Linda Dianne (Palmer) Tefft
Richland, Wash. Nov. 3, 1944-Dec. 26, 2016
Linda Dianne (Palmer) Tefft, 72, died Monday, Dec. 26, 2016, in Richland, Wash. She was born Nov. 3, 1944, in Dunsmuir, Calif. A memorial mass will be held Saturday, Dec. 31 at 10:30 a.m. at Christ The King Catholic Church, 1111 Stevens Drive, Richland. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Send condolences at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Edwin ‘Ed’ ‘Tuffy’ Horn
Hermiston Sept. 19, 1926-Dec. 30, 2016
Edwin “Ed” “Tuffy” Horn, 90, of Hermiston died Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Hermiston. He was born Sept. 19, 1926, in Greeley, Colo. A celebration of life will be scheduled for later in the spring in Elgin. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Ivar L. Christensen
Hermiston Feb. 12, 1949-Jan. 1, 2016
Ivar L. Christensen, 67, of Hermiston died Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, at his home. He was born Feb. 12, 1949, in Ontario. A funeral service will be held Saturday, Jan. 7 at 11 a.m. a the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 850 S.W. 11th St., Hermiston. A private family burial will follow. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Beverly J. Leader
Umatilla April 2, 1932-Jan. 3, 2017
Beverly J. Leader, 84, of Umatilla died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, in Hermiston. She was born April 2, 1932, in Billings, Mont. A graveside service will be held Saturday, March 4 at 11 a.m. at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Umatilla. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Ivar Lee Christensen, 67, returned to be with his Heavenly Father on January 1, 2017. Ivar enjoyed farming, camping, fishing, elk hunting, rodeo, volunteering in the LDS temple, working in the Boy Scout program. He loved spending time with his family and enjoyed going to Disney World and eating a Dole whip. He enjoyed listening to AM news talk radio while driving tractor. He shared his gifts of patience and a calm demeanor while teaching and serving others. He spent many hours teaching his oldest granddaughter how to drive when she would visit.
Ivar was born on February 12, 1949, in Ontario, Oregon, to LaGrand and Blanche Christensen. Ivar’s family moved to the Royal Slope when he was a young boy. He attended grades K-12 in Royal School District. He graduated from Royal High School in 1967. He served a two-year LDS mission in the New Zealand South Mission. He truly loved the people that he taught and served. Ivar graduated from Brigham Young University earning his Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy and horticulture.
While at BYU he met his dear wife, Lina Long, and they were married and sealed in the Cardston, Alberta, Canada, LDS Temple. Immediately after graduating from college, Ivar moved back to the Royal Slope to farm with his father and brother. Over the next 17 years, he helped build a successful farm and business.
In 1990, they bought a farm and moved to Hermiston, Ore. Changing from irrigated to dryland farming was full of new challenges. Like always, Ivar worked hard to learn everything he could about new crops and dryland wheat farming and met those challenges head-on. He spent the last 25 years loving and working his beautiful farm. Ivar was known for his dedication, hard work and always enduring to the end. His kind, beautiful, blue eyes, firm handshake and generous heart will be greatly missed by those who knew him.
His parents, LaGrand and Blanche Christensen; his sister-in-law, Geniel Christensen; and his grandson, Benson Michael Slaughter, precede Ivar in death. He is survived by his four siblings Shirley (Marlene) Christensen, Savana (James) Dunn, Camille (Irvin) Howe and Gary (Kimberly) Christensen; his wife Lina Long Christensen; his four beloved children Carie (Kevin) Bush, Amber (Wayne) Slaughter, Brandon (Ashley Rae) Christensen and Ashley Christensen;
and his grandchildren Brianna, Cameron, Andersen, Whitney, Coleson, Carson, Hailey, Madison, Kaden and Sydney.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 850 S.W. 11th St., Hermiston, Oregon. A private family burial will follow.
Please sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, Oregon, is in care of arrangements.
