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Denzel Fisher
Denzel Frank Fisher, 85, died peacefully
March 1, 2009, at his Hood River, Ore., home. He was born
at home in Cook, Neb., to Frank and Blanche Fisher.
Denny graduated from Cook High School in
Nebraska, in 1941. After working for the railroad a short time,
he headed west with his cousin, ending in Hood River. There he
worked in the fruit warehouses a little while. He then moved to
Gresham to work in an auto repair shop.
Soon he was a welder on the Victory and
Liberty ships at the shipyards at Swan Island in Portland until
he was inducted into the Army Air Corp., April 1943 at Fort
Crook, Neb.
He went to radio operator school in
Sioux Falls, S.D., flying B-27 bombers, and then to gunnery
school in Yuma, Ariz.
Denny was discharged early from the
military in June 1944, so he could return home to Cook to help
his parents run the family farm. He returned to Hood River about
1950, working at the Dee Lumber Co.
Denny married Elmina Van Riper, of
Parkdale, on June 3, 1951.
It took Denny a year to build a gas
station at Cascade and Rand Road, opening in 1953, which became
a place to spend a lifetime. A half-century of evolution began,
remaining firmly in the hands of Denny and his family. Denny’s
Service became Flying A Service, then Phillips 66. The building
was expanded, housing the Wonder Bread depot.
By the 1970s, Denny’s Place restaurant,
a 39-cent hamburger joint, began with his son, Kirk. In 1983,
Little Bit Ranch Supply was started, also with Kirk, sharing
space with a thrift store and the Greyhound Bus Depot.
Also in the early 1970s, Denny bought a
shop building, dismantled it, moved it and reconstructed it
behind his building to start a body shop. He later sold that
part of his property, becoming D&S Frame and Body in its current
location. Another part of Denny’s property he sold, which then
housed the Franz Bread Depot for the next 27 years.
In the 1990s Denny and his wife started
spending winters in Quartzsite, Ariz., for the next 15 years.
They were involved the last couple years with the Isaiah 58
Project, serving meals to the needy there.
In 2003, the last transformation of
Denny’s former gas station happened when his daughter bought
Little Bit Ranch Supply from his son. Then Denny sold her the
property in January 2008.
He remained actively involved during the
whole 56 years since he built the original gas station.
Denny owned a race car in early 1954,
#25 (or ‘two bits’), racing on the local dirt tracks in The
Dalles and White Salmon. Bill Myers and Scott Anderson did the
driving. A spare engine became the beginning of 35 years of
parts gathering to refurbish his 1948 Chevy pickup that now sits
in the WAAAM museum.
Denny drove the little red truck in many
local parades for Little Bit Ranch Supply from 1995 to 2008.
Throughout his life, Denny was a hunter
and fisherman. He missed hunting season only two years out of
55; the year his daughter was born and last year, due to his
health. He entertained a lot of people with his hunting
experiences.
Denny was active in several local
churches throughout his life, serving as president of the Full
Gospel Men’s Association for a few years. He served his Lord,
always willing to help anyone he could. Some people do
make a difference in others lives.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years,
Elmina; his children, Kirk Fisher (Susie) of Hood River, and
Karen Howard (Bob) of Parkdale; grandchildren, Becky Ellis
(Tim), Jeff Fisher, Nathan and Scott Howard; and three
great-grandchildrena: Brandon, Trystan and Kelby.
He is also survived by his sisters,
Mardell Albers, of Tecumseh, Neb., and Lauretta Schacht, of
Falls City, Neb.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. His
parents and brother-in-law, Arnold Albers, preceded him in
death.
Denny wished for memorial contributions
to be made to the River of Life Assembly’s building fund at 979
Tucker Road, Hood River, OR, where he was a member.
Kenneth Kirby
Kenneth W. Kirby, a lifelong Hood River
Valley resident, died April 14, 2009, at the Oregon Veterans
Home in The Dalles, Ore. He was 87 years of age.
Private family services were held with
vault entombment at Idlewilde Cemetery Mausoleum.
Ken was born in Odell, Ore., May 28,
1921, to Hood River County pioneers Bessie Mary Ann Croft and
Wendell I. Kirby. He graduated from Odell High School, attended
the University of Southern California and graduated from Oregon
State University in 1946.
Ken served in the Marine Corps four
years during World War II with duty in the South Pacific. He was
a member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, serving as junior and
senior Wardens, vestryman and chairman of the building addition.
Ken was a member of Sigma Chi
fraternity, Elks Lodge, American Legion, VFW; DAV; Oregon
Historical Society; National Association of Review Appraisers;
Oregon Association Review Appraisers, OSU Dads’ Club and the OSU
Alumni Association.
Ken was Past Commander, American Legion;
Veterans Service Officer pro tem; Selective Service registrar
(commendation from President Lyndon Johnson); appointed by
governor in 1950-51 to serve as Adjutant, Oregon National Guard
Reserves; Civil Defense chairman; Red Cross Chairman and member
of four-gallon blood donors; Hood River County chairman, Heart
Fund; canvasser Cancer Fund; chairman, United Fund and five-year
solicitor; member of the advanced gift committee, Hood River
Memorial Hospital fund drive 1958; Cub Scout pack master and
district finance chairman; ARA county report chairman; Board of
Trustees, Pacific International Livestock Exposition; land use
committee member; Extension Service Advisory Council; 4-H
leader; president, 4-H Leaders Association and recipient of
County Certificate of Recognition, National Award; division
chairman county fairs; livestock judge; auction chairman; Wheat
League livestock show; county representative, 4-H Foundation;
OSU Alumni Association. board of directors; county chairman,
Parker Stadium and Spec Keene Award fund drives; Elks’
scholarship committee; Yasui Scholarship committee; Sheltered
Workshop board member; Mid-Columbia Mental Health board member;
Postal Advisory board member; President, HR High School Dads’
Club.
He was employed as Hood River County
Assessor; Director of Records and Assessments; County
Administrative Assistant; County Administrator, retiring Jan. 1,
1987. He was recognized in Who’s Who in American Government.
Veterans’ Administration appraiser and Fee appraiser.
Ken was preceded in death by his parents
and brothers, Roy and Ralph Kirby.
He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Jean
Kirby; son, Christopher, and daughter-in-law, Kathleen; brother;
Harold Kirby, and sister-in-law, Ann; grandsons Ian and Sean;
and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family requests that memorial
donations be made in Ken’s name to the Hood River County 4-H
college scholarship program c/o OSU Extension Service.
Memorial contributions may be sent to
Anderson’s Tribute Center (Funerals - Receptions - Cremations)
1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031.
Please visit
www.andersonstributecenter.com to leave a note of sympathy
for his family.
Ethel McNamee
1920-2009
Born in Hillsboro, N.D., to Charles and
Minnie Hausmann, she married Wallace McNamee in 1938. The couple
was married 62 years.
They had five children, 16
grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and two
great-great-grandchildren.
Grand Forks, N.D., was home until moving
to Fargo in 1957. They spent their summers on the lakes of
southern Minnesota. Upon retirement they lived many years in
Hood River, the deserts of southern California and Billings,
Mont. with summers in Minnesota until Wally’s death in 2000.
Survivors include daughter Toni Nippolt
of Hood River, granddaughter Ellen Nippolt (Steve Wolf), Teresa
(Chris) Alexander, Kate (Mark) Huttemann, Nilsa (Michael) Zeman
and Anne (Clark) Bryant.
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