Betty Jean Berg, 90, died on Nov. 24, at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.

She was born on March 19, 1918, in Abingdon, Ill., to Edna M. Taylor and Delbert A. Clore.

As an infant, Berg moved to Vale, where her family farmed and raised turkeys through the Depression, and beyond. She pulled her weight on the farm and realized what became her life-long love of horses. She became an accomplished horsewomen, having learned first to ride her beloved, if sometimes ornery, pony.

Berg graduated from Vale High School in 1936, the salutatorian of her class. After one year of business college in Boise, Idaho, she moved back to Vale and worked at Malheur Bank for five years.

Berg then moved to Portland to work for Eastman-Kodak. Listening to her father’s advice, she returned to Eastern Oregon and began work in Burns in 1942 for Taylor Grazing (the Bureau of Land Management). She met Carl Berg at a dance, and the couple eloped to Seattle, Wash., on April 14, 1943. They were married for 55 years when her husband died in 1996.

Berg and her husband owned and operated Egan’s Tavern in Hines for more than 40 years. She also continued to operate the Clore wheat farm in Athena with her brother, Wendell. Berg was a mom, den mother, Sunday School teacher, room mother, horseback riding companion and cook for her three children. She lived in her home in Hines for more than 60 years, and loved her yard, flowers and growing tomato crops for her salads. She enjoyed the deer, quail and birds visiting her yard.

She and her husband enjoyed traveling with her brother and their cousins. They explored the United States, as well as France, England and the Virgin Islands.

Berg served on the boards of the Harney County Senior Center and the Harney County Historical Society for many years. She was an active member of the congregation of the Peace Lutheran Church. She led water exercises and enjoyed taking walks.

Berg is survived by her brother, Wendell; children Del and wife, Sue, Doug and Linda; grandchildren, Hilary, Stacy and Misty; great-grandchildren, Kodee and Trevyn; niece, Julie Clore; and nephew, Lance Clore.

A memorial service will be held for Berg at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. Contributions in her memory may be made to Peace Lutheran Church, Harney County Historical Society or Harney County Senior Center, in care of LaFollette’s Chapel, P.O. Box 488, Burns, OR 97720.

Robert Charles Morehead, 80, died at his ranch near Burns on Nov. 22.

He was born in Heppner to Charles and Madeline Morehead.

Morehead graduated from La Grande High School and then worked on family farms for a couple of years.

He joined the Army and was stationed in Korea. After his return, he worked for an inventive farmer, Champ Bond, near Haines and drove the newly designed rotary snow plow clearing the road to Little Alps Ski Area in the Elkhorn’s.

Morehead then began farming and ranching on his father’s homestead near Soda Springs, Idaho, adding a place near Grace, Idaho, and then Bancroft, Idaho, before moving to Harney County and ranching there for the remainder of his life.

Morehead was active in the Oregon Farm Bureau and the American Legion.

Morehead is survived by his sisters, Delpha and Doris; five nieces; and a nephew.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Glenn.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. at LaFollette’s Chapel in Burns.

A memorial service was held on Nov. 21 in Albany for Bette L. (Shook) Davidson. Davidson was a former Burns resident, graduating from Burns High School. She passed away on Nov. 17, as a result of a long illness.

Ernie Dent died at his home in Hines on Nov. 19.

He was born on March 30, 1928, in Creston, B.C. to Bert and Evelyn (Wheeler) Dent.

After losing his mother in 1934, Dent moved with his dad to Mitchell, and worked on ranches with his father until he joined the U.S. Army in 1950 during the Korean Conflict. He was honorably discharged in 1956.  While in the military he met and married Elaine Viles.

Their son, Mike was born in 1955, daughter Colleen in 1957 and daughter Sharon in 1958. The family lived in Mitchell, where Dent contracted fence building for the Forest Service. At this time the opportunity to go to work for Jim Howden logging in Prineville came along, and Dent was employed there as a skidder operator. When  Howden moved his operation to Burns in 1966, the Dent family moved also and he continued his employment with Howden Logging until 1977.

