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The latest obituaries and death notices for Malheur County

John Kenneth (Kenny) Friend

August 16, 1946 ~ August 3, 2020

John Kenneth (Kenny) Friend passed away on August 3, 2020, at his home with his two loving children Rob and Kendra by his side. Kenny was born August 16, 1946, at Brittingham’s in Ontario, Oregon to Warren and Anna Friend. He attended school in Willowcreek, Vale, Hope and graduated from Harper in 1964. 

Kenny joined the U.S. Army in 1965 and was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for basic training. He was then stationed in Germany until 1968. Dad made many friends within the Army but no one like Ed VanKleek – They had many adventures together and stayed lifelong friends. Upon leaving the Army, he moved to Unity, Oregon, to work on the Family Ranch where he met the love of his life, Rhea Gardner Lewis. They married August 2, 1971, in Winnemucca Nevada, and had 44 wonderful years together. In 1973 they moved to Harper, where they farmed until 2004 when they sold the farm and moved to Ontario. Kenny and Rhea had two children together, Kendra and Rob. Rhea had three children from a previous marriage: Kathy, Jon, and Doug. Mom and Dad had two special nephews, Neil and Joe Friend, who lived with them and raised as their own. Kenny loved traveling with Rhea across the United States and seeing new country, he was an avid reader of history, researching genealogy, collecting antiques, and going to museums. Kenny loved his kids and grandkids and enjoyed going to their sporting events, plays, etc. Dad was an honest man with a quick wit and a colorful vocabulary that made everyone around him laugh. 

A special thank you to Kay Maeda, John Maeda, Rick Kitamura, Cherie Kitamura, Grant Kitamura, we could not have asked for better neighbors for our dad. Gene and Carol Meyer for visiting dad. Dad enjoyed his time at Colemans Service visiting and catching up with his Harper friends. We would like to thank Brian Coleman for always keeping in touch. Kenny was preceded in death by his parents Warren and Anna Friend, his wife Rhea, brother Asa Friend, and stepson Doug Lewis. He is survived by his sister Terri Amick (Terry) Westfall Oregon; daughter Kendra Freitag (Russ) Fruitland Idaho; son Rob Friend (Kelly) Vale; stepdaughter Kathy Davidson (David), Ferndale, Washington; stepson John Lewis (Theresa), Ontario; grandchildren Tyler and Kylee Freitag, Colton and Aaron Friend, and a great-granddaughter, Rorie Freitag. Graveside services will be held at Valley View Cemetery in Vale Thursday, August 20 at 10 a.m.; the family requests donations be made to the charity of your choice.

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Anna Louise (Lou) Martin 

January 17, 1952 ~ August 3, 2020

Anna Louise (Lou) Martin of Vale passed away suddenly at the age of 68 on August 3, 2020, in Ontario Oregon.

Lou is survived by Dean, her loving husband of 51 years; daughter Bobbie Kurth (Tim); sons Ron Martin, and Rex Martin (Melissa); 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Lou was born to Bobby Gene and Thelma Pearl Daugherty on Jan. 17, 1952, in Missouri. The family moved to Parma, Idaho, where Lou and her brothers Don and Danny grew up.

Lou and Dean were married in July of 1969. They raised their kids in Willowcreek and Vale, Oregon. Mom was a very hard worker and a valuable asset at every position she held. She was a cook at the Willowcreek Store & Café, the food services supervisor at TVCC, a sales associate and merchandiser at Kinney & Keele True Value in Ontario and also at Olsen Lumber in Vale. Lou had a special talent for merchandising business with Dean. They traveled together all over the United States, setting up hardware stores for Ace and True Value. When the grandkids and great-grands started coming along, Mom decided to retire and be at home, where she could enjoy her beloved family.

Lou loved spending time tending her flowers and caring for the various birds in the yard. She loved fishing and spending her quiet time reading a good book and enjoying her coffee. Mom loved to dance and she was so proud to teach each of the grands and great-grands how to hula hoop. She had a gift for listening and knowing just the right advice to give at the right time even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. She was a kind person with a heart full of unconditional love. Grandma Lou will be missed greatly by the many touched in her life.

Due to Covid restrictions a celebration of Lou’s life will be held at a later date.

Deaths:

• Shirley May Smith, 75, of Nyssa, died July 25 at a local care facility. Lienkaemper Chapel, Nyssa. 

• Jack F. Sams, 77, of Ontario, died July 26 at home. Lienkaemper Chapel, Ontario. 

• Myrtle Lou Alston, 89, of Ontario, died July 27 at a local Hospital. Lienkaemper Chapel, Ontario. 

• Mary Louise Haburchak, 100, of Nyssa, died July 30 at a local assisted living facility. Lienkaemper Chapel, Nyssa. 

• Molly A. Hess, 95, of Ontario, died July 30, at St. Alphonsus ER Ontario. Haren-Wood Funeral Chapel, Ontario.

• Herman J. Jungk Jr., 99, of Ironside, died July 31 at his home in Ironside. Haren-Wood Funeral Chapel, Ontario.

• Erma Coleman, 94, of Ontario, died July 30 in Boise. Lienkaemper Chapel, Ontario. 

• Francis Florez, 64, of Fruitland, died July 31 at home. Haren-Wood Funeral Chapel, Ontario.

• Daniel Delbert Ledington, 62, of Ontario, died July 30 at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, OR. Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, Payette. 

• Emma Ruth Petterson, 95, of Nyssa, died August 1 at home. Lienkaemper Chapel Nyssa. 

LEARN HOW TO PLACE AN OBITUARY: Contact Autumn Butler, Enterprise office manager, at [email protected] or call 514-473-3377.