1917, in Farnam, Neb. He graduated from high school in 1934 and attended Nebraska Wesleyan University, where he helped lead the football team to a conference championship in 1935. In May of 1941 he married Viola Waggoner in Boise. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1942 and a year later a degree in theology at Northwest Nazarene College.

In 1951 he accepted the pastorate at Parkdale where he stayed for more than 30 years. He was also employed by Hanel Lumber Company for over 20 years where he worked as a machine operator and millwright. In 1983, he retired and moved to Cove where he lived until moving to a care center.

He was an avid sportsman and enjoyed the outdoors, hunting birds, elk and moose. He enjoyed bowling and racquetball, and went to the Grande Ronde Fitness Club at 5:30 every morning for almost 20 years. His sense of humor made him a valuable part of the Smokehouse coffee group. He was rarely at a loss for words.

Survivors include his wife of of Cove; children, Judy Mack of Union, John Brasch Jr. of Nampa, Idaho and Jim Brasch of La Grande; and one grandchild.

Memorials may be made to the Parkdale Church of the Nazarene in care of Daniels Chapel.

Lillian ‘Lynn’ Mitchell

Joseph

1921-2004

Lillian "Lynn" Mitchell, 82, of Joseph, died Jan. 31 at the Wallowa Valley Care Center, Enterprise.

A memorial service in her honor will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Bollman Funeral Home, 315 W. Main St., Enterprise, with Jerry Raedeke officiating.

Mrs. Mitchell was born Oct. 27, 1921, in Minam to George and Ethel M. Carter McKelvey. She was married to Neale Mitchell for more than 30 years. Mr. Mitchell preceded her in death.

At age 58, she became a licensed practical nurse, earning her degree from Blue Mountain Community College. Mitchell then returned to Wallowa and worked at Wallowa Memorial Hospital and Wallowa Valley Care Center.

Mitchell generously gave her time to serve others volunteering both as a driver for Adult and Family Services and as an ombudsman representative for nursing home patients.

Mitchell loved the outdoors, especially the mountains of Wallowa County, and her horses and dogs. She served as a grand marshal during Hells Canyon Mule Days.

Mitchell is survived by daughters Celia A. Amick, Salem; Linda Kofford-Diccico, Yelm, Wash.; and Trudy Cox, Boston; 11 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to any charity or humane society.

Rose M. Druist

La Grande

1915-2004

Rose M. Druist, 88, of La Grande, died Jan. 25 at an adult foster care home in La Grande.

Private memorial services were held at Loveland Funeral Chapel in La Grande. Burial will be in Cleveland.

Mrs. Druist was born Aug. 30, 1915, to George and Johanna Petrenic in Portage, Pa. After working in New York and Detroit, she married George F. Druist in Cleveland in 1939. Following the death of her husband in 1995, she moved to La Grande to be closer to family.

She is survived by her three children and their families, Joanne Druist and John Clymer of La Grande, George and Sandra Druist of Freehold, N.J., and Larry and Margaret Ludwig of Bay Village, Ohio; six grandchildren, and three sisters.

Memorials may be made to Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church for the Eucharist Ministry.

Shirley Cox

Formerly of Elgin

1927-2004

Shirley Myra Cox, 76, of Albany and formerly of Elgin died Jan. 30 at her home. The graveside service will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Elgin Cemetery.

Mrs. Cox was born Sept. 21, 1927, to Howard and Myra Hazelwood in Elgin. She lived for a short time in Prineville and La Grande before moving to Albany in 1954. On June 28, 1975, she married H. E. "Pat" Cox. The couple lived in Tangent until his death in 2001, when she returned to Albany. She worked at restaurants in Albany, Salem and Lake Oswego. She especially enjoyed working as a hostess but also waited tables, tended bar and even bused dishes.

She enjoyed flower gardening, horseback riding, camping, traveling in the family motorhome, listening to country music, dancing, homemaking, cooking and being with her family and her dog, Molly.

Survivors include daughters, Karren Martinak of Tangent and Myrl Stanley of Albany; stepchildren, Leonard Cox of Arizona and Lynette Cox of Molalla; a companion, Debra Forsang; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A stepson, Rick, two brothers, Darrell and Hillard Hazelwood, and a sister, Arlene Galloway, all died earlier.

Memorials may be made to the Mennonite Home In-Home Care Unit or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice in care of Fisher Funeral Home, 306 S.W. Washington St., Albany 97321.

Eugene Hargett

La Grande

1922-2004

Eugene C. Hargett, 81, of La Grande died Feb. 1 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A memorial service will be held in the spring.

Daniels Chapel of the Valley is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Hargett was born April 16, 1922, to Clayton Fordham and Edith May English Hargett in Pendleton. He attended Eastern Oregon University and later Oregon State University. He served in the Army as a camera tech/sergeant, and returned to Union County to run the family farm until his retirement. He enjoyed photography and was formerly a member of the Eagles and the VFW.

Survivors include his sister, Carol Smith of Gresham; sisters-in-law, Darlena Hargett of La Grande and Helen Hargett of Toledo and other relatives.

Two brothers, Vern and Dale, died earlier.

Memorials may be made to the Cancer Society or the Heart Association in care of Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St.

