Joe & Marion Henderson
September 29, 2009
Dear Jeffrey and associates:
Many times ya’ll don’t get to meet the people you are helping to take care of. So…may I introduce you to my parents–Joe and Marion.
He was a red-headed Texan and she was a Nebraskan girl. When my mom went to a fair as a teen, she had her palm read and was told “you will meet a tall, light-haired man and do a lot of traveling.” They met in Las Vegas on a blind date and were soon married in 1942. I figured out that they lived in 14 states. Daddy was in the Air Force for 21 years and she worked in retail fabrics (she made all of my sister and myself’s clothes). He enjoyed working on his cars, hunting and fishing. My mom took classes in oil painting and was in art goups for over 3 decades–our walls are covered with her artwork treasures.
No matter how old we are, when we have lost both parents, we become orphans. We never “get over it”, but come to remember more happy memories and less memories about whatever it was that we were unhappy about.
Love your family and friends like there’s no tomorrow–because there might not be one.
Love, Peggy and Family
Oscar Whitwer
September 29, 2009
Oscar A. Whitwer of Eugene died Sept. 18 of age-related causes. He was 90. No service is planned.
He was born Nov. 30, 1918, in Telden, Neb., to Theodore and Bertha Whitwer. He married Angeline Silengo on Nov. 10, 1945, in Glendale, Calif.
Whitwer graduated from high school, McKenzie Flying School and Eugene Vocational School. He held pilot, commercial and instructor licenses as well as aircraft and power plant licenses.
He served in as a medical administrative specialist in the U.S. Army Air Corps on Christmas Island during World War II. He worked on ranches in Montana and Oregon and, after the service, worked for Southern Pacific Railroad for 31 years, retiring in 1978.
Survivors include a son, Larry of Burbank, Calif.; a daughter, Kathy Whitwer of Portland; and three brothers, Raymond of San Diego, William of Madison, Miss., and Wayne of Poway, Calif.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield. Remembrances to Signature Hospice in Eugene.
James Gordon
September 29, 2009
SPRINGFIELD — James Melvin “Jim” Gordon of Springfield died Sept. 18 of cancer. He was 66. No service is planned.
He was born Feb. 24, 1943, in Casa Grande, Ariz., to Melvin and Dortha James Gordon.
He received a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Tampa. He served in the Air Force from 1960 to 1973, and was the owner and operator of J. M. Gordon & Associates in Eugene for 26 years.
Survivors include a son, Sean of Hillsboro; four daughters, Tamra Gordon of Eugene, Holly Corolla of Maryland and Paige Adams and Terry Roemer, both of North Carolina; a sister, Torchi Brown of New Mexico; three brothers, Lorn of Idaho, Calvin of Arizona and Joe of Kansas; and six grandchildren.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Sandra Black
September 29, 2009
The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at Buell Funeral Chapel in Springfield for Sandra Lynn Black of Eugene, who died Sept. 26 of lymphoma. She was 65.
She was born June 29, 1944, in Hillsboro to Arnold and Opal May Counts.
She graduated from Roseburg High School. She worked for Lane Transit District as a customer service representative for many years.
Survivors include a daughter, Lisa Richardson of Creswell; her mother, now of Eugene; a brother, Randall, of Eugene; and two grandsons. Her husband, Lee Black, died in October 1997.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Robert Cowger
September 28, 2009
Robert R. Cowger of Eugene died Sept. 24 of ALS at age 79. No service is planned.
He was born Nov. 2, 1929, in Klamath Falls to John and Helena Donat Cowger.
He married Elnora Wiggins on Jan. 2, 1956, in Carson City, Nev.
He served in the military police during the Korean War. He worked as a general contractor.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Arvin Cowger of Springfield, Eric Cowger of Eugene and David Henderson of Goldsboro, N.C.; a daughter, Carole Nice of Morrisville, Pa.; and 13 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Buell Funeral Chapel, in Springfield. Remembrances to Coburg IOOF Cemetery.
Danny Besemann
September 28, 2009
Danny N. Besemann of Springfield died Sept. 23 of complications from diabetes at age 61. No services is planned.
He was born Oct. 23, 1947, in Swanville, Minn., to Herman and Ethyl Benton Besemann. He married Ninfa Reyna in 1993, in Nevada.
He was a high school graduate and served in the U.S. Navy during the 1960s. He later worked as an automobile and RV salesman.
He is survived by Ninfa; a son, Pat Besemann of Springfield; three daughters, Sara Cox of Montana, and Andrea Adams and Michelle Besemann, both of Minnesota; and four grandchildren. A daughter, Crystal, died in 1976.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Crematin & Burial Service in Springfield.
Robert Hall
September 25, 2009
SPRINGFIELD — Robert L. Hall of Springfield died Sept. 20 at age 60.
He was born Dec. 10, 1948, in Wyandotte, Mich., to Charles and Katherine McDonald Hall. He was married to Linda Dyson for 17 years.
He graduated from Rubidoux High School in Rubidoux, Calif. He served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1978.
Survivors include two brothers, David Hall of Wickenburg, Ariz., and Chris Hall of Oshkosh, Wis.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
George Gulledge
September 25, 2009
PLEASANT HILL — A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. today, Sept. 25, at Willamette Christian Center in Eugene for George Lee Gulledge of Pleasant Hill. Mr. Gulledge died Sept. 22 of a blood infection at age 68.
He was born Nov. 30, 1940, in Gary, Ind., to Joseph and Lucille Wiley Gulledge. He married Patricia Ann Erickson March 13, 1961, in Santa Cruz, Calif.
He graduated from Emerson High School in Gary. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve from 1958 to 1962.
He was a commercial printer for 35 years, then became a self-employed auto mechanic.
Survivors include his loving wife of almost 49 years, Pat; sons William of Green Bay, Wis., Richard of Walnut Creek, Calif., Charles of Santa Cruz and Mike of Pleasant Hill; daughters Brenda Scothorn of Springfield and DeeDee Rivers of Pleasant Hill; and eight much-loved grandchildren and numerous treasured great-grandchildren. One grandchild, May Louise Scothorn, preceded him.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield. Remembrances to Willamette Christian Center.
Elsie Mae Williams
September 24, 2009
SPRINGFIELD — A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Springfield Church of God for Elsie Mae Williams of Springfield, who died Sept. 20 of ovarian cancer. He was 77. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at Buell Funeral Chapel in Springfield.
She was born July 30, 1932, in North Bend to Henry and Frances Armstrong. She married Robert Lee Williams on Sept. 2, 1956, in Yuma, Ariz.
She had an eighth-grade education. She was a homemaker and pianist for Springfield Church of God.
Survivors include her husband; a sister, Mary Armstrong of Bandon; two brothers, Robert Armstrong of Albany and Donald Armstrong of Cottage Grove; and one granddaughter. Two sons, Travis Lee Williams and Robert Lee Williams Jr., died previously.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Susan DePiero-Davis
September 24, 2009
VENETA — A memorial service will be at noon Saturday, Sept. 26, at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Veneta for Susan K. DePiero-Davis of Veneta, who died Sept. 18 of cancer-related causes. She was 59.
She was born Jan. 12, 1950, in Lebanon to Jeno and Alma Smith DePiero. She married Daryl Davis on Nov. 26, 1999.
She was an administrative assistant at Bi-Mart Corp.
She is survived by her husband; her mother; a daughter, Kristin Lemery of Katy, Texas; a sister, Sandy Nelson of Central Point; three brothers, Ron DePiero of Florence, Terry DePiero of Creswell and David DePiero of Wilsonville; and one grandchild.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield. Remembrances to Cascade Hospice.