Sun Spots
By Elsa Simonson
Correspondent, The Sun

Matt and Danis Bucknell returned on June 11 from a 10-day trip to Texas. On June 9 they attended the wedding of Randy Hamacher and Casey Wall at Grape Vine, a suburb of Dallas/Ft. Worth. Randy and Matt were best friends and classmates in Sheridan, graduating in 1988. Casey is from New Mexico.

They also visited with Monte and Jennifer Lauer at Grand Prairie and met Danis’ cousin, Janelle Justen, in San Antonio and Austin. Janelle is from Grand Ronde.

In Austin they toured the state capitol and the main attraction in San Antonio was the historic Alamo.

Spending most of the summer here with their grandparents are Joel Goden from Corpus Christi, Texas, and Tyler Kumley from Des Moines, Wash.

The birthday of Mary Ridgeway was celebrated at the Tuesday luncheon of the Friendship Birthday Club at the Green Frog. Also attending were Mary’s husband Richard, Paul and Dorothy Wagler, Pauline Jordan, Lois Levy, Edna and Elsa Simonson, Velma Wagler and Mary Veach.

Donna Hulett, Ann Huntley and Marjorie Owens joined the Yamhill County Retired Educators tour of the Chinese Gardens in Portland June 5.

The Tuesday Bridge Club was hosted by Audrey Clunie. Wilma Fenwick had high score and Yvonne Garcia has second high.

Jim and Sandy LeTourneux returned last week from a two-week trip to Utah where they visited with their son, Airman First Class Matt LeTourneux, at Hill Air Force base.

Other highlights of the trip were seeing the Thunderbirds perform at an air show at the base and the Grand Canyon. In Salt Lake City they heard the Temple Tabernacle Choir and toured the Olympic park sites of bob sledding, luge and ski jumping.

Darrel and Edwina Jones attended the graduation ceremonies at Multnomah Bible College where their son Eli received a bachelor of arts degree in Bible theology and a minor in Greek. It took place May 18.

Among the many people stopping at the school reunion at the Rebekah Hall on Saturday were Bill and Diana Hilton of McMinnville. He is a former superintendent of the Sheridan schools.

The Hiltons were recently in Connecticut where they attended the wedding of their son Allen Hilton and Elizabeth Robinson at the New Canaan Congregational Church on June 9.

Allen is a professor at Yale University Seminary and his wife, formerly an attorney in Austin, Texas, is now a student at Yale Divinity School.

Also attending the wedding were the Hilton’s daughter Amy and her fiance, Gregg Fossam of Issaquah, Wash. They plan to be married in September.

Del and Bonnie Stoutenberg of Yakima, Wash., spent the weekend with her mother, Agnes Ellis. Bonnie also attended the Sheridan High School Class of 51 reunion potluck at the city park.

William and Denise Pelzer, Kelsi and Nathan, and Denise’s mother, Dorothy Wyss, attended the graduation ceremonies at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls on Saturday where the Pelzer’s son Jacob received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology.

On Friday, they were treated to a barbecue at the school for the graduates and their families. Friday evening they joined a group of Jacob’s classmates and their families for a picnic at one of the city’s parks.

Jacob is now home and has started working for the Hampton Lumber Company in Willamina.

Tom Bland, master of the Sheridan Mason Lodge #64, senior warden Dan Rent and junior warden Jerry Smith attended the 151st meeting of the Grand Lodge held at the Jantzen Beach Doubletree conference center in Portland June 7 and 8. New officers were elected at the meeting.

Two bus loads of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students from Grand Ronde Elementary School and middle school students from Willamina were able to watch the Portland Rose Festival parade, seated at the Memorial Coliseum and later enjoyed lunch and activities at the Waterfront Fun Center. They were guests of the Spirit Mountain Casino.

Rod, Carol and Tracy Neal and Lois Neal of Sheridan, and Erin Bines of Perryville, Md., attended the Saturday evening commencement exercises at Western Oregon University in Monmouth where Abe Neal received a degree in criminal justice. Erin is Abe’s fiancee.

Among the numerous relatives and friends who attended a Sunday evening reception in Corvallis for Kristi King were her grandparents, Lloyd and Viola Nisly of Dundee; Lee and Marguerite Alexander, Lyle and Jason, and Lois Neal.

Earlier in the day Kristi graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor of science degree in human development and family science.

Jon and Solveig Holmquist and family hosted Ken and Barbara Knutson for a Father’s Day picnic at Salem’s Riverfront Park. They enjoyed a ride on the new carousel and also stopped in Dallas to visit with their daughter’s family, Trudy and Tom Dick and girls.

Following the Saturday evening parade Gene and Clarice Pence entertained family members with a barbecue dinner. Present were Gene, Dorothy and Leann Pence of Tigard; Don and Suzann Johnston, Brandy, Sarah, Kristina, C.J. and Dylan of McMinnville.

Edna Simonson hosted family and friends for a potluck dinner following the Sheridan Days parade.

Chris Higginson and son Dan visited with David and Mindy Higginson in Klamath Falls over the weekend. They watched Mindy receive her bachelor’s degree in radiologic science at the Oregon Institute of Technology graduation on Saturday.

David and Mindy are now on their way to Anchorage, Alaska, where David will serve a yearlong externship in radiology at Providence Hospital before graduating from OIT next year. Mindy will work as an X-ray technician at the same hospital.

Dr. Kenneth Kelley and Naomi are proud to announce the birth of their first grandchild, Garen Paul Kelley. The parents are former Sheridan resident Bradley and his wife Leslie Kelley. Great grandparents are Harley and Bonnie Mishler of Willamina. Garen was born in Fort Collins, Colo. He weighed 7 pounds, 14 ozs. Mom and baby are doing fine.

On June 12 Dr. Kenneth Kelley of Sheridan Chiropractic gave a lecture on the Men’s Health Issues Series at the Sheridan Correctional Institution. Dr. Kelley’s talk covered disease of the bones in the aging population, including osteoarthritis which is the wear and tear type of arthritis of older joints under stress. This series is ongoing and several local health professionals have been asked to participate.

Elsa Simonson is The Sun’s West Valley area correspondent. You may reach her at 503-843-3535.