A graveside service for Violet Phares Hale will be held at the Burns Cemetery on Friday, Feb. 19. Following the service, a memorial will be held at Faith Baptist Church.

Hale died on Feb. 14 at the Riverbend Hospital in Springfield.

LaFollette’s Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

A funeral service will be held for Harold Otley, 92, at the Harney County Fairgrounds Memorial Building on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 11 a.m. Otley died on Feb. 15.

Helen E. Figg died on Jan. 20.

She was born on Dec. 25, 1917, to H.C. Vogler, Jr. and Pearl E. Vogler in Ritzville, Wash.

Figg spent her early years in Connell, Wash. She attended Washington State University, majoring in education. She taught high school until her marriage to Ralph H. (Tom) Figg, in 1944, and then returned to teaching upon his death in 1954. Figg taught at Burns High School for 20 years before retiring. Her retirement years were spent in Reno, Nev., Mesa, Ariz., and Olympia, Wash.

Figg is survived by her children, Sharon Rushing and husband Mike of Lacey, Wash., and Michael Figg of La Grande; brother, H.C. Vogler, III of Burns;  two grandsons; three great-grandchildren;  and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral Mass was celebrated on Feb. 2 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Olympia, Wash. Interment will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 1 p.m. at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.

To further Figg’s work as a Burns High School guidance counselor, a scholarship has been established in her name. Contributions in her memory may be made to Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 243, Hines, OR 97738.

April Rose Marr died at her home on Aug. 29, 2009.

She was born on April 10, 1953, in California.

Before moving to Harney County in the early 1990s, she lived a vivacious and exhilarating life, including being employed on a fishing boat in Alaska and working for NASA making parts for spacecraft.

Marr was known to have a generous heart, and would help anyone in need, even if it meant going without the basic necessities herself. She had a childlike innocence and had trouble believing that anyone had bad intentions.

She loved animals, especially cats. Marr often joked that she would end up as the “cat lady” of Hines, and that ultimately did come true. She adopted any cats that needed a home in her neighborhood and provided them with a loving abode where they were treated as royalty.

She had a strong relationship with God and found solace in prayer.

Marr is survived by many good friends.

Jennie Louise Russell Gress died on Jan. 23.

She was born on Jan. 2, 1911 in Tabor, Alberta, Canada to Mary Emma and Francis Russell.

As a child she moved with her family to Hooper, Utah, and then to Grandview, Idaho. It was in Grandview that she met and married her high school sweetheart, Nelson Lee Gress in 1930. A daughter, Patsy Lee was born a year later, but lived only a few hours.

In 1933, Gress and her husband moved to Hines, and in 1934, their son, Francis, was born. Daughter, Ann, joined the family in 1940.

After Gress and her husband retired, they managed the Edward Hines Lumber Company Guest House for seven years. In 1974, her husband died. She continued as manager of the guest house for a number of years. She later moved to the Portland area to be closer to her children.

Gress was an active member of her church and community. She was a visiting teacher for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for over 50 years. She served as a Sunday school teacher and was president of the Relief Society. In 1968, Gress traveled with her husband to the Salt Lake Temple and were married and sealed as husband and wife.

In the community Gress served as president of the Hines Community club and president of the Green Thumb Garden Club. She was a member of the Sylvia Rebekah Lodge and the Sunshine Garden Club, was a judge of the Election Board for the City of Hines and a member of the Hines school board.

Gress worked as a certified nurse’s aide, and even helped deliver her first grandchild in 1955. She loved the outdoors and loved to camp, hunt and fish. Her love of nature and the outdoors was passed on to her children and grandchildren.

Gress is survived by her son, Francis Gress and wife Beth of Gladstone; daughter, Ann Hunter and husband David of Portland; grandchildren, Debbie Jackson, Charles Gress, Jim Gress, Judi Maitland Woods, Patrick Maitland, Maggie Maitland Jank and Robin Maitland Desha; 12 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; sister-in-law, Cleone Strand and husband Jack; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, baby daughter, five brothers and a sister.

A funeral for Gress was held at the L.D.S. Church in Burns, with graveside services following. A celebration of her life was held on Jan. 29, which would have been her 99th birthday. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Signature Hospice House, in care of LaFollette’s Chapel, P.O. Box 488, Burns, OR 97720.

John H. Hirsch died at Harney District Hospital on Jan. 28. He was 92.

