Joan Lavassaur
December 30, 2009
Joan Lavassaur of Creswell died Dec. 23 of cancer. She was 66. No service is planned.
She was born April 4, 1943, in Glendale, Calif., to Carl and Jane Arrout Mynster. She married Harvey Lavassaur in 1993 at Cottage Grove Bible Church.
She attended college for two years.
She worked as an automobile insurance claims adjuster, and for four years as a security guard at Weyerhaeuser Co., in Cottage Grove.
Survivors include her husband and a brother, John Mynster of Arcadia, Calif.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Paula Kukus
December 30, 2009
Paula Sturman Kukus of Eugene died Nov. 19 of cancer. She was 49. No service is planned.
She was born Dec. 31, 1959, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to Charles and Sara Jean Sturman.
She graduated from Votech West College in Billings, Mont.
Survivors include her mother, Sara Wimer of Eugene; a son, Jason Kukus of Springfield; a sister, Patty Adams; two brothers, Bill and Charles Sturman; and two grandchildren. A son, Chad Kukus, died previously.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Donald Tourtillott
December 30, 2009
Donald Wayne Tourtillott of Springfield died Dec. 22 of emphysema. He was 67. Private family services may be held later.
He was born Aug. 8, 1942, in Rich Hill, Mo., to Albert and Fern Du Bray Tourtillott. He graduated from McKenzie High School.
He was a logger and worked in the woods for many years, driving trucks, skidders and other equipment.
Survivors include a daughter, Christina Pettner of Blue River; and one granddaughter.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield. Remembrances to Greenhill Humane Society.
Zilpha Hutchens
December 30, 2009
The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on 18th Avenue in Eugene for Zilpha M. Hutchens of Eugene, who died Dec. 25 of age-related causes. She was 103. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church, with burial at 12:30 p.m. at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Eugene.
She was born July 4, 1906, in Canon City, Colo., to Jacob and Bessie Wood Hershner. She married Asa Ankrum Aug. 31, 1931, in Florence, Colo., and they later divorced. She married William McKinley Reed Jan. 17, 1947, in Canon City, and died in December 1956. She married Ernest Hutchens June 5, 1963, in Springfield, and he died in November 1972.
She worked in food service at various restaurants in Colorado and Oregon, then in menu planning and food preparation at Mortensen’s Nursing Home in Eugene and at McKenzie Manor Nursing Home in Springfield.
Survivors include two sons, Oris Reed of Lamar, Colo,, and Dean Reed of Eugene; a sister, Mary Ulrich of Payton, Colo.; and five grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. A son, Paul Reed, died in 1995.
Arrangements by Buell Funeral Chapel in Springfield.
Michael Harter
December 30, 2009
Michael Harter of Eugene died Dec. 27 at age 64. His family chose not to list the cause of death. No service is planned.
He was born March 18, 1945, in Pendleton, to Mildred Harter.
He attended South Eugene High School.
Survivors include a son, Travis Harter of Eugene; a sister, Carolyn Schulz of Springfield; three brothers, Ron of Albany, Charley of Springfield and Kelso of Creswell; and two grandchildren.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Hubert Zulyevic
December 30, 2009
Hubert Novak Zulyevic of Harrisburg died Dec. 24 of age-related causes. He was 84. No service is planned.
He was born Oct. 10, 1925, in Gig Harbor, Wash., to Mitchell and Winifred Novak Zulyevic. He married Ellaura Mae Barnes March 31, 1946, in Yuma, Ariz. She died Oct. 15, 1991.
He served in the U.S. Navy and was a Radioman First Class on the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La during atomic bomb tests at the Bikini atoll.
He was a concrete construction contractor.
Survivors include two daughters, Nancy Jones of Harrisburg and Lyn Reid of Universal City, Texas; two sons, Richard of Lake Elsinor, Calif., and Mitchell of Junction City; a brother, George Kenneth Zulyevic of Tracy, Calif.; and six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Yaoka Van Horn
December 28, 2009
A private service will be held later for Yaoka Van Horn of Cottage Grove, who died Dec. 22 of pancreatic cancer at age 79.
She was born March 26, 1930, in Tokyo to Kenjiro and Kiku Matsubaro Suzuki. She married Neil Van Horn in 1957 in Tokyo.
She earned a degree from Showa University in Tokyo. She was a data processing supervisor for Acacia Life Insurance, retiring in 1987 after more than 20 years with the company.
Survivors include her husband and a sibling, Teruko Yamaguchi of Tokyo.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield. Remembrances to Sacred Heart Hospice.
Fred Mercier Jr.
December 28, 2009
Fred S. Mercier Jr. of Springfield died Dec. 24 of age-related causes at age 88. No service is planned.
He was born Aug. 12, 1921, in Seattle to Fred and Claribel Mercier.
He graduated from Franklin High School and earned his degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington. He worked for Weyerhaeuser, first in Snoqualmie, Wash., and then in Springfield.
Survivors include two daughters, Laurita Little of Milwaukie and Janette Mercier of Portland; and nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Edwin Reiersgaard
December 28, 2009
The funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29, at Springfield Lutheran Church for Edwin Reiersgaard of Eugene, who died Dec. 24 of age-related causes. He was 96.
He was born May 5, 1913, in Oklee, Minn., to Ole and Kari Reiersgaard. He married Elois Fitzgerald Duncan on Dec. 14, 1957, in Springfield.
He worked at Eugene Sand and Gravel before becoming an owner-operator of a gas station in Eugene. He also worked at Lane Plywood.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Michael Reiersgaard of Springfield and Gail Duncan of Eugene; five daughters, Lucy Reynolds and Karen Osuna, both of Eugene, Betty Hartman of Ontario, Kathleen Masterson of Chicago and Janie Duncan of Bend; 14 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.
Burial will be at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene. Arrangements by Andreason’s Cremation & Burial Service in Springfield.
Nicola Piccolo
December 28, 2009
The funeral will be held at noon Wednesday, Dec. 30, at Buell Funeral Chapel in Springfield for Nicola Piccolo of Eugene, who died Dec. 21 of liver failure. He was 40. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral chapel.
He was born Oct. 22, 1969, in Daly City, Calif., to Luigi and Lucia DeChiara Piccolo.
He attended North Eugene High School and Lane Community College. He worked for Farwest Steel Corp. for seven years.
Survivors include his life partner of 15 years, Leslie Lentz; his father, now of Eugene; two sisters, Sonia Pense and Monica Dring, both of Eugene; and a brother, Bruno, of Eugene.