Alice Ann Frerichs
Hermiston Feb. 27, 1934-Dec. 7, 2016
Alice Ann Frerichs, 82, of Hermiston died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, at her home. She was born Feb. 27, 1934, in Scottsbluff, Neb. A celebration of life service has been postponed until a later date. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Thomas Hunt
Pendleton Aug. 20, 1935-Dec. 31, 2016
Thomas Hunt, 81, of Pendleton died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Pendleton. He was born Aug. 20, 1935, in Burns. A service will be held in the Spring of 2017 in John Day. Arrangements have been entrusted to Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel. To light a candle in Tom’s memory, visit www.grayswestco.com
Robert C. Bertsch
Stanfield May 14, 1939-Dec. 8, 2016
Robert C. Bertsch, 77, of Stanfield, died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016. He was born May 14, 1939, in Klickitat, Wash. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. at the Stanfield Community Center. A potluck luncheon will follow the service.
Robert C. Bertsch, Stanfield, was born on May 14, 1939, and died on December 8, 2016.
Bob was born in Klickitat, Washington, to parents Marjorie (Monzingo) and Robert Bertsch. The family moved to Oregon shortly thereafter. Bob went to school one year in Monument, Oregon, where he met his future wife of 54½ years, Judith Mae Stirewalt. Born of this union were Wade James and Ward David Bertsch.
Bob was a fifth grade teacher. His first school was in Wilder, Idaho; he spent the next two years in Council, Idaho, before moving to Stanfield and teaching at West Park Grade School in Hermiston for 28 years. Bob truly enjoyed the students and used a variety of methods to get his students to especially enjoy reading and math.
Bob worked every position in the lumber mills where his dad was the millwright. He also cruised timber, all the while breaking and shoeing horses, always his second love. Bob was a director of the Mustangers and volunteered 40-plus years at the Pendleton Round-Up.
He was preceded in death by his mother Marj, his father Robert Bertsch, brother
Kenneth Donald Bertsch and a baby sister.
Bob is survived by Judy and son Wade of Stanfield, Oregon, and son (Ward) Tiny of Stephenville, Texas; granddaughters Kelly Marie, Katie Sue and Jayden Mae Bertsch; grandson Taygan Tee Bertsch; two nephews, Kevin and Kai Bertsch; and several other nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held January 14, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. at the Stanfield Community Center, Stanfield, Oregon. A potluck luncheon will follow.
In lieu of flowers and the Alzheimer Foundation, please mentor a young child academically and/or in horsemanship skills.
Beverly J. Leader of Umatilla, Oregon, was born on April 2, 1932, in Polson, Montana. She died on January 3, 2017, in Hermiston, Oregon, at the age of 84 years.
Bev was raised in Billings, Montana, and later in Priest River, Idaho. She married Roy W. Leader on June 6, 1952, in Priest River, Idaho. They moved to Umatilla, Oregon, in 1961 where she has lived since.
Bev worked for Lamb Weston in Hermiston, Oregon, for a short time before becoming a full-time homemaker. She enjoyed gardening, the outdoors, camping, trips to the mountains, crocheting, playing cards, and Yahtzee. Bev had a good sense of humor and enjoyed time with her family joking and laughing.
She is survived by her daughter Cheryl Holmes, Umatilla, Ore.; son Roy “Butch” Leader, Portland, Ore.; brother Thomas Penner, Pendleton, Ore.; grandchildren Jason, Jeremy, Jeanette, Devin and Carrie; great-grandchildren Jason, Elijah, Isabella, Mateo, Stephen, Kateri, RJ, and Rudger; two great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Bev was preceded in death by her husband; her parents Earl and Mabel Barnes; son Tommy Leader; stepsisters Jo and Pauline; and stepbrothers Daryl and Gordon.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at Sunset Hills Cemetery, Umatilla, Oregon.
Please sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, Oregon, is in care of arrangements.