Herbert Hungerford

Formerly of La Grande

1925-2004

A memorial service for Herbert Hungerford, of McMinnville and Yuma, Ariz., and formerly of La Grande, will begin at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at Calvary Chapel in McMinnville.

Mr. Hungerford, 78, died Jan. 27 at his Yuma home. He was born Dec. 12, 1925, to Herbert L. and Elizabeth Hungerford in Lyons, Colo. He was raised and educated in La Grande, and was a decorated combat veteran of World War II, serving in the Army under Gen. George S. Patton in the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg.

On Oct. 8, 1948, he married Patricia June Carman.

In 1950 the couple moved to McMinnville, where he taught and coached at McMinnville Junior High School for 30 years. After retirement they spent winters in Yuma as snowbirds for more than two decades. He was creative, an inventor, and loved to play games.

Survivors include his wife of McMinnville and Yuma; children, Chris Poppen and Connie Wheldon, both of McMinnville, Cindy Yarnell and Kelly Hungerford, both of Salem, and 10 grandchildren. A sister, Bernadine Palmer, died earlier.

Alta Peterson

Formerly of La Grande

1928-2004

Alta Mary Peterson, 75, of Knappa and formerly of La Grande died Feb. 2 at her home. Dahl-McVicker Funeral Home in Kelso, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Peterson was born June 8, 1928, to Elmer and Effie Baker in La Grande. She married I. Leon Peterson on Oct. 18, 1947.

Survivors include her husband of Knappa; children, Janette Sanwald of Sequim, Wash., George Peterson of Chinook, Wash., and Donna Peterson of Seaview, Wash.; eight grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren and a sister, Verna Courtright of

La Grande. A son, Shaun Peterson, and four sisters died earlier.

Ellen Law-Driggins

Formerly of La Grande and Enterprise

1918-2003

Ellen Law-Driggins, 85, of Portland and formerly of La Grande and Enterprise, died Dec. 10.

Ms. Law-Driggins was born July 10, 1918, to Will and Ermy Barnett Torrence in Stephens, Ark. She moved to Maxville in 1924 with her family and attended school in Enterprise. She graduated from La Grande High School in 1936 with the highest grade point average in a class of 149 and was selected the most outstanding girl student.

She graduated in 1941 from the University of Oregon and was initiated into the Alpha Omicron Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, a public service sorority. She was a member for 61 years and served as local officer in Beta Psi Chapter, as Far West regional director, national chair of the finance committee and

on the national personnel committee.

Her career as an educator included being an instructor of physical education at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.; registrar and instructor at Providence Hospital School of Nursing; teacher at George Elementary and Jefferson High School; administrative vice principal at Franklin and Jefferson high schools; and principal at Jefferson, the first African-American to serve in that capacity in Portland.

She was a member of the Urban League, NAACP, the Delta Kappa Gamma Education Society, the Oregon Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, the American Bridge Association, the Visiting Nurses Association Foundation and the United Way.

She was a docent for the 1990 pictorial exhibit "From Field to Factory" depicting the migration of blacks to Oregon. She also contributed to several TV and print stories about the contributions of blacks to Portland and Oregon.

She enjoyed reading, travel, playing duplicate bridge and attending Super Bowls and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

She married Bill Law, and after his death, William Marshall Driggins.

Survivors include her husband of Portland; two sisters-in-law, Dorothy and Evelyn Torrence, both of Portland, and other relatives. Two brothers, Willie and James Torrence, died earlier.

Bryce Young

Formerly of La Grande

Bryce Young, 73, of College Place, Wash., and formerly of La Grande, died Wednesday in Argentina as the result of an automobile/bicycle accident.

Arrangements will be announced later by Daniels Chapel of the Valley.

Kyle Kennison

Formerly of La Grande and Wallowa

1952-2004

Kyle Blake Kennison, 51, of Hermiston and formerly of La Grande and Wallowa died Feb. 4 at Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital in Portland after a long illness. A memorial service will begin at 4 p.m. Monday at the Hermiston High School gym. Burial will be in the Hermiston Cemetery.

Mr. Kennison was born Sept. 30, 1952, to Harry and Mary Jackson Kennison in La Grande. He lived in Wallowa, Pilot Rock and Omak, Wash., and graduated from Baker High School in 1971. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1975 and taught school in Middleton, Idaho, until 1979 when he moved to Hermiston, where he taught government and economics, coached the track team and served as assistant football coach and advisor to the Key Club.

On July 28, 1995, he married Dawn Voll in the Cook Islands. He ran the swimming pool for years, established the youth track program and the Track Officials Federation, and was a member of the Bulldog Booster Club and the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association. He enjoyed sports, exercise, cars, traveling, music, working with the Youth Track Program, and watching his daughters dance and swim.

Survivors include his wife of Hermiston; daughters, Kali Frisbee of Eagle, Idaho, and Shay Kennison of Hermiston; his parents of Salem; a brother, Gary Miller of Bend; a sister, Kara Kennison of Vancouver, Wash.; and two granddaughters. An infant sister died earlier.

Memorials may be made to a scholarship fund in his name in care of Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, P.O. Box 289, Hermiston 97838.

Vernal Moore

La Grande

Vernal L. Moore, 73, of La Grande died Friday at Grande Ronde Hospital. Arrangements will be announced by Loveland Funeral Chapel. A full obituary will be published later.