Obituaries for the week of July 31-Aug. 4

Jean Brownell

Jean T. Brownell, 87, of Wilsonville, formerly of Haines and Baker City, died July 18, 2006, at an Oregon City hospital.

Her memorial service was Saturday at Marquis Care at Hope Village in Canby. A date and time for graveside inurnment at the Haines Cemetery will be scheduled later. Canby Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Jean was born on July 22, 1918, at Bend. She grew up near Richland, and graduated from Eagle Valley High School at Richland. She earned her teaching certificate at Eastern Oregon Normal School and a bachelor's degree at Eastern Oregon State College (now Eastern Oregon University). Jean taught at Daily Creek School in Eagle Valley and at Muddy Creek School near Haines.

She met Edmund G. Brownell in 1941 at a PTA meeting. They were married on Nov. 8, 1942. After her youngest of five children reached first grade, Jean resumed her teaching career in 1960 where she taught for 22 years at various schools in Haines and Baker City.

Jean was Sunday school superintendent at the Haines Methodist Church for several years. She was also a 4-H leader where she shared her cooking and sewing skills. She was a longtime member of the Rebekah Lodge and the Rock Creek-Muddy Creek Mutual Improvement Club. She was a member of the United Methodist Church of Baker City and later a member of the United Methodist Church at Woodburn.

Jean was an avid quilter and reader. She loved spending time with her family camping and fishing and traveling with Edmund to see much of the United States. They spent 63 happy years together.

Survivors include her husband, Edmund G. Brownell of Wilsonville; four daughters, Sarajean Abel of Junction City, Patricia Kingman and her husband, Louis, of Wilsonville, Beverly Van Steinburg of Aurora, and Nancy Bradetich of Wilsonville; her son, Robert E. Brownell of Wilsonville; two sisters, Eleanor Otley of Corvallis and Sarabeth Barnes of Bloomington, Minn.; eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Martin and Clara Taylor; and a brother, Orson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the American Heart Association or the charity of one's choice.

‘Sandy' Sandstrom

Gary L. "Sandy" Sandstrom, 64, a former Baker City resident, died July 29, 2006, at his home in Superior, Mont., as the result of extensive heart problems.

His funeral will be Friday at Superior, Mont.

Sandy was a member of the U.S. Air Force and among the first group that was stationed at the radar base in Baker City. He was employed in Baker City for some time after his discharge from the Air Force.

He married Kathryn Buchfinck in 1963. They were later divorced, but he maintained close ties with the Buchfinck family.

Survivors include his wife, Bette, of Superior; his daughter, Shannon Bergman, and her husband, Gil, of San Carlos, Calif.; his son, Christopher Sandstrom, and his wife, Laura, of Mannford, Okla.; and grandchildren, Leesha, Jeremias and Tiffany Sandstrom and Michell Armitage.

Elva Pearson

Elva Elizabeth Pearson, 90, died July 16, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Health Services.

It was Elva's wish to have a marker for herself on her mother's grave. There will not be a service.

Elva Elizabeth was born to an early pioneer family, Lester and Ethel Ingram Stickney in a little house near the creek at Carson on Dec. 9, 1915. She lived at Copperfield on the Snake River until the age of 5.

The family mined, farmed and herded sheep. They later moved to the Union Mine, to Cornucopia and they also lived and worked at the Baker Mill. During the winter, Elva would ride a hand sled from the Union Mine to school and then return home on the Candy Wagon (the wagon that hauled the gold bricks to ship to the smelter) in the afternoons.

Elva's mother cooked for the Betts family in the mansion at the Union Mine. Elva was hired to baby-sit two of the Betts' youngest children.

When Elva was 22 she fell out of an apple tree and broke her leg. It was never set correctly, but it never slowed her down.

Elva met and married Jack Davis of Denver in 1936. Jack was killed in Hawaii while working for MK Construction in 1938.

Years later she married Emmett Pearson. They lived at Heppner, Pilot Rock, Pendleton and Stanfield. Elva was a hard worker. She cooked in many logging camps and on a barge in the Columbia River.

Later in life, she moved back to Halfway to take care of her mother, and had made Halfway her home ever since.

Elva enjoyed bingo, crocheting, working puzzles and playing shuffleboard. She loved her birthdays, and looked forward to the occasion. She carefully picked the date for the birthday dinner, invited all of those having birthdays in December and dressed up in her favorite pantsuit, complete with matching earrings.

In February 2006, Elva's home burned to the ground. She was able to get out of the house with the clothes she had on.

But, Elva was a trooper and she never really let on that it was a hardship — just a bump in the road. Elva had a unique voice, which we will forever lovingly remember.

She was preceded in death by her parents; an aunt, Myrtle Tarter; siblings, Leila, Neal, Vernon, Clifford, Waunita, Alena, Bill and two who died in infancy; a stepbrother, Roy Cosens, and his wife, Pheobe.

Survivors include several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorial contributions may be made to help pay for the cost of a cemetery marker through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.

Kiara Raylee Torres

Kiara Raylee Torres, infant daughter of David Lee and April Dawn Torres, died July 28, 2006, at Boise.

There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at the home of April and David Torres, 1345 Third St., Haines.

Survivors include her parents; grandparents, Richard and Lola Bennett of Haines; grandmother, Tari Brasure; great-grandmother, Gene Chadwick; grandfather, Larry Chadwick; and aunts, Wilma Janzen of Hilo, Hawaii, Sara Green of Steele, Mo., Priscilla Shouse of Blytheville, Ark., and Shelbe Knop.