Kathleen Ellen Dieter
Tumwater, Wash. June 4, 1956-Jan. 7, 2017
Longtime Boardman resident Kathleen Ellen Dieter, 60, of Tumwater, Wash., died Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, at her home. She was born June 4, 1956, in Olympia, Wash. A funeral service will be held Saturday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Boardman. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Boardman. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Kenneth R. ‘Kenny’ Barnum
Cove Nov. 12, 1954-Jan. 10, 2017
Longtime Hermiston resident Kenneth R. “Kenny” Barnum, 62, died Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, in Cove. He was born Nov. 12, 1954, in Pendleton. A private family burial will be held. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Timothy J. ‘Tim’ Heihn
Hermiston Jan. 9, 1949-Jan. 11, 2017
Timothy J. “Tim” Heihn, 68, of Hermiston died Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, in Kennewick, Wash. He was born Jan. 9, 1949, in Havre, Mont. Arrangements are pending with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Earl D. Eickstaedt
Hermiston July 7, 1059-Jan. 12, 2017
Earl D. Eickstaedt, 57, of Hermiston died Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, at his home. He was born July 7, 1959, in San Diego, Calif. Arrangements are pending with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Charles O. Walling
Hermiston May 23, 1947-Jan. 14, 2017
Charles O. Walling, 69, of Hermiston died Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, in Hermiston. He was born May 23, 1947, in Stockton, Calif. Arrangements are pending with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Judy A. Packard
Umatilla Aug. 6, 1946-Jan. 14, 2017
Judy A. Packard, 70, of Umatilla died Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, in Hermiston. She was born Aug. 6, 1946, in Enterprise. Private burial will be held. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Elton Dale Nesselrodt
Boise, Idaho Jan. 15, 1960-Dec. 22, 2016
Former area resident Elton Dale Nesselrodt, 56, of Boise, Idaho, died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, in Boise. He was born Jan. 15, 1960, in Prairie City. A private memorial service will be held at a later date.
Timothy J. Heihn was born on January 9, 1949, in Havre, Montana, to parents Edwin and Esther Gruszie Heihn. He passed away January 11, 2017, after a brief illness at the age of 68.
Tim grew up in Chinook, Montana, then moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, his teen years. Tim was an Army veteran, serving in Vietnam as an encryptograph technician.
After being honorably discharged, Tim found his dream job with Hodaka Motorcycles in Athena, Oregon. He then worked at Cycletown in Hermiston and retired in 2011 from Union Pacific Railroad as a foreman general at the diesel shop.
Tim had a love for life and for people. He made many friends throughout his life. He enjoyed spending time with family and especially loved being around the grandkids. He had many interests and hobbies. He was a Ham radio operator who went by the call name KG7AM. He never lost his love of dirt bikes and enjoyed working on them with his friends. He was a talented handyman, which his family appreciated. He enjoyed camping, fishing and traveling. He was an expert marksman and for many years competed in silhouette shooting.
Tim is survived by his wife Joan; sister Viola Thorp; brother-in-law Tom Thorp; and two children, Aaron and Rebecca Heihn.
A memorial service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 485 W. Locust Ave., Hermiston, Ore., on Saturday, January 28th, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. Reception to follow. Pictures to share would be welcome.
No flowers, please.
Please sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, Oregon, is in care of arrangements.
On Dec. 30th, 2016, our little boy, Jasper Duree McKenzie, went to be in the arms of Jesus. Jasper was born on Aug. 28, 2012, to his parents Taylor Reid McKenzie and Krista Lea Hendricks. We said our last goodbyes on Jan. 9th at the Faith Presbyterian Church in Hermiston, Oregon.
Jasper lived in Hermiston and attended Head Start at Rocky Heights. A special thank you to “Teacher Michelle.” Jasper has three sisters that he loved very much, Jacenda McKenzie-Richter, Suerenidy McKenzie and Zoey McKenzie.
Jasper enjoyed dressing in his church clothes and getting his hair cut so he would look handsome, going to church, playing ball, seeing who could run faster, gathering eggs, and anything outdoors — a helping hand around the yard, a sidekick wherever you went. He loved watching his older cousins play ball and cheering them on. A child with a speech impediment that never frustrated or discouraged him from always trying to have a conversation.
Our little “Jibbers” showed us great strength and encouragement to succeed and live life to the fullest. His smile would melt your heart and his eyes always sparkled. We will miss him so very much and he will always be in our hearts. Even though our hearts have a hole in them for now, we know we all will be together one day.
His many cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents and especially his parents will always remember his special “grrr” to let you know he was upset or playing monster. He left us way too young and unexpectedly.
To all those who are reading this, hug your children (young and old); tell them you love them, for you will never know when they will become the first star we see tomorrow night.
Donald B. ‘Don’ Madsen
La Grande March 7, 1930-Jan. 15, 2017
Longtime Hermiston resident Donald B. “Don” Madsen, 86, died Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in La Grande. He was born March 7, 1930, in Los Angeles, Calif. A funeral service will be held Saturday, Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1035 S.E. Ninth St., Hermiston. Burial will follow at the Hermiston Cemetery. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements. Sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com