Olive M. Brace

Olive M. Brace passed away March 15, 2008, at Hawks Ridge of Hood River with family by her side.

A service to celebrate Olive’s life is planned for 3 p.m., March 21, at Anderson’s Tribute Center with a reception to follow. Celebrant speaker Bob Huskey will lead the service. Private vault interment will be at the Idlewilde Cemetery of Hood River.

Olive was born Sept. 21, 1921, at Westport, Ore., she was one of 12 children born to Jesse and Clara (Eutsler) Randall. The family lived in Westport, Portland, The Dalles, Coquille and Hood River. Olive attended school at The Dalles and Coquille. While in The Dalles Olive waitressed at Johnny’s Café.

In September of 1944 she married Marty Brace and to this union they were blessed with four children. Olive was an active homemaker, she loved her family and spending time with them.

Olive enjoyed family picnics, Mt. Adam’s huckleberry fields and Sunday drives around this beautiful country she has called home. She was a king of the kitchen; cooking, canning and baking all of which she did on a wood cook stove. She was known to can hundreds of quarts every year of pears, beans, tomatoes or peaches. Olive was a collector of friends and will be missed by all who knew her.

Olive is survived by her daughter, Evilo Wimmers and her husband, Robert of Lyle, Wash., Marty Brace, Jr. and his wife, Karen of Hermiston, Ore., and Ben Brace and his wife, Sue, of Wamic, Ore.; 10 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren; and five great- great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Marty, in 1999, a son, Jesse, in 1987 and Jesse’s wife, Betty.

Family suggests that memorials be made in memory of Olive to either the Hood River Memorial Hospital or Heart of Hospice and sent care of Anderson’s.

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

Wolfgang Sterr passed away peacefully at Brookside Manor of Hood River, Ore., on Friday, March, 14, 2008.

He was born Aug. 2, 1917, in Arnbruck, Germany. His parents were Barbara and Wolfgang Sterr. He grew up in Arnbruck and was drafted into the army and served in “der Gebirgstruppe” (mountain troops).

He ended up in Russia where he was wounded and managed to make it home after the war. Because he loved climbing and skiing, he ran a ski lodge for several years and then immigrated to America in 1950 where some of his family resided.

In 1956 he married Anna and they had two children, Karl and Lore. He has one granddaughter Monika Sterr. Nephews and nieces are living in Illinois and California.

Wolfgang’s number one love was his family. His first ranch was in the upper valley which he farmed with his sister and her husband. In 1956 he purchased an orchard on the west side of Hood River and had resided there since then. He loved Hood River, farming and being outdoors.

He was a member of the Crag Rats Mountain Rescue organization and enjoyed spending time with this group of good friends. The family suggests that any memorials be made in his memory to either the Crag Rats or Hospice of the Gorge and sent care of Anderson’s.

He will be dearly missed. It was his wish to not have a service as his family shared “silently in to this world and silently out” was what Wolfgang wanted.

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

Maribel Ellen McJunkin, passed away at Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital with family by her side. She was 68 years of age.

A service to celebrate her life and mourn her passing is planned for 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at the Parkdale Baptist Church (6310 Dee Highway, Parkdale, Ore.) A potluck reception will follow.

Maribel was born May 26, 1939, at Salem, Ore., the daughter of George and Francis (Keifer) Starr. She grew up in Salem, attending school there. Maribel continued her education at Multnomah College and received her Bachelors degree in teaching.

In 1973 while taking dance lessons at the Arthur Murray’s Dance Studio a young man asked her to dance and soon thereafter asked her to marry him.

On June 23, 1974, Maribel married Frank McJunkin at Silver Creek Falls, Ore., with a beautiful outdoor garden style wedding.

Maribel taught in Fruitland, Ore., near Salem and later as she and Frank moved with his job she taught at Cascade Locks and Parkdale before retiring in 1997. She was an active member of the Parkdale Baptist Church and taught Sunday and Vacation Bible School.

Maribel had many passions in her life but first was her family. She enjoyed the great outdoors and the beautiful country we live in, especially the fall colors. Maribel enjoyed fishing, hunting and traveling. She was hunting this last year and she didn’t hunt with a dainty little gun — she hunted with her .300 Winchester Magnum, enough gun to give many men a sore shoulder.

Maribel is survived and will be dearly missed by her husband, Frank McJunkin of Parkdale; daughter, Teri Smith and her husband, Michael of Mount Airy, Md.; sons, Roy McJunkin and wife, Sue of Eugene, William “Bill” McJunkin and wife, Jennie of Anchorage, Alaska, and Jerome McJunkin, and his fiancé, Leann.

She is also survived by her grandchildren, Richie, Laurie and Vicky; great grandchildren, five from Richie and Bobbie, two from Jerome and Leann, three from Laurie and two from Vicky; sisters-in-law, Doris Lyons and husband, Jim, of Monks Corner, S.C., and Ethel Bradburn of Eugene.

Also surviving are her niece, Violet Arnheim, of Salem, and other extended family and many, many friends.

She was preceded in death by her daughter Mary McJunkin, her older sister, Maryjane, her parents and father-in-law, William Sam “Pappy” McJunkin.

The family suggests that memorials be made in memory of Maribel to the Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital Home Health fund and sent care of Anderson’s.

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

Long-time Hood River resident Alma Oleta Vanek passed away at her home on March 13, 2008, with her husband Chuck and her family at her side. Alma was 87 years of age.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, March 21, 2008, at the Mosier Cemetery. Visitation and a time to greet with Alma’s family will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday afternoon at Anderson's Tribute Center. Celebrant speaker and nephew Bob Huskey will officiate.

Alma was one of 10 children born to Leo & Violet Johnson. She was born on Jan. 22, 1921, at Miller, Mo. At the age of 16 she journeyed west to Oregon because she had heard about the beautiful mountains and rivers. On her journey she stopped in Dufur, Ore., and worked on a sheep ranch to earn money to continue her journey. Her first stop was The Dalles where she was employed by Johnny’s Café. She later moved to Hood River and worked at Andy’s Super Cream restaurant.

In the middle 1940’s Alma and Jay Herman were married and to this union her daughter, Sharon and son, Chris were born. In the early 1950’s they moved to Mosier and had a little farm out on Mosier Creek. They later built a home in town. Jay passed away in 1963 and in 1965 Alma, Sharon and Chris moved to The Dalles. In 1966 Alma and Chuck Vanek were marred and have celebrated 42 years together.

In addition to being a very active homemaker Alma was a fruit packer for over 30 years with Diamond Fruit Growers. Alma’s passions were the raising of her family, a beautiful well kept home and a manicured yard. In her spare time she loved to travel, quilt, cook, can, “one armed bandits” and to be with her husband and family. Alma was a hard worker who loved to provide for her family and would take on little jobs like selling Avon.

Alma always cared about the well being of her friends and family. Alma will always be remembered for her smiling face and the harmony she orchestrated in every day life.

Alma is survived and deeply missed by her husband, Chuck Vanek of Hood River; daughter, Sharon Herman-Ingram and her husband, Ken of Hood River; son, Chris Herman and his wife, Glinda of Hood River; Chuck’s daughter, Christy Britt and her husband, Phil of Amity, Ore. and son, Brad Vanek and his wife, Cheryl of Rainier, Ore.; grandchildren, Jay, Shawna, Rochelle, Christine, and John; two sisters, Datha and Wilda; brother, Murl; the Herman family; and a large number of nieces, nephews, extended family and many, many friends.

Alma’s family would like to sincerely thank Heart of Hospice for their care and compassion and suggest that any memorials be made to them and sent care of Anderson’s.

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.