Joan Brentano Garren
Joan A. Brentano Garren, 49, of Stayton, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010.
She was born in Salem, the sixth of 11 children of Richard and Florence Samuel-Brentano. She grew up in Woodburn, attending St. Luke Catholic School and graduating from Woodburn High School in 1978. She attended Chemeketa Community College and Southern Oregon University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing.
While in Woodburn, she worked in the United Disposal Service family business for more than 21 years, retiring as office manager. She then sold real estate for several years.
In 1987, she received the first Woodburn First Citizen Award and was honored by the Woodburn’s human rights commission for her fairness and kindness. She also received a KGW-TV Citizens Who Care award.
She was past president of the Woodburn Area Chamber of Commerce, Woodburn Together and Woodburn Business and Professional Women, which named her woman of the year in 2008.
She also served on the Woodburn Aquatic Center’s building committee, the national solid waste recyclers council and the Oregon State University family business council.
She was a board member of Providence Benedictine Care Center Foundation, Regis High School Foundation, St. Luke School Foundation, Woodburn Together and the Benedictine Sisters Foundation. She was also a member of both the Woodburn and Stayton Rotary clubs and Regis High School Aspire program.
On Nov. 9, 1990, she married Terry Garren in Woodburn. In 2004, they moved to Stayton where she was a member of the Immaculate Conception Parish.
She enjoyed gardening, garage sales, growing roses, remodeling and decorating her home, traveling and vacations through her time shares. Her favorite place was her beach home at Rockaway Beach.
Survivors include her husband; mother, Florence Samuel of Rockaway; sons, John of Turner, Dean of Stayton and Paul of San Jose, Calif.; daughters, Carie Garren of Salem, Leeanna Garren of Stayton, Beronica Garren of Sacramento, Calif., and Erica Garren of Renton, Wash; brothers, Samuel Brentano of Sublimity and Maxwell Brentano of Woodburn; sisters, Marie Veliz of Woodburn, Kay Schacher of Mount Angel, Jennifer Tuss of Aumsville, Molly Carr and Lee Ann Meithoff, both of Stayton, Sally Brentano of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Loreen Darlington of Lake Barrington, Ill.
Her father, sister Mary Brentano and one child preceded her in death.
A funeral Mass will be held Saturday, Jan. 23, at 11 a.m. at St. Luke Catholic Church in Woodburn. A private burial will be at St. Paul Catholic Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to the Benedictine Sisters Foundation in Mount Angel or the Regis High School Aspire program.
Harold L. Ott
Harold L. “Tony” Ott, 83, died Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010, after suffering a stroke.
He was born May 2, 1926, in Hubbard to Jacob and Ada Thiele Ott. He graduated from Canby High School in 1944 and joined the Merchant Marine where he was a cook and baker. In 1950, he joined the U.S. Army where he became a sergeant first class.
In 1951, he married Lorna M. Lindquist. They later divorced.
He worked 33 years for Portland General Electric as a general line foreman, retiring in 1987.
He lived in the Jennings Lodge area for 52 years. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, the daily crossword puzzle and the stock market.
Survivors include his daughters, Dianna Billmeyer of Chugiak, Alaska, Linda Ott of Portland and Karen Mirich of West Linn; his companion of 28 years, Gayle Anderson; and a grandson.
His brothers, Walter, Raleigh and Calvin “Bud” Ott, and his sister, Mildred Troudt, preceded him in death.
At his request, no services will be held.
Arrangements by Holman-Hankins-Bowker & Waud of Oregon City.
Neal Wallace Bratton
Neal Wallace Bratton, 53, died Jan. 12, 2010, in Woodburn.
He was born Jan. 27, 1956, in Palo Alto, Calif. He grew up in Redding, Calif., and graduated from Central Valley High School. He continued his education at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg.
On March 23, 1985, he married Bettie Brown and they moved to Oregon. He worked 17 years as a technician for Xerox.
He was an avid fly fisherman and made his own fly fishing rods.
Survivors include his wife; daughters, Raelynn Lefebvre of Aloha, Sara Snyder of Molalla and Sally Kunz of Woodburn; son, Russell; two grandchildren; one sister; one brother; four half sisters and two half brothers.
A memorial service will be held in the spring at the Deschutes River.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Association.
Arrangements by Crown Memorial Center in Tualatin.
Earl N. Dawson Jr.
Earl N. Dawson Jr., 82, of Canby, died Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010.
He was born Oct. 11, 1927, and grew up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
He served in Germany with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1946 to 1949. After his discharge, he attended the University of Idaho where he was president of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity in 1952 and vice president of the junior class. He graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science in business and a regular army commission. He returned to Germany as an infantry officer until returning to civilian life in 1956.
He served in various capacities in the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard, attaining the rank of colonel. He concluded his National Guard service as deputy brigade commander and principle staff officer in the Oregon State Military Department. He retired in October 1987 after 41 years of military service.
He then joined the Oregon State Defense Force, serving as chief of staff. On May 22, 1988, he was named its commanding general and promoted to brigadier general. He retired March 31, 1990.
He worked for electrical utilities and contractors from 1956 to 1970 and then worked as a full-time National Guard technician until his retirement.
On Oct. 31, 1953, he married Adeline Edith Connell in Couer d’Alene.
Survivors include his wife; sons, Mike of Clackamas, David of Boise, Idaho, and Nick of Puyallup, Wash.; daughters, Maureen Giger of Canby, Barbara Haines of Dundee and Carrie Pyle of Lake Oswego; three brothers; three sisters; 26 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Two brothers and a granddaughter preceded him in death.
A rosary service will be held Sunday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. at Canby Funeral Chapel. A funeral Mass will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Canby. A graveside service with military honors will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the church cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Patrick Catholic Church Cemetery Fund, 498 NW Ninth Ave., Canby, OR 97013.
Velma Ann Halter
Velma Ann Halter, 91, of Woodburn, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010.
She was born Dec. 26, 1918, in Centerville, S.D., to Charles and Alice Smith-Prinslow. She moved to the Woodburn area in the late 1930s.
On April 18, 1940, she married Albin “Beanie” Halter in Woodburn. He died in 1989.
She worked in production at the Woodburn Pickle and Birds Eye plants. She was a member of St. Luke Catholic Church.
Survivors include her son, Richard of Mount Angel; daughter, Barbara Shell of Silverton; brother, Robert Prinslow of Salem; sisters, Alice Mae Piwonski of Salem, Eileen Krohn of Mount Angel, Mary Lou Rigdon of Aurora, Margaret Cornelius of Vancouver, Wash., and Doris Weise of Seattle, Wash.; 14 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren.