Obituaries for the day of July 18, 2008

Johnson, Parker, Robertson

Agnes Mae Johnson, 79, of Wallowa, died July 14 at her home. Services will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Summerville Cemetery Chapel. A reception will follow at the residence of Richard and Martha Wise, 520 Ester Ave., Imbler. A viewing runs from 4 to 6 p.m. today at Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory.

Agnes was born March 28, 1929, to Arthur and Dagny (Nilsen) Melgard in Paso Robles, Calif. Both of her parents were born in Norway. She attended high school in South Kitsap, Wash., where she graduated in 1946.

She married Raymond Marshall Johnson in 1954 in Stockville Frontier, Neb., where they had three children. Agnes was also a bookkeeper at the University of Washington and enjoyed playing the piano.

Agnes is survived by her three children, Larry and his wife, Barbara Johnson, of Imbler, Bruce and his wife, Tammy Johnson, of Oregon City, and Janice Welke of Salem; sister, Solveig Savelli of Renton, Wash.; brother, Chris Melgard of Seattle; several grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Anna Lorraine Parker, 89, of La Grande, died July 9 at a local care center with family singing by her side. A memorial service was held July 12, and a burial service will take place later this summer, when her ashes will be interred next to those of her husband’s in Lebanon. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory was in charge of arrangements.

Anna was born Sept. 7, 1918, to John and May Deardorff up Butter Creek out of Echo. In the mid-1920s, she moved with her family to the Powers area in Coos County, where she grew up. She met Walt Parker there, and they married Oct. 20, 1938.

She lived almost all her life in Oregon, with only a brief time away. The couple moved to Drewsey in Harney County in 1961 and worked on cattle ranches until Walt began work on county road maintenance.

In order to escape the harsh winters of the High Desert, they moved to Sixes in 1986 and lived there until Walt’s death in 1988. In May of 1991 Anna moved to the Mennonite Village in Albany where she stayed until her move to La Grande in September 2005.

Anna believed “idle hands are the devil’s workshop” and was always busy doing something. She spent many hours with some sort of handiwork until the final year of her life. She mostly knitted, crocheted and tatted, and made hundreds of items in thread and yarn over her lifetime.

While living in Albany and La Grande, she crocheted dozens of blankets for the children at the ABC House in Albany. She began painting in her 50s, and her landscapes are now scattered around the country in the homes of her children and grandchildren. She was also very musical and taught herself to play the piano, organ, accordion, violin, guitar, banjo, ukulele and harmonica. She could sing soprano, alto or tenor. She was an avid reader and always had hundreds of books on her shelves.

Those who knew Anna say she had a rock solid faith in Jesus Christ and was a regular church participant all her life. She read her Bible through several times each year, and this was her handbook for how to live her life.

The main focus of Anna’s life was always her family. She rarely worked outside the home and lent a sense of security to her children by always being there.

She leaves behind six children: Shirley Stewart of Haines, Alaska, Peggy Tudor of Albany, Walt Parker of Council, Idaho, Paul Parker of Marsing, Idaho, Bertha Thompson of La Grande and RJ (Ray) Parker of Republic, Wash.; 18 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild, with another on the way. Anna was preceded in death by her husband, Walt, of 50 years; sister, Georgia; and an infant son and an infant daughter.

In her memory, her family requests that those who knew her plant a yellow rose bush since yellow roses were her favorite flower.

Robert Leslie Robertson, 82, of La Grande, died July 16 at Grande Ronde Hospital. A service will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center. Burial will follow at the Island City Cemetery. Viewing hours will run from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Daniels-Knopp.

Robert was born Nov. 8, 1925, to Charles Asa and Robena Ellen (Briggs) Robertson in Fernvale. His father died while he was very young and he was raised by his mother and his stepfather, Edward Yohn. He was educated in La Grande and in the Mount Emily Lumber Camp School.

Robert enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was a ship’s cook, third class.

Following his discharge he worked for a short time for the highway department. He then spent 18 years working for Burns Brothers Truck Stop in Portland before returning to La Grande and working for Boise Cascade until his retirement.

While living in La Grande he delivered The Observer while working and after retiring. On Sept. 11, 1962, he married Doris Huskey in Stevenson, Wash.

Robert enjoyed fishing and hunting, but his favorite moments were spent delivering the newspaper and visiting with the people on his route.

Survivors include his wife, Doris of La Grande; children, Robert Carl Robertson of Lincoln City and Susan Bernard and Robin Callaham, both of Pendleton; a brother, Edward Robertson of La Grande; 12 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Richard L. Robertson; a brother, Charles Robertson in World War II; and a great-grandson.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Oregon, 1650 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 190, Portland 97209.