After moving to Dexter in 1979, Dent was severely injured in a logging accident that resulted in paralysis for the rest of his life. It was due to his wheelchair confinement that Dent developed a love for painting and the challenge of jigsaw puzzles. After the accident, he made his home in Ontario until 2002, when he and his wife moved back to Burns to the mountains he loved so much. His wife spent countless hours driving him to all the areas he enjoyed. She passed away in 2004, and though the loss was devastating to him, he was fortunate enough to find caregivers who drove him every day to enjoy the outdoors.

Dent is survived by his children, Mike Dent and wife, Bitty of Burns; Colleen Vose and husband Ken of Havasau City, Ariz.; and Sharon Fulton and husband Jeff of Burns; grandchildren, Michole and Rob Glick, Michael Dent and Leland Dent, Chris and Mandy Vose, Heather and Tony Caruso, Ashley Vose and friend Will, Lori and Jon Ford and Shelly Fulton and fiance Mike Arnold; and great-grandchildren, Colby and Alexys Vose, Jayden Glick and Jaxon Ford.

He is also survived by his sisters, Mickey, Esther, Bernice and Kathy; and caregivers Esther Majors, Lanette Humphrey, Jeanette Berry, Joyce Dudley and Brandy Lee.

Contributions in Dent’s memory can be made to the Harney County EMS or Harney County Home Health, in care of LaFollette’s Chapel, P.O. Box 488, Burns, OR 97720.

A memorial service will be held in the spring to celebrate Dent’s life.

Sheryl J. Raugust, 69, died on Nov. 19 in Burns.

She was born on May 25, 1939, in Portland, to Clinton and Jeanette Raugust.

Raugust graduated high school in Seaside. She lived her entire life in Oregon, moving to Eastern Oregon in 1968. For 18 years, she lived in Prairie City, where she enjoyed ranch living, raising her horses and her children. She later moved to Burns, where she lived the rest of her life, enjoying her horses, grandchildren and friends.

Raugust is survived by her sister, Joyce White of Seneca; brother, David Raugust, of Kalama, Wash.; daughter, Sherrie Ellson of Mt. Vernon; sons, Scott Ellson of Bend, Steve Ellson of Prairie City, and Daniel Holmes of Harlan, Ind.; 10 grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Raugust was preceded in death by her parents.

Raugust dearly enjoyed her summer family reunions and in keeping with her wishes, a memorial service will be held at Parish Cabin Campground on Saturday, July 11 at about noon. This celebration of life is open to all her family and friends. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Raugust’s memory to Oregon’s Equine Outreach horse rescue agency at www.equineoutreach.com, or sent to the agency at 63220 Silvas Road, Bend, OR 97701.

Paul Hopper, 80, died on Nov. 8.

He was born on Dec. 14, 1927, in Alicel one of four children, to Austin and Francis Hopper.

Hopper was raised and went to school in Ontario. He moved to Burns during his grade-school years. He joined the Army and trained at Ft. Lewis Army Base, and then was deployed to Korea in the early 1950s.

After returning home to Harney County, Hopper worked as a buckaroo, ranch hand and for the Harney County Road Department. He also worked for the telephone company in Burns  until it sold, and then retired after 30 years. After retirement he worked at Ranch & Home/Big R in Burns for several years.

Hopper is survived by his wife of 54 years, Robirta Hopper of Burns; daughters, Tressa Hart and husband, Gary of Fernwood, Idaho, Jamie Kelley and husband, Rick of Burns, and Georgia Hopper of Burns; granddaughters, Dee Ann Jay and husband, Alex of Salem, and Kim Hill and husband, Jody of Burns; great-grandchildren, Amber, Kelley, Brenna and Zander Jay of Salem and Nicole Hill of Burns; and brother, Verl Hopper of Washington.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Don Hopper; sister, Stella; and brother-in-law, Leo Pierce.

Services for Hopper will be held at the Burns Elks Lodge at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. Interment will follow at the Burns Cemetery.

Contributions in Hopper’s memory may be made to the Burns Elks Food Basket Program, the Harney County Food Bank, or a charity of one’s choice.

John Theodore Petersen died on Oct. 28 in Helix.

