All Obituaries

Howard William Ihrig 'Bill' was born in Condon, Oregon, May 22, 1935, to Jason George Frost Ihrig and Goldie Elmira (Cook) Ihrig. Bill had two older sisters: Joyce Elaine Ihrig and Lorraine Bessie Ihrig and two younger brothers: Robert Roy Ihrig and John Frost Ihrig. Bill was a sickly baby and not expected to live through his first night. The doctor in attendance asked if there was a place to put him to keep him warm. A makeshift bed was made under the wood stove and he survived....

  Allen D. Kollen was born January 27, 1950, in Bend, Oregon, to John and Frances Kollen. He died November 8, 2020, at Hospice House in Bend. Allen grew up on the family farm on the Agency Plains in Jefferson County. He attended 509-J schools where he played football and wrestled. Representing Madras High School in 1967, he received the All-State Quarterback Award. On a football scholarship, he attended Grey's Harbor Community College in Aberdeen, Washington, and later Eastern...

Born Oct 9, 1930, in Portland, Oregon, Mary Lou Powell passed away on Nov 2, 2020 at the age of ninety. As the only child of Frank and Stephena Ambro, she had a long and satisfying life. Mary Lou experienced hardship in her life, but refused to be defined by those hardships. When she was nineteen, she married her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Bill Powell. At age twenty, with six months until graduation from nursing school, she contracted polio. She recovered, but was forced to...

Sergeant Dillon J. Brown, U.S. Army, passed away at the age of 25. Born to parents, James Brown and Julie Goss, on January 11, 1995. Dillon was raised in Madras, Oregon, and graduated from Culver High School in 2013. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He then was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and was in the 101st Airborne. While there, Dillon was deployed to Afghanistan. When he returned to the states, his active duty was at Fort...

Roy Neil Wilson, a Madras resident of 77 years, passed away at his home on July 25, 2020, at the age of 84. He was born August 9, 1935, in Yakima, Washington. His family moved to Madras in 1943, and Neil graduated from Madras High School in 1952. Neil served as a Sergeant for the United States Army in the Korean War. Neil's service to the community included the Madras City Police Department. An independent entrepreneur with too many ventures to name, Neil was well known for the many...

Ronald Bernard Ochs was born May 11, 1930, to Bernard Nels and Catherine M. (Albrich) Ochs, in Portland, Oregon, and passed away June 20, 2020, in Willowdale, Oregon. Ron grew up in Portland, Oregon, on Highland Street near Peninsula Park with his older brother, Bob, and his younger sisters, Marilyn and Barbara. He attended Holy Redeemer Catholic School, Columbia Preparatory School and Oregon State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture. Ron was always a worker...

Madras resident Esther L. (Henske) Forbes went to a heavenly celebration with her Lord and savior Jesus Christ on Friday May 29, 2020. She passed away peacefully at age 95 in her sleep at the home of her youngest son Gordon and his wife Lynn, in Oakland, Oregon. She is also survived by her oldest son Martin, his wife Kim of Boonsboro, Maryland two grandchildren Rebecca and Elijah and her middle son Byron and his wife Julie of The Woodlands, Texas. Esther was born in Madras at the farm home...

Edna Ashburn, 87, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on May 19, 2020, of cancer. Edna eloped with her childhood sweetheart, Will Ashburn, then enjoyed 58 years of marriage together. She enjoyed life and was gracious, loving, kind, resilient and proper even though life was not easy. She is survived by daughters, Patty (Jeff ), Debby (Rolando); son, Bob (Pam); several grandchildren; great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and a huge extended family She was preceded...

Wes Pendergraft passed away peacefully at Hospice House in Bend on May 17, 2020. He was born in Pueblo, Colorado to Roy and Lena Pendergraft. His family moved to California where he graduated from Whittier High School in California. In 1944 Wes joined the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Pearl Harbor until 1946. After serving our country, he attended Pasadena College for 2 years. He married his first wife, Teresa, in 1949 and moved to Madras where he worked at his father’s business,...

Ken Smith was born in The Dalles, Wasco County Oregon, on March 30, 1935, into a poor Warm Springs Reservation community. He would grow up to be one of the most important leaders the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs ever had.  Ken had a charisma that attracted others to him throughout his life.  He was raised by his grandparents, Wesley and Annie Smith, on their Dry Hollow Ranch, south of Warm Springs.  Ken recalled, “I learned what self-reliance was growing up on...