Obituaries for the day of June 8, 2009

Joseph, Messick, Rysdam, Goebel, McNamee, Patterson

LOCAL FUNERALS AND VISITATIONS

June 10 — Raiden Joseph, 10 a.m., Loveland Funeral Chapel

June 11 — Juanita Messick, 10 a.m., celebration of life, Church of Christ, 2107 Gekeler Lane, La Grande

June 13 — Mary Rysdam, celebration of life, 1 p.m., Elgin Community Center pavilion

June 14 — Leo Goebel, celebration of life, 1 p.m., Wallowa Senior Center

Raiden Swayne Orengodel Joseph, 5 months, son of Dinero Ongcheriil Joseph and Lourdes Kliu Blodak of La Grande, died unexpectedly June 4 at a Boise hospital. Services will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Loveland Funeral Chapel.

Thomas “Gerry” McNamee, 66, of La Grande, died June 6 at his home due to natural causes. A complete obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Juanita Mae Messick, 81, of La Grande, died May 26 at a local care center. A celebration of life will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Church of Christ, 2107 Gekeler Lane in La Grande. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.

Patricia Ann “Patsy” Patterson, 83, of Oliver, British Columbia, and formerly of North Powder, died May 3 at her home. A memorial service was held May 7 at Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Chapel in Oliver. A reception followed at the Patterson family home.

An urn interment and committal was held at the Oliver Municipal Cemetery May 8.

Patricia was born the eldest of four children April 17, 1926, at Hot Lake to Gerald Lester and Lula Adeline Davis Petersen. She attended elementary school in North Powder and graduated from North Powder High School May 19, 1943. She was active in athletics, Girls League, Dramatics and Glee Club all four years in high school. She was a student body officer, editor of the Broadcaster, Girls League president, librarian and class officer.

Patsy worked at the North Powder School District as deputy clerk, as well as Petersen Grocery and Meat Market in North Powder, which was owned and operated by her father.

Patsy married Ronald Patterson April 19, 1947, at the Episcopal Church in Baker. Patsy and her family moved to Williams Lake, British Columbia, where they ran a cattle ranch. Patsy loved to garden, but her life and love was her family and friends.

She was great-granddaughter of John Samuel and Susan Dealy Davis, who homesteaded the family ranch in North Powder in 1872, and Chris and Rosella Petersen, who were pioneers in Baker County.

Survivors include her husband of 62 years, Ronald Patterson; daughters, Jeannie and her husband, Randy Durante, and Paula and her husband, Stephen Almond; six grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; sisters, Dorothy Christine and her husband, Lewis O’Mohundro, and Linda Lee and her husband, Bruce; sister-in-law, Janet Petersen; six nephews; and four nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald Petersen, Lula and Bill Cantrell; brother, Johnny Chris Petersen; and a niece, Leslee Ann O’Mohundro.