There will be a memorial service and obituary published at a later date.

Contributions in his memory can be made to the Harney County Senior Center in care of LaFollette’s Chapel P.O. Box 488, Burns, OR 97720.

John W. Crump, 79, died on Jan. 14 at his Lakeview home from natural causes.

He was born to Leland and Mary (Daniels) Crump on Oct. 25, 1930, in Woodland, Wash.

Crump grew up in the Fields and Andrews area of Harney County, and was a 1948 graduate of Crane Union High School. He was ranching in the Juntura area when he was drafted into the Army in 1951. He was honorably discharged in 1953.

Most of Crump’s working years were spent working on ranches in Eastern Oregon with his dad. He did spend some time working on the power line installation in the southern portion of Harney County.

Crump married Marjorie Fleming in Golconda, Nev., on Aug. 16, 1964.

Crump is survived by his daughter, Mollie Rhea and husband Kevin of Lakeview; grandsons, Justin Rhea of Gresham and Klint Rhea and wife Jolene of Lakeview; great-grandchildren, Kaden and Kyle Rhea; sister, Linda Freeman and husband Howard of Texas; and six nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Marjorie; sister, Virginia Crump; and brother, Dan Crump.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 30,  at 11 a.m. at the Desert Rose Funeral Chapel in Lakeview. Following the service a light lunch reception will be held in the Lakeview Church of the Open Bible Fellowship Hall. Private family committal will be at a later date.

Contributions in Crump’s memory may be made to the Lakeview Senior Center, 11 South G St., Lakeview, OR 97630, or to a charity of the one’s choice.

John (Jack) Frederick Griffith died on Jan. 16, after a short battle with cancer.

He was born on Aug. 21, 1935, in Burns, to Frederick and Hazel (Benton) Griffith. He was raised on his family’s ranch in Princeton.

Griffith graduated from Crane Union High School, and then joined the United States Air Force in 1955. During his time in the Air Force, Griffith began his journey to see the world.

He married his wife, Betty, in 1962.

He returned to Burns in 1976 after serving in the Air Force for 22 years.

Griffith is survived by his wife, Betty; mother, Hazel Griffith; sister, Margaret Farley; brother, William Griffith; and children, Don, Robin, John and Julie.  He is also survived by his grandchildren, Mason, Makenna, Kristy, Nichole, Garette, Kevin, Jack and Richie; and great-grandchildren, Tate and Kaylee.

He was preceded in death by his father, Frederick Griffith and son, Kevin McGlasson.

At Griffith’s request no service will be held. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Harney County Hospice.

Tyson Macedonio Johnson died on Jan. 15 in Mesa, Ariz., with his parents by his side.

He was born on Jan. 3, nine weeks premature and with heart defects. He weighed 3 pounds, 14 ounces and was 16 1/2 inches long.

Tyson Macedonio Johnson is survived by his parents, Cody and Amanda Jo Johnson of Arizona; grandparents, Darwin Johnson of Burns, Carla Larsen of Lafayette, and Macedonio and Karen Castaneda of Hewitt, Texas; great-grandparents, Glen and Weltha Johnson of Burns, and Israel and Laura Allen of Newberg; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

A fund in his name has been set up at the U.S. Bank in Burns, to offset medical costs and funeral expenses.

Robert (Bob) Skillman died at his home on Jan. 17.

He was born on April 20, 1946, in Alameda, Calif., to Robert and Dorothy Skillman.

Skillman was a decorated combat veteran, serving in the United States Army from 1965 to 1967. He served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967, as a Dreadnaught, 2nd of the 34th Armor.

He met his wife, Barbara Kay Skillman in Hayward, Calif. They were married on Dec. 16, 1990. They spent many years in their own business, working side-by-side as automotive machinist, until medical problems forced him to retire.

Skillman always loved the desert, and in 2001 they moved to Harney County. He loved hiking, rock hounding and target shooting.

Skillman is survived by his wife, Barbara Kay Skillman of Hines; God-son, Laszlo Kovach and wife Skye of San Leandro, Calif.; and long-time friends, William Gibbs of Burns, Karen Hendrickson of Hines and John and Jane Teixiera of San Leandro, Calif.

At Skillman’s request, no service will be held. A small gathering of family and friends will be held in the spring to scatter his ashes.

Contributions in Skillman’s memory may be made to the Harney County Hospice, 415 N. Fairview, Burns, OR 97720.