Kevin S. Harvey

Formerly of La Grande

Kevin S. Harvey, 55, formerly of La Grande, died July 18 at his residence in Dufer. A funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m. July 27 at the Cove Ascension School. An obituary is forthcoming. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory is handling the arrangements.

Larry Bradley

Formerly of La Grande

Larry Bradley, 70, of Benson, Arizona, and formerly of La Grande, died July 16. An obituary is forthcoming. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory will be handling the arrangements.

Don R. Kohler

La Grande

1934-2019

Don Roger Kohler, 85, of La Grande, died July 15 at his home. A viewing will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 25 at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center. A funeral service will begin at 2 p.m. July 26 at the La Grande Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center. Vault interment will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Don was born Feb. 16, 1934, in Union, to Ernest and Mary Irene (Atkinson) Kohler. He graduated from La Grande High School with the class of 1953. Don worked for Union Pacific Railroad as a brakeman and enlisted in the National Guard for a time before enlisting in the U.S. Army.

On May 18, 1956, Don married Ellen Etta Jones in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. They moved to Pendleton in 1964, where he built and ran Kohler’s Frostop Drive-in restaurant. He was a member and past president of the Pendleton Jaycees.

In 1976, Don and Ellen returned to La Grande. Don owned Sunshine Used Cars and Car Wash and later Sunshine Motors. He followed high school sports and was an umpire for Little League, high school baseball and even a few college playoff games. Don was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints La Grande First Ward and the local renters association. He enjoyed being a landlord and built and added onto many houses over the years.

Surviving relatives include his wife, Ellen Kohler of La Grande; children and their spouses, Dan and Lisa Kohler of Keizer, Gordon and Melissa Kohler of La Grande, Donna Kohler of Clarkston, Washington, and Maria and Tae Kim of South Korea; brother, Kenneth Kohler of Lacey, Washington; and 16 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Lucille Burke, and brothers, Allan, Keith, David and Robert Kohler.

Memorial contributions may be made to the LDS Family History Center or Humanitarian Aid in care of Daniels~Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande 97850.

Mark F. Brownton

Formerly of La Grande

1948-2019

Mark F. Brownton, 71, of Devore, California, and originally of La Grande, died July 12 from complications of Agent Orange, MRSA and cancer.

A celebration of his life will be held at 2 p.m. July 25 at Bobbitt Chapel in San Bernardino, California, followed by a reception at Arrowhead Country Club.

Mark was born Jan. 25, 1948, in La Grande, to Wesley and Gerda Brownton. He joined sisters Carol and Sally, and eight years later sister Cindy was born.

Mark was raised in La Grande and graduated with the class of 1966 from La Grande High School. He served as the Oregon state FFA president from the spring of 1966 to the spring of 1967 and then immediately registered for college at what is now Eastern Oregon University. In the summer of 1967, he was drafted into the U.S. Army.

His boot camp was at Fort Lewis, Washington, and he seved a year in Vietnam, in 1968-69.

After his discharge, Mark lived in Ellensburg, Washington, where he attended Central Washington University and began his life of entrepreneurship. He married Laura Lee Webster on Nov. 30, 1970, in Ellensburg. In December 1981, their daughter, Lisa Michelle, came into their lives, and in 1982 they moved to Southern California where they remained.

Mark was successful in several business ventures, and the last one, Southern California Mulch, Inc., is now owned and managed by his daughter and son-in-law.

Mark was a loving and faithful husband, grandfather and friend. He was an entrepreneur, businessman, sportsman, golfer, mountain biker, hiker, dog walker and true believer that Jesus Christ was and is his savior.

Surviving relatives include his wife of almost 45 years, Laura Lee of Devore, California; daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Bruno Buigues of Fontana, California; one granddaughter; and sisters, Carol Lindsay of White Salmon, Washington, and Sally Wiens and husband, Mike, of La Grande.

He was preceded by his father, Wesley in 2001; mother, Gerda in 2019; and sister, Cindy in 2009.

Memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice or to the Perris High School FFA Chapter Scholarship Fund, Attn: Douglas Cousins, Perris High School, 175 E. Nuevo Road, Perris, California 92571.