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News Obituaries Obituaries for the day of February 1, 2010
Obituaries for the day of February 1, 2010
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Obituaries for the day of February 1, 2010 Shawn E. Cochrane Formerly of La Grande
Adarene Ogden La Grande
Robert Wilkins La Grande 1930-2010 Robert William Wilkins, 79, of La Grande, died Jan. 28 after a short battle with cancer. Recitation of the holy rosary will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation and Life Celebration Center. A Mass of Christian burial will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in La Grande. Burial will follow in Hillcrest East Cemetery. Robert was born Sept. 10, 1930, to William E. and Marie H. (Summers) Wilkins in Portland. Following graduation from La Grande High School in 1948, he attended Eastern Oregon College and the University of Oregon. He received his bachelor of science degree in business administration from UO in 1952. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He was drafted in 1953 during the Korean War and counted himself fortunate to serve his Army tour of duty at the Presidio in San Francisco. On Nov. 27, 1954, he married Joyce Ruth Armstrong of Salem, and they spent their first year of marriage in San Francisco. In September 1955 they moved to La Grande and made it their home. Robert was president and principal in Eastern Oregon Agencies Inc., an all-lines insurance agency operating as Wilkins Insurance Agency in La Grande and Farris Insurance in Enterprise. He was chairman and owner of the Abstract and Title Co., a Union County real estate escrow and title insurance company. He was a member of the board of directors for the Oregon Land Title Association, past president of the Union-Wallowa County Board of Realtors and a former associate member of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. His work on behalf of the Oregon insurance industry was acknowledged by his peers when he received the Arthur M. Eppstein Insurance Achievement Award in 1990. Robert served on the board of the Insurance Agents and Brokers of Oregon for 11 years. He served on the National Board of Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America as state national director from Oregon. He was honored as Agent of the Year in 1989. Robert served on the board of directors for the La Grande Industrial Development Corp., the Union County Economic Development Corp. and as a board member of the Grande Ronde Development Co.. Under his leadership, a three-person committee annexed more than 1,900 citizens, 450 acres of land and nearly $13 million of assessed valuation into the city of La Grande. Robert served on the Grande Ronde Hospital board of trustees for 15 years, culminating in a four-year term as chairman from 1986 to 1989. Robert served for eight years as chairman of the La Grande Cemetery Maintenance District, including 24 years of elected service on its board of directors. He had an eye for detail that encompassed placing American flags at the gravesites of deceased veterans every Memorial Day. He loved skiing and was a tireless promoter of Anthony Lakes ski area that included 16 years of service on the board of the Anthony Lakes Ski Corp. He had a passion for the outdoors and served on the Wallowa Whitman National Forest advisory board for 11 years. Robert was a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award for Distinguished Service to the Boy Scouts of America. He served as an adult scout for more than 25 years in various leadership roles as a district commissioner, unit leader, Explorer Post adviser and member of the Blue Mountain Council Board. He was a member of the national staff at the 1969 Boy Scout National Jamboree and was a Wood Badge-trained scout leader. Robert loved Eastern Oregon and especially La Grande. He was the recipient of the 1979 Man of the Year award from the La Grande-Union County Chamber of Commerce, the Distinguished Service Award from the La Grande Jaycees and was a former member of the board of directors of the La Grande-Union County Chamber of Commerce. He was a past district governor of Lions International District 36-G and past president of the La Grande Lions Club. He was an active member of the Elks, Eagles, American Legion and Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church. As a University of Oregon football player, alumnus and avid Duck fan, he served on the board of directors of the UO Alumni Association from 1983 to 1986. He supported Eastern Oregon University and the EOU Foundation for nearly 30 years as a donor, community advocate and longtime trustee. He was chairman of the EOU Foundation Board in 1995. Robert’s children say their dad’s service, values, work ethic and sense of fair play were an inspiration. They say he was a man of enormous and varied talents who was as comfortable on the football field as he was on the piano. Those who knew Robert say he was a lifelong learner who enjoyed history and travel. They say he loved to share a good story and a good laugh, often with a good beverage. He is survived by sons, Mike and his wife, Debbie Wilkins, of Lake Oswego, Tom Wilkins of Portland, Rich and his wife, Jill Wilkins of Lake Oswego, Steve and his wife, Jodi Wilkins, of Beaverton, and daughter, Theresa and her husband, Chuck Parker, of West Linn; and eight grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce, in 2004; and his parents, Bill and Marie Wilkins of La Grande. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Grande Ronde Hospital or the Eastern Oregon University Foundation, in care of Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation and Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande 97850.
Dolores J. Williams Island City 1934-2010
Dolores was born Sept. 27, 1934, to Robert and Jeanette (Jones) Humlicek in Red Oak, Iowa. Her father moved the family to La Grande in 1948 while working for UPPR. She graduated from La Grande High School in 1952. She worked at the Liberty, State and Granada theaters. Later she worked at the American Optical Co. above what is now Red Cross Drug and also worked at Woolworths Five & Dime Store. On Aug. 30, 1953, she married Wm. L. Knight in Milton-Freewater. In 1963, the couple started Rambling Rotors Helicopter Service. They divorced in 1981. In the 1980s, she attended La Grande Business College and became a medical transcriptionist. She also went to floral design school in Portland and worked at Fitzgerald’s and Cherry’s Florist. In 1983, she worked for CHD. While working there, she was instrumental in getting computers for the program, those who knew her say. She retired from CHD in 1994. On March 7, 1987, she married Thomas L. Williams in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. They separated in 2001. She and her daughter owned Stop-N-Crop Scrapbook Store from 1988 to 2003. She was an active member of Damascus Road Ministries, Women’s Connection Stone Croft Ministries, Grande Ronde Wheelers RV Group, Beta Theta Sorority, Classic Lassies Red Hatters and the Class of 1952 reunion committee as well as many other organizations over her lifetime. Those who knew her say she loved her Lord and sharing his message. She loved spending time with family and friends, history, education, crossword puzzles, traveling, gardening, genealogy, cardmaking and scrapbooking. She is survived by her estranged husband, Tom; children, Kemit Knight (Linda) and Lisa Wright (Leigh) of La Grande; sister, Karen Fletcher (Ken) of Olalla, Wash.; half sister, Lynne Arndell (John) of Dayton, Nev.; stepchildren, Sandy Carsen (Lyle) of Bothell, Wash., Mike Williams (Val) of Baker City, Byron Williams of Parker, Colo., and Lola Shaw (Brian) of La Grande; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; 17 step-grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her first-born son, Brian Merrill Knight, and her parents. Memorial contributions may be made to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society or any other charity.
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