As a child he was part of a song and dance act which performed in Cleveland along with his twin sister, Jean (Hobert) who died in 1993, and singing was always an important part of his life. He also had an older brother, Robert, who died in 1976, and numerous aunts and uncles who remained an important part of his life until their passing.

He joined the 107th horse cavalry unit which was soon mobilized as a tank unit and sent to Europe for WWII. After the war he married Betty Jane Felty in 1947, and soon began a lifelong career at Ford Motor Company, where he was a purchasing agent for the Cleveland engine plants. A son, Richard, died soon after birth in 1964.

Soon after his retirement, his beloved wife became ill, and he spent the next 10 years caring for her until she died in 1995. A broken hip forced him to give up his home, and at the beginning of 2007 he moved to Hood River to be with his son and grandsons. He resided at Parkhurst House, where the staff treated him with affection well beyond the responsibilities of the professionals that they are.

He is survived by his son, David, and grandsons, Jadrian and Jahmir, all of Hood River; nieces Elaine (Hobert) George, Claire (Hobert) Greene, and Nancy (Rath) Merritt; nephew Robert Rath; cousins Phyllis (Wendling) Campbell and Jack Salmon; cousin by marriage Trudy Wendling, and two special friends of over a half century, Robert Bufe and William Johnson.

Services were private, and his remains will be buried at Lakewood Cemetery, Rocky River, Ohio, next to his beloved wife.

He was a gentle man, good to have at a party, and had a strong sense of the Golden Rule.

Audré Elaine “Lynn” McKenzie passed away Jan. 5, 2008, at Brookside Manor in Hood River, Ore. She was born Nov. 23, 1925, in Kingston, Jamaica, to Esther and Lambert Lewis.

Audré graduated from the Little Flower Alpha Academy in Kingston, Jamaica, where she was a strong competitor in track and field. She also enjoyed long ocean swims with the barracudas, which prepared her well for her later life.

She moved to California in the 1940s and married Don McKenzie. She raised her family in Fair Oaks, Calif., and moved to Hood River in 2000.

Audré loved collecting antiques, painting, knitting, crocheting, gardening and walking along the American River in Fair Oaks.

Audré is survived by her children, Chris McKenzie, of Hood River, Ore., Audré Wilson, of La Jolla, Calif., Ceil Arnett, of Carmel, Calif., and Susan Schifter, of La Jolla, Calif.; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Audré is also survived by her sisters, Thelma Guisto, of Hood River, Marie Forga, of Long Beach, Calif., and Ouida Williams, of Florida. She was preceded in death by her sister, Ceil Shepler.

A memorial service will he held in Fair Oaks, Calif., on Jan. 26, 2008.

Sylvia Marie Andresen, 94 passed away Jan. 5, 2008, at a local care center at the age of 94. She was born June 28, 1913, at Mountaindale, Ore., to Richard E. and Adella (Schaer) Keenon. She grew up on a farm where Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course is now located.

A service to celebrate Sylvia’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, at Anderson’s Tribute Center; a reception will immediately follow. Private interment will be at Idlewilde Cemetery.

Sylvia married Theodore “Ted” Dolman Andresen on Sept. 10, 1932, at Mill City, Ore. They lived in the Salem area for a few years and moved to the Hood River Valley in 1938. They were blessed with a son, Terry, and daughter, Karen. Ted passed away in 1955; Sylvia never remarried and was a devoted and loving mother.

Sylvia worked for the Hood River School District from 1956 to 1986 as a cook for the Odell Elementary School and later for Mid Valley. During the summer she cooked for AGA packing house and the youth boys’ camp near Gilhouley.

At the time of her retirement she was featured in the local Ruralite magazine for her dedication to the children of the district to give them good nutritional hot lunches. Those children today still remember her wonderful cooking.

Sylvia enjoyed her vegetable and flower garden, and potted plants inside the house, including her Christmas cactuses; she truly had a green thumb. She was a gifted cook both in her career and her life. She was a proud 60-year member of the Hazel Rebekah Lodge 156; the ladies of the lodge will have a part in her service on Thursday.

After her retirement she traveled the world with her friend and neighbor, John Scott, who was also a widower. They traveled to many interesting places including New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Hawaii, Cuba, Spain and the Mediterranean just to name a few of their adventures. Her traveling partner and friend passed away in 1986.

Above all of her hobbies, interests and world travels she loved her family the most. The time she spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were her fondest memories. She will be dearly missed by all of her family and friends.

Sylvia is survived by her two children, Terry D. Andresen and his wife, Linda, of Parkdale, Ore., and Karen L. Mann, of Portland, Ore.; grandchildren Keenon Mann, of Portland, Ore., Dana May and her husband, Derek, of Gresham, Ore., and Rachel Navarro and her husband, Michael, of Portland, Ore.; and great-grandchildren, Jade and Jordan Mann, Luke, Lindsey and Logan May and Azure Navarro.

In addition to her parents and husband Sylvia was preceded in death by three brothers, Ken, Ed and Les Keenon.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Heart of Hospice or the Hazel Rebekah Lodge 156 in care of Anderson’s Tribute Center.

Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson’s Tribute Center (Funerals, Receptions, Cremations), 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; (541) 386-1000; www.andersonstribute-center.com.

Madras resident Suzanne “Cerise” Hague died Jan. 1, 2008, at her home. She was 81.

Graveside services will be held in Gold Beach, Ore., at a later date.

Cerise was born Jan. 22, 1921, in Portland, Ore., to parents Jesse and Ethel (Mercer) Edington. She was raised and educated in Hood River. She married Kenneth Goss on June 16, 1938. They later divorced and she married Wallace Hague on March 31, 1956.

She worked at the Portland Shipyards during World War II. After the war, she worked at McClullen Air Force Base in Sacramento, Calif., as a civil service purchasing agent. She retired in 1966, when her husband retired from the Air Force.

After retirement, they made their home in Gold Beach, Ore. She was active in the local VFW and American Legion. She moved to Madras in April 2000. Her special interests included beachcombing, crafts, needlework, crossword puzzles, reading, flowers and TV.

Survivors include her daughters, Judy Pendergraft, of Madras, Ore., and Patricia Mesmer, of Stayton, Ore.; sister, Bonnie Calmettes of Hood River; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.