Obituaries for the day of October 22, 2008

LOCAL FUNERALS AND VISITATIONS

Oct. 25 — William Gaertner, celebration of life, 11 a.m., Loveland Funeral Chapel; burial, Island City Cemetery

Oct. 25 — Clarence ‘Slim’ Evensen, memorial gathering, 1 to 4 p.m., La Grande Seventh-day Adventist Church; lunch, 1 p.m.

William W. Gaertner, 76, of La Grande, died Oct. 17 at St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla.

A celebration of life will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 1508 Fourth St., La Grande. Burial will follow at Island City Cemetery.

A full obituary will be available later. Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Eugene A. ‘Bud’ Houck, 87, of Dallas and formerly of Enterprise, died Oct. 20 in the Dallas Retirement Rehab Facility.

Funeral services begin at

1 p.m. Friday at the Bollman Funeral Home in Enterprise. Burial will be at Enterprise Cemetery. A memorial service will be held in Dallas later. Bollman Funeral Home in Dallas is in charge of arrangements.

Bud was born Jan. 26, 1921, to Eugene Houck Sr. and Doris Nelson Houck. He was raised in the Enterprise area and attended the Alder Slope School. He was inducted into the Army Oct. 9, 1942.

During this time, he served in the 753rd Tank Battalion as a tank driver under Gen. George Patton. He was very proud of meeting and speaking to General Patton and often talked to his family about his memories of the general.

He served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. While serving in Northern Italy, Bud stepped on a “Bouncing Betty” mine and was severely injured. He spent six months in a Naples hospital before being sent home aboard a hospital ship.

He received an honorable discharge Nov. 1, 1944, in California. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Bud returned to the Enterprise area following his discharge. He married Helen McCarty Sept. 22, 1946, in Ontario at the home of Helen’s parents, Harry and Nelia McCarty.

In September 2008, the couple celebrated 63 years together. Bud and Helen lived in Zumwalt, out of Enterprise on a ranch for the first 10 years of their marriage. When they sold the ranch, they moved to Dallas in 1956.

Bud was a foreman for DeGraff Church Furniture for 10 years before becoming a cabinet maker. Later he made tole and decoupage items for painting, which he sold as far away as England.

When he retired he took up wood carving and became a member of the Salem Wood Carvers. He carved Santas, golfers, cowboys and dogs. He was invited to show his carvings at the annual Christmas show at Guy’s Hardware and Gifts for several years. He won many awards for his carvings from various shows around the Northwest.

Bud also enjoyed hunting, fishing and picking huckleberries.

Bud was a member of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Dallas, the DAV, VFW and the Oak Grove Grange. For many years, he was a scoutmaster for Cub Scouts and later a scoutmaster for Boy Scouts for many of the boys living in the Dallas area.

Bud is survived by his wife, Helen; sons and their wives, Eugene III and Sharon of Falls City and Clifford and Sharon of Dallas; one grandson; sister, Margaret Walter of Pasco; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Ann Reine; sisters, Pearl Ingle, Lillian Evans, Opal Fine and Helen Alford; and brother, John Houck.

Memorials may be made to DAV, VFW or any local food bank in care of Bollman Funeral Home, 694 Main St., Dallas 97338. To leave an online condolence, visit www.dallastribute.com.

Patsy Rae “Mahon” Huddleston, 53, formerly of Enterprise, died Oct. 17 surrounded by her family at the Ray Hickey Hospice House in Vancouver, Wash. A celebration of life will begin at 2 p.m. Nov. 1 at the home of her daughter, Angela Dunning, 18617 NE 119th Ave., Battle Ground, Wash. Davies Cremation and Burial Services in Vancouver, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.

Patsy was born Feb. 13, 1955, to John and Lorraine Mahon in Enterprise. She was the mother of three children: Angie, Crissy and Troy. She found great happiness from her grandchildren: Chase, Kyra, Haylee and Emma. They gave her great strength to battle the many health problems that she faced over the years.

She was one of four children and is survived by her sister, Sharilyn, and brothers, Jim and John.