All Obituaries

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...

Donald Martin, of Metolius, Oregon, passed away May 12, 2020. He had been a resident of Central Oregon since 1993. Donald was a Korean War Veteran and retired from the U.S. Air Force. He developed and built the Mt. View RV Park, Metolius Mobile Manor and the Martins Commons subdivision, all in Metolius. Donald was also a longtime member of the Jefferson County Planning Commission. Donald is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughters, Sandra Martin, Debbie Martelli, and Crystal Dunlap; sons,...

Hot Rod Heaven gained a new driver on April 30th. Clyne was born in Grants Pass, Oregon, to Clyne Sr. and Elizabeth Wardlaw. He grew up in Jerome Prairie and graduated from Grants Pass High School in 1967. He married his high school sweetheart, Sally Stowell, in the summer of 1968. Clyne started his long career in carpentry and construction when he first joined the Carpenter’s Union of Hawaii in 1972. After returning to Oregon he worked on various construction projects, many of them...

Yvonne Claire (Kenner) Bonfield was born December 28, 1961, the seventh of nine children born to Darwin and Ruth Kenner. She attended school and graduated from Devils Lake High School in 1980. Yvonne went on to graduate from the University of North Dakota in 1988 with a degree in occupational therapy. While in college, Yvonne was united in marriage with the love of her life, Douglas Bonfield, on November 29, 1986. They loved each other deeply and danced together through life's great...