He was born on Feb. 17, 1970, in Spokane, Wash., to Donald and Jane (Fletchall) Petersen.

Petersen was raised in Salem and graduated from McKay High School. He went on to graduate from Western Oregon State College and Willamette University’s School of Law.

He was a teacher in Crane and Sleetemute and Point Hope, Alaska. He also worked as a Deputy District Attorney for Harney and Deschutes counties.

Petersen enjoyed spending time outdoors, fishing, hiking and capturing nature through photography.

Petersen is survived by his mother, Jane Fletchall-Kadaja; stepfather, John Kadaja; father, Donald Petersen; step-mother, Joani Smith-Petersen; sister, Erika Petersen-Pinkerton; grandfather, Cleo Fletchall; and two nieces.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Claudia Fletchall, Ted Kaufman and Donna Kaufman.

A memorial service was held on Nov. 3 at Helix High School. A celebration of life service was held on Nov. 8, at Mission Mill Museum in the Dye House, in Salem. Contributions in Petersen’s name may be made to the John T. Petersen Scholarship Fund, in care of Helix School District, P.O. Box 398, Helix, OR 97835.

Norman J. Warneke, 81, died on Nov. 5, at his home in Worland, Wyo.

He was born on April 11, 1927 in Bridger, Mont., to Frederick C. and Mary (Kohler) Warneke.

Warneke served his country in the Navy for the last years of World War II. He then married Ruth Philp in 1946.

He worked as a rancher, railroad foreman and for the fish and wildlife department in Central Montana. In 1966, they moved to Burns, where he continued to work with the fish and wildlife department until he retired.

In 1994, Warneke and his wife moved to Wyoming, where he stayed busy buying and selling cattle and horses.

Warneke was an excellent diesel mechanic, welder, fabricator and carpenter. If it had wheels or tracks, he could operate it. One of his favorite quotes was, “Don’t tell anybody you can’t do something.”

Warneke is survived by his wife of 62 years, Ruth Warneke of Worland, Wyo.;  sons, Terry Warneke of Worland, Wyo., and Rick Warneke and wife Tammie Kay of Thornton, Tex.; daughter, Dollie Behimer and husband, Ronald of Sandpoint, Idaho; sisters, Marian Jarussi of Billings, Mont., and Emma Lou Peterson of Lewistown, Mont.; grandchildren, Shawn Tomazich, Kimberly Puckett, Wylie Warneke, Joel Warneke, Matthew Warneke and Whitney Warneke; numerous great-grandchildren; and many friends in the Western United States.

He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers and four sisters.

Funeral services were held on Nov. 8, at the Bryant Funeral Home Chapel. Military honors were provided by the VFW American Legion Post 44. Burial took place on Nov. 10 at the Philp Cemetery in Winifred, Mont.

Contributions in Warneke’s memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association, in care of Bryant Funeral Home, P.O. Box 524, Worland, WY  82401. Bryant Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Vernamae Maria Cote died on Nov. 1 at Harney District Hospital.

She was born on Aug. 19, 1922, to William Martin Todish and Zilla Mae (Rose) Todish in Nigara, Wis.

Cote moved to Oregon in 1944 from Iron Mountain, Mich. She married Jack Cote on Aug. 17, 1953, in Nevada. She worked on the Mayo Ranch for many years.

She was very fond of crafting, crocheting, knitting, etc. A woman of many talents, who also loved to fish, Cote was notorious for forgetting to take the worms out of her pockets before washing her clothes.

Cote is survived by her children James Michchaud and wife, Kathy of Michigan, Tuttie Enguist and husband, Harold of Florida, George Glerup and wife, Jean of Oregon, Betty Burnett and husband, Daryl of California, and Bobbie Oltman and husband, Joesph, of Oregon.

She is also survived by her sister, Donna Thomason of Washington; 16 grandchildren; 23 great grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be a private family inurnment. LaFollette’s Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

A celebration of life for Dennis Ralph Harris will be held on Nov. 8, at the Burns Elks Lodge, at 1 p.m. A potluck dinner will be held during the celebration.

Harris died from a fall at his home on Oct. 21.