A public celebration of Jay’s life will be held at the Hawks Ridge facility Saturday, April 26, at 2 p.m., led by Celebrant speaker and longtime family friend Bob Huskey. Friends are asked to bring a special memory of Jay to share.

Jay was one of six children born to Arthur and Mabel Hobbs on July 15, 1926, in Rush Center, Kansas. He was raised and educated in Kansas, moving with his family to Missouri and Colorado.

While attending church in Eaton, Colo., Jay met a young lady by the name of Violet Cecil. He and Violet were married on Jan. 23, 1945. At that time, Jay worked for a local beanery.

Shortly after their marriage, both Jay and Vi went to work for a local dairy farm where their jobs were driving the big John Deere tractors. As their family grew they eventually moved to Greeley, Colo., to work in the sugar factories.

While living in Greeley, the Hobbs family had their own saw mill. The entire family played a role in the operation of the mill, even skidding logs with a team of horses.

Their next move was to Palisades, Colo., working in the peach industry and where Jay first started working for the Colorado Carpenters Union. They had made numerous trips out West to visit family and work in fruit industry of the Hood River Valley before eventually settling here with their three children in 1965.

Jay started working as a security watchman, eventually working construction through the Union Hall. Jay stayed active in the Carpentry Union in both Colorado and Oregon, retiring after 45½ years of service.

During his Union Carpentry career Jay worked on The John Day, The Dalles and Bonneville dams, and the aluminum plant in The Dalles; Spring Creek Fish Hatchery, and the Odell plants and cold storage units of Diamond Fruit and Duckwall.

Jay’s lifelong hobbies included music, fishing and hunting. He loved to trap with his hounds and once trapped a black bear which was later relocated to the Portland Zoo.

Jay also loved woodworking, reading old westerns by Louis L’Amour, playing pinochle and cribbage (and making you kiss the skunk’s tail), treasure (JUNK) hunting at flea markets and garage sales, family gatherings, making up songs, playing his banjo and bantar, listening to his grandchildren sing along, dueling banjos with his son, and having two desserts!

Jay was especially passionate about two things: his wife, Violet, and sweets!

Jay was preceded in death by his parents and five brothers and sisters. He is survived and will be dearly missed by his wife, Violet Hobbs, of Hood River; his daughter, Sharon Hobbs, of Mosier; sons and daughters-in-law Buck and Mary, of Hood River, and Rocky and Heather, of Odell.

Also surviving are his 10 grandchildren: Pam, Devin, Gary Jr. (J.R.), Carrie, Kyle, Theresa, Troy, Kelsey, Jake and Amy; his 11 great-grandchildren: Brittany, Joshua, Megan, Michelle, Taylor, Brandon, Tryston, Ethan, Brandi, Phillip and Courtney; and his great-great-granddaughter, Allyssandra (Ally).

Donations in memory of Jay Hobbs can be made to Heart of Hospice, 1020 Wasco St., Ste. C, Hood River, OR 97031.

Robert Lon McDowell, a longtime resident of Cascade Locks, passed away in his sleep on April 13, 2008, in Troutdale, with family by his side.

A service to celebrate his life and mourn his passing is planned for 11 a.m. Friday, April 18, at the Cascade Locks Assembly of God Church. Interment with military honors will follow at the Cascade Locks Cemetery. Pastor Don Howell will officiate.

Visitation is scheduled for Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. at Anderson’s Tribute Center.

Robert, or Bob, as he was known to most, was born Nov. 9, 1914, at Crider, Ky., to Lon D. and Carrie (Nelson) McDowell. He moved to Indiana for a short time while he was a young boy and then moved to Akron, Ohio. He enjoyed acrobatics and gymnastics.

Bob served his country proudly during World War II in the U.S. Army. He served in Greeenland during most of the war. While on leave and visiting family and friends in Ohio, he met Marguerite Friedrich, they fell in love, wed and have celebrated 63-plus years together and were blessed with four children.

In late 1958, Bob moved the family from Akron to Cascade Locks. He built the family home in Cascade Locks while working at the Cascade Locks Lumber Mill. In the early 1960s he built a large cabin cruiser boat to enjoy on the Columbia River.

In 1968 he moved to Perth, Australia, and worked building box cars for the Western Australia Railroad. Two years later, Marguerite and young Lon joined him in Perth. He built another family home there. In 1979, Bob and Marguerite moved back to Cascade Locks to spend their retirement.

Robert is survived and will be dearly missed by his wife, Marguerite McDowell, of Troutdale, daughters Judy (and Dan) Bausch, of Gresham, Kathy (and Don) Strain, of Castle Rock, Wash., and Barbara (and Mike) Irving, of Cascade Locks, son, Lon D. McDowell, of Portland, grandchildren Sean Williams, Marnie McCall, Tray Bausch, Kirk Bausch, Tyson Irving and Mason McDowell; and great-grandchildren Amanda McCall, Ashley McCall, Mary Williams, Luke Williams, Charissa Bausch, Mikylah Bausch, Ethan Bausch, Ryan Bausch and Brooklyn Bausch.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by two sisters, Nell Wade and Dorothy Peck.

The family suggests that memorials be made in Robert’s name to the Cascade Locks Assembly of God Church Building Fund and sent in 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.