OBITUARIES

May 12, 2024

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Bruce Gordon Holmes on May 12 at the age of 74. He suffered from a long bout of cancer and passed peacefully in his home.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland, California, he was the only child of Stanley and Elizabeth Holmes.

May 10, 2024

Dan Michael Roberts, a third-generation Astorian, passed away on May 10, at the age of 68, after battling acute myelogenous leukemia.

He was born on Jan. 27, 1956, to Gordon and Sylvia (Jerijarvi) Roberts. Dan, the youngest of three boys, took great pride in his Finnish and Norwegian heritage, and embodied the values of “sisu.”

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May 7, 2024

Terry Ferguson was born on June 29, 1948, to Jim and Phyllis Ferguson at Cowlitz General Hospital in Longview, Washington. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on May 7, at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Terry was born and raised in Longview. He began working for his father at the Jim Ferguson Construction company at...

May 5, 2024

Lori Lillian Halverson was born on Nov. 26, 1959, to William “Carl” and Lois Abraham. It was, coincidentally, Thanksgiving Day, and her mother never let her live down the fact that she only got saltines and ginger ale instead of a turkey dinner.

Lori spent much of her childhood in Tigard, growing up there with her older...

Apr 8, 2024

Clifford Ledbetter was born to Bueford and Betty Ledbetter in Astoria on March 23, 1949.

He lived most of his life in Astoria, where he also attended high school and graduated.

He had a great love for music of all kinds. He had an uncanny ability to be able to hear a song then play...

Apr 4, 2024

Donelda Yvonne Meldrum Annat was born in Ocean Falls, British Columbia, on May 25, 1935, to Yvonne Orr and Douglas Orr.

Five years later, she and her two brothers were adopted by her aunt and uncle, Evelyn and Douglas Meldrum.

She graduated from Ocean Falls High School, and went right to work for the Crown...

Apr 3, 2024

Roger Kay Williams, 86, of Seaside, died on April 3. Roger was born in 1937 in Pendleton to Horace and Bessie Williams.

Roger attended Oregon State University, and graduated with a degree in business administration before joining .S. National Bank, where he worked for several years.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis...

Mar 18, 2024

Lillian Lorraine Baeten, a 91-year-old Astoria resident, passed away on Monday at Columbia Memorial Hospital.

Lillian was born on Oct. 13, 1932, in Iron Mountain, Michigan, to the late Pasilins and Judith Hamari. Lillian grew up in Everett, Washington.

Lillian graduated from Everett High School. Lilian was united in marriage to Robert Henry Joseph Baeten...

Feb 16, 2024

Gaye Lynn Roland (Nanny G), of Gearhart, died suddenly on Feb. 16. She is preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Libby Roland.

Gaye leaves behind a family she loved and cherished. In Conway, Arkansas, she leaves behind a sister and brother-in-law, Marsha and Bill Hopkins, and a sister and nephew, Cathy Irelan and Michael Roland....

Feb 14, 2024

Nadine Rae (Aplin) Brien was born in Las Vegas on Dec. 20, 1934, and passed away very peacefully on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, at home with her family.

She is survived by her ex-husband, Jim Brien Sr.; and seven sons, starting in order from oldest to youngest, Jim Jr., Daniel, David, Michael, Stephen and twins, Matthew and...

Feb 1, 2024

George Joseph Heiner, 74, died at home on Feb. 1, surrounded by family.

George was born in Astoria on Dec. 14, 1949, to George and Irene Heiner.  George grew up in Alderbrook, and enjoyed the sounds of boats on the water and ships dropping anchor.

He graduated from Astoria High School in 1968, and later...

Jan 25, 2024

Dale Marshall, 91, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 25, with family members by his side.

Dale graduated from Nestucca High School in 1951, and married Mary Sowle in 1952. They had four children and divorced in 1977. Dale married Barbara Fischer in 1979.

Dale was an active member of Crossroads Community Church for...

Jan 19, 2024

Eileen Dorothy (Salmon) Leback, formerly of Astoria, passed away peacefully on Jan. 19 in Mount Vernon, Washington, at the age of 93.

She was born on Aug. 24, 1930, the youngest of nine children born to Charles Henry and Kate Helen (Kinnunen) Salmon.  Her older sisters helped raise her, as they grew up on the small family...

Jan 17, 2024

Bernadine O. Brandon - Graveside Services will be held at 12:30 p.m. at Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 S.E. Mt. Scott Blvd. in Portland.  Caldwell's Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements.

Jan 14, 2024

Darla Joy Salo passed away on Jan. 14 in St. Helens of natural causes.

Darla was born on Aug. 8, 1943, in Riverside, California, to Easton “Orin” Gredvig and Doris Gredvig. Soon after Darla was born, her father was stationed overseas in the U.S. Army during World War II, and Darla and her mother moved to Park...

Jan 8, 2024

Charolette Nyberg passed away on Jan. 8, at home in Warrenton, surrounded by family.

She was born on March 13, 1943, in Nabb, Indiana, to Charles and Erma Hammonds.  As a child, she lived on Green Mountain in a log cabin built by her grandfather.

She married Willard Nyberg on May 14, 1960.

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Jan 4, 2024

Ricky Charles Haglund Sr., aka “Rick” Haglund, was born on Dec. 22, 1963, in Astoria, to Shirley Jean Leino Haglund and Gilbert “Doc” Charles Haglund. His three older sisters, Debbie, Tammy and Cheryl, welcomed their new baby brother.

Rick grew up in Svensen and attended Knappa schools. Although Rick did not graduate from high school, he began...

Dec 27, 2023

Esther Schatzel Petersen passed away on Dec. 27, 2023, at the Oregon Veterans’ Home in Lebanon, shy of her 99th birthday.

She was born on Jan. 13, 1925, in Walla Walla, Washington. Her parents were Johannes Schatzel and Anna Marie Lofink Schatzel, German immigrants from the Volga region in Russia. Esther had nine siblings. She spent her...

Dec 10, 2023

Dwayne Melvin Huddleston was born on April 11, 1938, in Nampa, Idaho, the third and youngest child of Dewey and Elsie Huddleston. He passed away on Dec. 10, in Seaside, at the age of 85, due to complications from a severe stroke.

His parents, along with their three children Dores, Arnie and Dwayne, eventually settled in Hermiston,...

Nov 26, 2023

Kenneth Gordon Presthus was born in Portland on Oct. 26, 1946, to Arthur and Helen Presthus. Ken passed away peacefully on Nov. 26 at home in Astoria, with his partner, Coreen, by his side. He had ongoing side effects from a stem cell transplant done in 2021 for bone marrow cancer. At the onset of his illness in 2019, he...